Scrolling through social media this past week, I came across this headline, “Top 5 Heresies Among American Evangelicals.” The link led me to a Christianity Today article about a survey released by Ligonier Ministries and Lifeway Research. It’s not an encouraging read. How can it be when the survey found...
If you have gone to church much at all, you have probably heard the word tithe used. You might not know what that term means or where it came from. Don’t feel bad. A recent study asked Americans, “Are you familiar with the term “tithe,” here are the responses. 39% of...
There are three classical reasons why people give to any organization. First, they must believe in the vision of that organization. Second, they must believe and trust in the leadership of the organization, and finally, they must have trust in how that organization handles money. Violate any of these three,...
“I have found without exception that the lack of pastoral involvement in stewardship is the number one reason churches are failing to realize their potential in giving.” That is a line from the first chapter of my 2012 book entitled The Top Ten Stewardship Mistakes Churches Make. That first chapter...
Do you know what most would say if you were to go door to door across your neighborhood and ask people the one thing they don’t like about church? That all we ever talk about is money. Well, here we go again; it’s time for the offering! Some churches have decided...
How Does the Staff/Church Change the Conversation About Money? The following are some key thoughts on how. Be like Jesus. Jesus talked more about money and finances than any other topic. If our Lord saw the importance of discussing this topic, why would we not follow Him and do the same?...
What is your goal in stewardship? 83% of pastors in one poll agreed with the statement, “In most congregations, the goal of stewardship is defined as meeting the budget.”1. If this statistic is true, and I don’t doubt it, then no wonder we are having difficulty reversing the decline in...
Labor Day is upon us! If you are like me, you are wondering where summer went. Labor Day is the traditional end of summer weekend. It is officially the day we celebrate the contributions workers have made to our country's strength, prosperity, and well-being. Our nation’s way of saying, “Thank...
It’s not enough to simply know your giving landscape. Why? Because knowledge without action is worthless. The following are some key ideas on how you can gain and keep donors. Implement a front-end back-end strategy. A front-end strategy works to attract new donors AND to see younger donors become consistent givers....
Do you know the state of generosity at your church? In my last edition, I gave you the findings of a new Barna study, The Giving Landscape: Who Drives Generosity and Why. I ended by saying, “Knowing national giving trends is helpful. It gives you insight into what possible barriers...
