Get a story, work your story, tell your story, and people will give money to help support that story. That is one of my long-time mantras. You are starting into one of your most exciting ministry times of the year and one of the most challenging giving times of the...
Two questions could determine whether you struggle this summer financially or not. First, what percentage of your giving comes in some digital form? Most churches are now at or beyond 50%. Here is a second question that most churches never ask, how much of your digital dollars comes online through ACH...
I’m on vacation! For the next two weeks, I will be visiting my daughter’s family in Germany. Actually, I will be there for only ten days. I will be making a presentation on April 25th to Southern Baptist’s State Convention stewardship leaders. I would appreciate your prayers! To give me a...
Congratulations. You survived another Easter! Does the picture on the left resemble how you feel right now? I get my pictures through a service, and I typed in “exhausted,” and this picture came up. I immediately thought, “If anyone is reading this on the Monday after Easter, this is probably...
How much cash does your church have on hand? I remember, as a young pastor right out of seminary, reading about a church that had hundreds of thousands of dollars in reserve. I remember thinking, “in reserve for what?” In my view, if a church had money in the bank,...
Easter is less than two weeks away, so it is time to start planning for summer giving. If you are thinking you haven’t even planned for Easter, see my Bonus Section for last-minute advice on your Easter offering. Every year right before Easter, I start turning your attention to your...
“Effective fund-raising churches refuse to treat all people as equals – and people truly are not when it comes to giving. Most of these churches develop some kind of segmentation strategy in which they categorize the congregation into types of donors.”1. (George Barna, How to Increase Giving to Your Church.) In...
Are you ready for Church 3.0? James Emery White has a new book out entitled Hybrid Church: Rethinking the Church in a Post-Christian Digital Age. Here is a quote from an email his organization sent out. It is time to put forward a simple but provocative thesis: the church must respond...
How is giving going after the first two months of the year? Are you ahead or behind?That is the question that I ask my clients. It’s the first question I think about but often the last question a church ever thinks about. Frankly, most churches don’t think about that at...
To build and sustain a culture of generosity, you must create and sustain a culture of gratitude. In this issue of the Coach, entitled Building a Culture of Gratitude, I will show you the importance of gratitude and give you practical tips on how you can express your gratitude. The...
