How to Use Labor Day to Make Up Lost Ground

I want to share with you how a Labor Day offering plan can help close your giving gap. First, you might be surprised that I would contend you could see an increase in giving on Labor Day. Three-day weekends are typically tough on offerings. Yet, with a good plan of action, you can meet and exceed the budget for that weekend. Here is how…

First, let’s talk about why you need a Labor Day offering plan.

1. Three-day weekends are killers for offerings! Why? See point #2…
2. Your people are at the lake, beach, or ball game. Why does that matter? See point #3…
3. When attendance is down giving is. When giving is down it means you fall behind. See point #4…
4. Falling behind makes it difficult to catch up. Since you don’t want to fall behind you need to do something.
5. If you know you face a challenge, get ahead of the curve! Plan ahead of time to head off any decline in giving over the Labor Day weekend.

The most important thing you can do is build a compelling message of why people should give to your offering. Let me break down for you the key points in…

How to build the message for your Labor Day offering…

• Don’t make it about you. Make it about them. Make it about fulfilling the vision God has given your church.
• Be positive, not negative.
• It’s not about making a budget; it is about changing lives!
• So, make the appeal about missions and ministry, not making a budget!
• Focus on what you have done and what you have yet to do.

What the Labor Day plan looks like…

Step One:  Mail a snail mail letter Monday, August 29th. Include a self-addressed, postage-paid envelope for ease of use! The easier you make it for people to give the more likely they will give.

Step Two:  Email your donors on Thursday, September 1st, reminding them of the importance of giving. Include a hyperlink directly to your giving page and ask them to give.

Step Three:  Email your donors Sunday, September 4th, encouraging them to give while away. Remember to include a link to your giving page making it easy for them to give.

Optional Step Four:  Consider one last follow-up email blast on Labor Day, September 5th. Circling back one more time might be the difference between making budget or not.

I have helped scores of churches utilize similar plans like this, and they have seen thousands of dollars come in. Don’t let a three-day holiday weekend kill your offering. Get ahead of the curve and build out a Labor Day offering plan. It could keep you on track toward being fully funded.

For more information on how to use Labor Day to catch up on your offerings see our Bonus Section.

Mark Brooks – The Stewardship Coach

I write seasonal giving plans called playbooks. My recent come-from-behind playbook builds a special offering around Labor Day. It’s called Recovering Your Lost Offerings: The Coach’s 2022 Annual Close the Gap Playbook. It sells for $9.95, but if you email me at mark@Acts17generosity.com, I’ll send you a copy for free!