In my experience of working with churches of all types and sizes, special offerings work if you do them right. Let me make a case for special offerings. Why hold special offerings? First and foremost, special offerings give you the ability to recast your vision every time you hold one. And...
Welcome to another edition of the Stewardship Journal. In this issue, we focus on the changing world of giving. Mark Brooks’, The Stewardship Coach, column, entitled The Changing World of Giving, focuses on a new Lifeway Research report about how people are currently giving to churches. Mark shares, "One of...
Since we know that giving will be a challenge during the summer, why not start a drive for recurring giving throughout the month of May? First, let’s break down the top mistakes most churches make with regard to online giving. The number one mistake churches make with online giving is setting...
Welcome to another edition of the Stewardship Journal. Are you ready for Church 3.0? James Emery White in his new book, Hybrid Church: Rethinking the Church in a Post-Christian Digital Age, uses this term to describe the church of the 21st century. Like it or not, we are in a new...
If you want to increase giving, increase Bible engagement. That is the conclusion of a recent report by the American Bible Society entitled State of the Bible USA 2022. Their report concluded, “Nearly three of five Scripture Engaged Americans (58%) report giving at the higher level.”1. They defined Scripture Engaged...
Most churches pray before they take up the offering, but I want to ask you to pray FOR the offering. Before I do that, let me make the case for why we take up a weekly offering. We have a mission here at YOUR CHURCH NAME. Our mission is, STATE...
One year ago, we asked long-time MBC pastor, Richie Rhea, to write a post about the importance of partnering together in the aftermath of a contentious Southern Baptist Convention. Given the nature leading up to the Convention in Anaheim, we thought his words were worth re-posting. Here is his original...
“Just when we really get going in worship, then it is time for the offering, and it interrupts the flow of worship!” I actually had a staff member tell me that once when I was attempting to help their church reverse a decline in giving. That statement sums up most...
