You’ll Never Be Financially Stable If …

“Every week, we talk about the same problems over and over again and again, and yet we never do anything about them.” My Student Pastor said that in a staff meeting one Monday morning. He then got up and left my office. Around the same time, I put my then teenage son on the board of our church’s TV ministry. After his first, and what would be his last, meeting I asked him his thoughts. He replied, “A bunch of people sitting around a table talking for an hour, deciding nothing, and leaving happy about it.” Both quotes sum up the typical church.

In my over twenty years in the stewardship ministry, I find church leaders do a lot of talking about the lack of funds, but they do little to correct the problem. They talk about steps to bring their church to financial security, but that is all it amounts to, talk. I want to help change that with this Coach, entitled You’ll Never Be Financially Stable If …

You’ll never be financially stable if all you do is talk. Some of you reading this right now will not make budget this year. You might be consoling yourself that even though Sunday’s offering was off, it was a holiday weekend, or there is some other excuse. Next week will catch you up. Right? What if it snows and attendance is drastically impacted? A host of things can go wrong, and frankly, it will. Then what will you do?

You’ll never be financially stable if you don’t pay attention to giving. The tyranny of the urgent presses in upon you, and one thing that suffers is giving awareness. Before you know it, you are behind. You must keep on top of giving from week one, or you may find yourself in trouble. Few churches do this. The ones that do have a better chance of becoming financially stable than those that don’t. Stay focused on your giving trends so that you can act immediately if you are facing a decline. It’s always easier to run in the lead than to try to catch up.

You’ll never be financially stable if you don’t have a plan of action. Hope is not a plan, yet most churches hope next week’s offering will be better. How long has that not been working for you? My mantra is, get a plan and work your plan. I have plans for every week and every quarter that WILL increase giving. Check out my plans at https://acts17generosity.com/store/.

You’ll never be financially stable if you don’t have help from others. Who owns the budget at your church? By that, I mean, who is tasked with keeping abreast of giving and implementing plans to see giving increase? If no one owns the process, then nothing will get done. You need help. That is where I step in, providing you with weekly and seasonal help.

You’ll never be financially stable if you don’t have a compelling vision. This is the bottom line. I can help just about any church except a church that lacks a compelling vision. People give to that which makes a difference. Few churches lack a vision, and few do nothing. Our problem is telling our story so that members WANT to give more money. I can help you do that! Plan your vision and then use that vision to connect people to generosity.

Will you be financially stable? You won’t unless you stop talking and start doing something. The sooner we start, the more likely you will reach financial stability to do all you have in your heart. Let’s get started!

Mark Brooks – The Stewardship Coach
mark@acts17generosity.com