This is The Final Edition of my weekly stewardship newsletter. I’ve dreaded typing that sentence for weeks. I have a couple of pages of random thoughts on what I wanted to say, how to say it, etc. I’ve typed that opening sentence and retyped it so many times in my...
Non-profits know how crucial end-of-year giving is. They have a plan, do you? Here are four tips to help you. Tip #1—Have a plan and work your plan! If you don't plan, you plan on failure, so let's devise a plan. Your plan in a nutshell… Social Media posts from now through December...
“If you had it (being a pastor) to do all over again, what would you do?” I was in my second year of the stewardship ministry when a couple of staff members asked me that over a cup of coffee. As I write these last few editions of my stewardship...
The church that survives into the future is the church that prepares today for the future. That’s been one of my Brooks Mantras on stewardship that I have been repeating to you since around 2018. Pastor Shane, Bishop of Christ Church outside of Saint Louis, took that advice to heart...
“I think we will know when it is time to retire.” My high school wrestling buddy, who also serves as my financial advisor, made that comment to me back in 2018. When you get my age, retirement is all your buddies talk about. I wasn’t ready to retire, but I...
I’m focused on helping churches be financially secure by 2030. For years, I have marched under the motto, “Reversing Giving One Church at a Time.” With the decline of giving picking up speed and endangering the future of thousands of churches, there is never a better time to prepare for...
The last six weeks of this year and the first six weeks of the New Year will largely determine how your financial year goes. That is how important having a seasonal strategy is. To help you prepare, this Coach is entitled How to Have End-of-Year Success. I will show you...
Think like a pastor. That’s what I often write on my yellow legal thinking pad as I face each stewardship issue. I ask myself, “If I were still a pastor, what should I do about this information?” I would want to know what this meant for me and my church...
The average evangelical was giving away only 3.2% of household income to either church or charity, and 19% gave not a penny to either over the previous 12 months.1. Giving to the Church in America is in freefall, and I want to dive into why that is happening and what you...
I have three major studies on giving trends on my desk, and all three say the same thing: giving to charitable organizations, including the Church, is in serious decline. I will break down the findings in this Coach, The Future of Giving: It Ain’t Good, Part 1. “The average evangelical Protestant...
