Bonus Material

Your Last-Minute Summer Planning Sheet

Are you ready to head off the summer slump in giving? If I were a pastor heading into summer, here is what I would be asking myself, my staff, or my team. How is giving doing as we move into summer? Are we ahead or behind budget? How does current giving...


A Text for Recurring Giving

We recommend that churches encourage members to sign up for automated giving in January and May. Here is a sample that you might consider putting in your Sunday bulletin. How many checks a month do you write? Paper check usage has declined from 60% of all payments in 2000 to around 20%...


Leadership Summit Outline

“You do know you are making a statement?” I commented to Sr. Pastor Jeremy Freeman as we discussed raising money to fund a $10 million sanctuary. When I asked him that question, the U.S. was on Covid variant; I can’t remember which. Building sanctuaries is not what the “experts” would...


How To Use May for a Recurring Giving Drive

Since we know that giving will be a challenge during the summer, why not start a drive for recurring giving throughout the month of May? First, let’s break down the top mistakes most churches make with regard to online giving. The number one mistake churches make with online giving is setting...


The 15 Offerings of Summer: How to Reverse the Summer Slump in 60 Seconds

Summer offering strategy - Here is an overview of a plan of action for summer offerings taken from my new playbook, The 15 Offerings of Summer: How to Reverse the Summer Slump in 60 Seconds. https://acts17generosity.com/shop/the-fully-funded-summer/ What is your plan? The best message and tools, while essential, are worthless without...


15 Offerings of Summer Worksheet

Use the chart to plan out your 15 offerings. The Who, How, What, When, Why column helps you decide the best way to communicate the story you are focusing on. Each offering is about connecting your summer vision to life change! 15 Sundays/15 Offerings DateFocus of OfferingWho, How, What, When, Why?May 29th  June...


The Seasonal Giving Strategy

The following was originally posted at https://www.onlinegiving.org/support/the-seasonal-giving-strategy. Does your church have a giving strategy? Most churches don’t, so they struggle to be financially stable. They fall behind early in the year and struggle to get through the summer months. The typical church has more missions and ministry in the summer...


One Evangelical’s Response to the COVID-19 Vaccine

The following was a blog post I wrote in May of 2021: Trust the science. You hear that a lot today. Typically, it comes from those wanting to silence any questions about COVID-19 in general, masks, and now the vaccine being pushed upon, well, everyone. One group in particular is being...


Key Pointers for Expressing Gratitude

Here are some pointers and thoughts about crafting a thank you card or letter… Get to the point! It’s about saying thanks, not telling them how great your church is.Make it brief. People are busy these days and they won’t read more than a paragraph or two.Personalize it. The most successful...


The Essential Tools for an Easter Digital Giving Strategy

We all know that Easter is the church's best-attended day of the year. You might not know that Easter is typically a strong offering day. At least Easter used to be a strong offering day, when every chair or pew was filled with warm bodies. This playbook will show you...