From My Desk to Yours
Welcome to our final edition on the state of giving in America. One of our goals with the Journal is to give our readers up-to-date information on current studies. Being aware of a decline is a good first step to correcting the decline. This issue will help pastors and church leaders clearly see the future ahead and what we must do. Here is what is in this week’s Journal.
As usual, Mark Brooks, the Stewardship Coach, starts with a post entitled The Future of Giving: It Ain’t Good, Finale. Mark begins by writing, “I’m sitting here trying to think what I can say to a pastor who has read my negative forecast of giving for the last two weeks. I might have been tempted not to open this one if I were you. Especially on the release date, Monday mornings. But if the news on giving has you asking how I avoid this in my church, then you are asking the right question! As a pastor, you have a crucial role to play in addressing this issue. Knowing what I know, what would I be doing if I were a pastor? Here is my advice.” What follows will encourage you and hopefully put you to work!
Mark’s Bonus Section is a timely reprint entitled The SBC’s Ticking Timebomb. Mark explains one key reason why giving is down: our aging donor base. He explains his way of analyzing the impact of giving by looking at what he calls the Over/Under Split. You see two illustrations of how age breakdowns can and will determine a church’s future. Find out what your Over/Under Split is.
“Only 32% of your lapsed donors realize they have not given to your ministry in the past 12 months!” That is the lead sentence of our final post, Reactivating Lost Donors. This is a practical guide on re-engaging those who might have dropped out. “Every church, ministry, and non-profit has donors who were once active but have lapsed in their giving for whatever reason. The question is, how do you turn those now-lapsed donors back into consistent donors?” Read this post to find out.
As always, we want to remind you that if you are new to the Stewardship Journal or missed a week, all articles can be found at https://stewardshipjournal.com. Our goal is to be your go-to resource for all things stewardship-related.
In Jesus’ name!
Dr. Shawn Parker