Looking for churches conducting shorter capital campaigns
One trend I’ve seen emerging in churches related to capital campaigns is shrinking the 36 month capital campaign fulfillment period to 18 or even as short as 12 months. I’m working on a story for a Christian publication related to the subject, and I’d like to interview a few church leaders who have made this decision.
No preparation needed. The interview would take about 30 minutes.
Has your church made this decision? Do you know one who has? If so, please respond in the comments section of this post.
Top 10 most popular posts over last 30 days
I’m always curious what people are reading the most on the blog. I did a quick search on the top 10 posts over the last 30 days. That doesn’t mean all of these were originally posted in the last 30 days, but these were the most popular.
1. One of the funniest church music videos I’ve ever seen
2. Morning Star Church pastor talks about recent giving letter to congregation
3. 3 reasons NOT to increase your church budget in 2011
4. Tithing tricks you don’t want your members to know about
5. Individual charitable giving predictions for 2010
6. 8 ways to turn contribution statements into dollars
7. First-time givers: your game-changing funding strategy for 2010
8. Five ways to DECREASE giving in your church
9. 5 FREE technology tools for pastors
10. How important are the 30 seconds before you take an offering?
15 songs about money
I tell leaders regularly that the church’s silence on the subject of money leaves the view of the culture unopposed in the mind of most believers. Recognizing that music is one of the best reflections we have about cultural points of view, I did a Google search to see what songs I could find about money.
Here is a list of 15. Some of these I recognize. Some I don’t.
What I did see was evidence that if church leaders refuse to talk about money and these messages are left unfiltered by a Biblical worldview, then the person in the pew has little to challenge well-established and consistently reinforced cultural norms.
When was the last time you offered an alternative lens through which to view money?
7 reasons churches should talk more about money
I’m really excited to see another voice join the conversation of ministry funding. Yes, Money and Mission is targeted at the general nonprofit leader, but I think church leaders can learn from this dialogue, too. In fact, I share the same passion and point-of-view of the blog’s author: Money creates margin, and margin yields more mission and greater potential impact.
Here are 7 reasons churches should talk more about money:
1. The people in your pew are already talking about it.
2. No Money. No Ministry.
3. Silence risks allowing the money God intended to fund His kingdom to go elswhere.
4. Your personal inhibitions do not justify your silence.
5. Giving is an important spiritual discipline. It is equal to prayer, fasting, Bible reading, etc.
6. Stewardship and generosity will change the culture of your church.
7. It is one of the most universal realities that can be used to build a bridge to a lost world.
Are you ready to join the conversation of money, mission, and ministry? (Hint: It’s not optional.)
5 things I would tell small church pastors about giving
Recently, I was asked what five things I would tell small church pastors about church giving. I was a small church pastor for a couple of years. It’s tough being the primary one responsible for just about everything. Since most of the churches in America are small, it’s important that this group not be overlooked or left out of the church funding conversation. So here are five things (in no particular order):
1. Examine your own habits related to money–both personally and professionally. There are no generous churches led by pastors who are not generous themselves.
2. Commit to learning more about financial development and management. Ultimately, it’s the responsibility of the pastor to ensure the financial vitality and sustainability of the church. Read books, blogs, meet with other money professionals in your community, etc. Don’t use a lack of training as an excuse for not knowing and leading in this area.
3. Surround yourself with people in your church who are key influencers, faithful givers, and gifted in the area of finances. These could be entrepreneurs, accountants, investors, etc. Allow these people to leverage their God-given gifts to support you in an area where you’re most likely weak. Treat them as your pastoral financial advisors.
4. Adhere to a 90 day budget. It’s OK to have a 12 month budget plan. That’s a good habit. But leading a small church can be volatile when it comes to giving and finances. Commit to reviewing your financial condition (revenue, expenses, and operations on a 90 day basis). Adjust as needed.
5. Outsource your financial administration. You need to focus on doing the things only you can do as pastor. Plus, you avoid the awkwardness of a long-time member taking care of the books.
What would you tell small church pastors about church giving?
Science confirms those with less give more
I have always found it strange that those with the least to give are more likely to give when compared with those who have considerably more. While it seems counterintuitive, it’s true. Research from organizations like Giving USA supports an indirect correlation between a person’s estate value and their giving habits. The greater the estate value, the less a person is likely to give.
Here are some thoughts that immediately come to mind on the subject:
1. People with money aren’t bad. I think organizations (churches especially) are better at talking to people who are struggling financially than those who are financially successful. Therefore, the lack of conversation, perspective, and investment in relationships with those with the greatest resources results in a lack of giving from the group most likely to make a significant impact through their gifts.
2. Poor isn’t better than being rich. Money as an object is not bad. Having money or not having money is not indicative of sin or virtue. We must see ourselves as catalysts for change and find ways to increase the margin in our lives (time, talent, and treasure) so we can share more with others to multiply ministry opportunity and increase Kingdom impact. Everyone can do, give, and lead something. We must determine what we have the capacity to do and then do it.
3. People don’t have a giving problem. Some of the wealthiest people in the world are making some significant commitments. I hope others follow suit. The preservation of money should never outweighs a person’s desire to leverage their margin for greater social impact. What people struggle with the most is reasoning why they should give to you. With so many options available to the individual today, it’s important that we provide a compelling reason why your cause or organization is the best investment they could make.
4. Giving must be cultivated. The idea that people will just give to anything or anyone is not an assumption a church or organizational leader should never feel comfortable making. All gifts — even the smallest — must be cultivated through relationships and consistent interaction and participation with organizations and causes that connect with the giver. If you’re waiting for Mr. and Mrs. Wealthy to find you and save the day, then you’re in trouble.
How you talk about and approach the subject of money matters. Are you prepared? Your funding depends upon it.
Get over yourself…people want to give
Church leaders let their personal inhibitions get in the way of assisting God’s people to give God’s money in God’s way to fund God’s work. I would suggest that if you fear the conversation of money because…
…it’s uncomfortable for you…
…you’re afraid people will leave the church over it…
…you believe people don’t want to hear about money in church…
…then you are consumed with yourself rather than the spiritual growth, development, and discipline of the people you are called to lead.
OUCH! That’s hurts. I know. But it’s the truth.
Don’t believe me? Listen to a pastor’s wife who together with her husband gives away as much as 60% of their annual income says about leaders who don’t ask them for a gift of any size:
“There’ve been times I’ve been part of fund-raising activities, and the development staff didn’t ask me for a gift, probably thinking that because I work for a nonprofit, I wouldn’t have much to give. I felt really hurt by that. I was there because I wanted to give.”
While you’re silence about money in church preserves your ego and fans your flame of frustration over funding, people are being robbed of the opportunity to be faithful to the commitments they’ve made to fund the work of the Kingdom.
Maybe the problem in the funding equation in your church is you, pastor.
People can give more than you think
One of the greatest challenges I face in helping pastors fund the vision God has given them is moving beyond the impression that no one in their church has money. I hear it from pastors of big churches and small churches…
“We’re just a simple church made up of simple people.”
“We don’t have anyone in our church who has a lot of money to give.”
“Our people are maxed out in their ability to give.”
And every one of those pastors would be…WRONG!
God’s funding capacity is unlimited. If we serve in God’s church, then our funding potential is also unlimited.
The reality is that people give…
…at the level of perceived need.
…to causes and organizations that have a plan and demonstrate impact.
…to people they know, like and trust.
I have never met anyone who has run out of money because they decided to give. In fact, some of the wealthiest people I know are the most generous givers I know. And they don’t live the high life. Instead, they choose to live quiet, simple lives with quiet, simple people.
The people in your pews can give more than you think. Are you prepared to present a compelling plan that would cause them to direct those resources to your church?
Jeff Brooks on those with the greatest giving potential
Jeff Brooks is a really smart guy when it comes to fund-raising. (And not just because he listed Church Giving Matters as one of his top 10 fund-raising blogs to read.) He posted recently, How many people are likely to give — now and in the future. He makes a clear distinction between actual donors and the age groups with the highest giving potential.
I think his observations are correct. It follows a consistent trend that those who are older are most likely to have the highest liquidity in your congregation and most likely to be the largest giving segment. That group, therefore, has the highest giving potential. The false security in this is to assume members of this age group will give to your church. The reality is no one in your church HAS to give to you. In fact, Passing the Plate defines the average American Christian’s posture toward giving as “discretionary obligation.”
While it is good to keep in mind that your communication strategy should be segmented by member preferences and be audience specific, the only way to build the giving capacity of your church is to strive for engagement instead of awareness.
Take the church bulletin for example. All it does is send messages into the already cluttered mind of the member, if he or she even reads it. The church bulletin is not engagement; it’s an exercise in awareness.
Take the announcement time, still very popular in churches. Again, all you are accomplishing is sending more messages into an already saturated environment where everyone and everything is trying to grab the attention of your members. The announcement time on Sunday morning is not engagement; it’s an exercise in awareness.
Awareness is important, but engagement is primary. Engaged people want to be aware, but awareness doesn’t always lead to engagement.
Engagement only happens in relationships like in small groups, mission projects, and outreach efforts. When you stimulate an environment where groups of people are gathered together to reach a specific goal or complete a specific task, engagement is more likely to happen then than at any other time.
How is your church engaging others? What groups within your church are you currently engaging? Are there are segments of your membership that are disengaged?
Engagement will always increase giving capacity.
4 things to do BEFORE you start a campaign
Most of the church leaders I meet with think that pre-campaign planning begins with the campaign itself. It actually begins before the campaign is even conceived.
The fallacy or risk in not strategically approaching the pre-campaign process is grounded in the assumption that everyone will say “yes” and support this new effort (mission project, new building, etc.). Even if you know the congregation on a whole will say “yes,” it’s common courtesy in a relationship to ask and not assume or demand anything.
Think about how weird it would be to get married without asking the other person to marry you. It doesn’t make sense in personal relationships, and it certainly doesn’t make sense when considering the relationship of the member to the church. No one…I mean no one…likes to be told what to do. A personal invitation will make all the difference.
Here are 4 things I recommend all church leaders do before you start any type of campaign:
1. Gain clarity about where your church is today. Jim Collins would say, “Face the brutal facts.” There is a HUGE chance that the perception of the person in the pulpit is SLIGHTLY different from the person in the pew. You need to know if the people in the pew (those who will execute and, ultimately, fund the effort) perceive the same need in the same way you do. The easiest way to accomplish this is through a guided discovery process that uncovers all financial, interpersonal, and ministry aspects of your church. This should be completed by an outside party because the church leader is too close to the situation to have any real perspective.
2. Meet with the people in your church who are your pillars of influence. Influencers may or may not be high-capacity givers. I would suggest that all your high-capacity givers are influencers but not all influencers are high-capacity givers. You need this group behind you. When you know you are on the same page, you have the confidence you need to move forward and you know others are ready to defend the direction you are heading when (not if) “the static” begins.
3. Examine your personal inhibitions about money. Few church leaders find it natural to address the subject of money. However, your personal objections and inhibitions don’t erase the fact that Jesus spoke more about money than he did about sin and salvation. Part of the responsibility of leading God’s church is cultivating the resources God intended to fund the Kingdom. Generosity/stewardship doesn’t just happen; it’s intentional. I’m convinced that a leader who can’t ask for financial support from his congregation is not ready to lead a campaign. Period. End of discussion.
4. Connect the campaign to Kingdom impact. There is a rising tide of what I call the hybrid campaign. All the elements of a traditional campaign exist accept the total amount raised is parsed out among international mission efforts, local mission efforts, and on-campus/multi-site improvement or expansion. Whatever the elements of the campaign are, the goal is not the work in and of itself. People don’t want to fund more busyness. Rather, the goal is to increase ministry impact, expand Kingdom initiatives, and multiply ministry opportunities. The goal should be to create a more sustainable, high-impact Kingdom footprint than the church has today.
If this sounds like a lot of work, it is! If you’re thinking about skipping over the pre-campaign process, let me caution you to do the homework necessary to be ready to ask your congregation to support the direction you are headed (that will probably cost millions of dollars) when they have plenty of alternative giving options available to them.
Are you ready to lead your church through your next campaign?
