It Must Be Summer; VBS is Approaching!
This summer across America, large and small churches in big cities and small hamlets will be holding what is perhaps the greatest evangelistic rally ever, Vacation Bible School. If you doubt that, consider this fact from the American Bible Society, which states that 83% of people who come to Christ do so between the ages […]
Why May is a Good Time to Focus on Recurring Giving
By Mark Brooks, posted at https://www.onlinegiving.org/blog A recent Lifeway Research poll of active church members found that only 8% of the respondents had made their giving recurring! This May would be a great time to increase the average number of your members setting up their giving to be recurring. A recent Lifeway Research poll on […]
How Social Media Can Advance Your Summer Missions
“Can you coach me on how to increase giving at my church?” That was the first question Florida Pastor Dr. John Cross asked me one afternoon while driving down a back-road Indiana highway. At the time, he was at South Biscayne Church in the Sarasota area. His church was exploding with younger generations. That call […]
Is Online Giving Biblical?
This issue is focused on helping you increase your recurring giving. We thought it might be helpful to ask, is online giving biblical? Of course, online giving isn’t mentioned in the Bible. How can we answer the question then? Just because you cannot find online giving mentioned in the Bible doesn’t mean giving online is […]
How to Make the Annie Armstrong Offering Fresh and Personal
Most pastors will tell you that they often struggle to make annual events fresh and engaging for their members. After you have been in the ministry for long, the struggle becomes, what more can you say that you haven’t said already? How can you make essentially the same story fresh and personal so that my […]
The Threat That Comes After the Big Day
I love preaching on Easter weekend. 14,000 meetings all year long are worth it to get to give a sermon on the pastor’s Super Bowl of Sundays. Proclaiming and celebrating Jesus—His power, His love, the cross He endured, and His resurrection. “The sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go […]
3 Easter Offering Mistakes
You’ll have the biggest crowd of the year, both online and in attendance, but if you make these 3 Easter offering mistakes, you could lose the potential for your best offering ever! For many churches, the Easter offering can be a shot in the arm, helping them wipe out any giving deficits. Who even thinks […]
Why Not Just Have One Fund?
“I want to try something new.” That was a comment a pastor made to me a few years ago. A competitive firm was pushing a “new” concept called One Fund. Many SBC churches have embraced this concept. Many others, while not fully adopting a one-fund approach, combine all mission gifts. I’ve been in the stewardship […]
An Easter Blessing
It happened! The Easter crowd has shown up on Sunday morning. I know you are excited and, if we are honest, maybe even a little scared. This will, more than likely, be the largest crowd you will have all year. You have so much you want to share with them, so much to tell them. […]
The 24-Hour Offering
How was attendance last Sunday? If you are the typical church, your attendance is 85% of what it was pre-Covid. 67% of Americans reported attending church at least once a year, down from 75% before the pandemic, is what the Survey Center on American Life and the University of Chicago research found about attendance in […]