Using the Power of Vision

How do you recover lost offerings? For one thing, you can’t merely sit around wringing your hands about the decline in giving. You must act. However, your actions can’t come off as looking desperate. Ultimately, that will not make a difference. You need to use the connecting power of vision to see an increase in giving. Why? Because people are motivated by your vision and, properly communicated, they will give.

Your vision is your foundation. If you have ever built a house or a new facility at your church, you know how important the foundation is. The same is true when it comes to a plan for making up a lost offering. Start by laying the right foundation, and it begins with crafting the message of your appeal.

The Right Message – Your first step is to craft a message that matters. Again, dollars follow a vision. Your vision is what drives people to give you more money. Thus, every appeal needs a driver for the vision to penetrate and capture the hearts and, ultimately, the wallet of your donors. The more compelling the driver, the more likely you are to get a response.

Every “ask” needs a driver. What’s a driver? The driver is the message or story you are communicating about why people should give to your appeal. There is no better driver to achieve generosity than a vision, if it is communicated effectively.

What is vision? My friend, Herb Buwalda, came up with what I think is the best definition. He says, “Mission,” answers the question, “Why are you here?” “Vision” answers the question, “Where are you going; What is God asking of you now to impact the mission?”

The 3 Cs of Vision Casting – Your vision must contain these three Cs to be heard. Your vision must be…

1. Clear – Remember, Keep It Simple Somehow!
2. Concise – Can people repeat back in two to three sentences what you are asking them to give to? If not, then you need to work on the “ask.”
3. Compelling – Does it touch their heart? If not, then the response will be less than you hope for.

Your message is your vision; the better you craft that message, the more money you will raise. Take time to think through how to best craft a message for the vision driving this appeal to recover your lost offerings.