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?
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.
“Best practices” for generous churches
I’m asked frequently if there is a “magic” list of best practices for church leaders to follow who desire to cultivate a culture of generosity among the people they lead. My immediate answer is “no.” I resist “best practice” ideas almost immediately because nothing in life is the same in every context. There are just too many variables to consider for one person to say with confidence that if you do these things then it will absolutely, positively result in a generous culture.
The good news is that there is some great information out there for churches who are looking to better understand what a generous church looks like and discover the common characteristics found in churches who presently have a culture of generosity. In fact, I’m helping a couple of leaders in this area develop their ideas and experience into a book. I think it’s a valid conversation, and there is a need to capture the conversation happening in pockets of church leadership and present a common understanding to make the journey more accessible to every leader.
In the meantime, I stumbled upon Steps to a generous culture in the archives of Church Executive Magazine. My favorites are #4, 6, 7, 8. These are relatively easy to implement and consistently produce the greatest return on invested time and energy.
Becoming a generous person, practicing generosity as a leader, and cultivating a culture of generosity in your church is intentional in every way. It doesn’t just happen. Perhaps the best of the “best practices” (if there is such a thing) is grounded in being generous personally and looking for ways to pass that desire and energy to others with whom we interact and engage with regularly.
First-time givers: your game-changing funding strategy for 2010
Most churches have never thought about tracking first-time givers. While this is commonplace is traditional nonprofit settings, it’s rarely a priority in churches. I think most of it has to do with lack of training to pay attention to this group and lack of understanding on what to do with them once you know who the are.
When someone gives money to your church, it signals a commitment of some kind has been made. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a long-term commitment, but something connected with them and caused them to give to you instead of somewhere else. That action alone separates the first-time giver from the person who has never given at all. First-time gifts often come well after an individual or family has visited a church for weeks, maybe even months. This is their way of waving the flag and saying, “We identify with you. We want to support you. We are in this with you.” That’s a big deal and should be treated as such.
Once you know who these people are, you will want to follow up with them immediately. My suggestion to my clients is to – as best as possible – determine which front-line minister would be the most likely to interface with this individual or family on a regular basis. Remember, the first-time gift signals the beginning of what could be a long-term relationship. It’s still the responsibility of the church to stoke the flame and ensure it becomes a blazing fire.
Encourage the front-line ministry staff to connect in person or over the phone as well as via letter. Celebrate with the individual or family in the areas where God is actively working in their lives. Determine what the appropriate next step in their journey of engagement with your church needs to be. (e.g. Have they attended a new members class? Are they connected to a small group or Sunday School class?)
As stewards of the people God brings to our congregations, it’s vital that we respond to people as they respond to God’s movement in their lives. It could make the difference between a first-time giver and a last-time giver.
One caution that I have for you is not to underestimate the impact a first-time giver strategy could have on your overall church funding. A client told me recently that more than $100k was received in first-time gifts in one quarter. Just think if those same people gave that same amount consistently throughout the year. That might mean $400k or more in additional contributions. (I haven’t talked to a church yet who wouldn’t love to have an extra $400k to invest in Kingdom impact.)
Don’t miss the ministry opportunity with first-time givers. It could be your game-changing funding strategy in 2010.
