The Stewardship Coach

Putting the New Back in “New”

How old is your “new” fellowship hall or your “new” children’s wing? For the typical church, putting the tag “new” in front of any building simply means it was the last structure built or renovated. For many churches, their “new” whatever was built in the last century! One of the...


Our Ticking Time Bomb

A year ago, I issued a stark warning to a group of Southern Baptist leaders: without immediate action, thousands of their churches could vanish by 2030. This year, the warning was tragically confirmed. In April, Lifeway Research reported that the Southern Baptist Convention lost 1,253 churches in 2022. This is...


Planning for Ministry in the 2030’s

I believe that by 2030, less than six years from now, we will witness a significant wave of church closures across the U.S. Church closures are happening already, and the pace of closures is picking up. A few weeks ago, Lifeway Research posted the following headline: Southern Baptists Lost More...


Preparing for the Future With a Legacy Lane Strategy

The churches that survived the closures in March 2020 owe their survival to a crucial group. Despite alarming predictions of widespread closures due to a decline in giving, these churches held their ground. Our financial analysis of current clients and extensive research of numerous articles and studies underscored the significant...


Overcoming Your Church’s Biggest Stewardship Roadblock…You

“You write the best stuff on stewardship. Your problem is no one cares.” A few years back, I was talking about writing with my friend, Brian Dodd. He made that comment to me. It’s the most stinging compliment I ever got. It is also revealing of why giving continues to...


The Three-Day Weekend Edition

Pastoring a church miles from Razorback Stadium, where the University of Arkansas Razorbacks play football, made me aware of the need to pay attention to the calendar when it came to planning. When I started in the stewardship ministry, I quickly learned that even giving initiatives must pay attention to...


Why You Need a Summer Giving Plan

“Did you or anyone on your staff think of that?” That was my reply to an Executive Pastor of one of the largest churches in America after I had laid out a plan for summer giving. His comment was, “This isn’t hard at all.” His comment was meant as a...


Navigating the Annual Great Decline

Get ready for The Annual Great Decline. You are probably still basking in the glow of Easter, a packed house filled with promise and potential. Then, this past Sunday brought you back to reality. The typical church will not see any better attendance and engagement until sometime next fall. I...


The Generosity Lane: Using Gratitude to Increase Generosity

What do you do on Monday after Easter? The tendency after Easter is to pass out on the couch to rest up. Yet, if you want to keep your giving tank full, you must continually think about your generosity lanes. I’m continuing my series on the key generosity lanes you...


How to Make Appeals Appealing

The typical church in America today seldom, if ever, talks about money for fear of driving people away. Jesus said, “You have not because you ask not.” I realize he was talking about prayer, but people will respond when we ask correctly. It is not that we ask for financial...