6 Generosity Resolutions for the New Year

I am not much for making New Year’s resolutions. When it comes to teaching the people in your church or organization about giving and generosity it seems like it would be well worth making some resolutions. Here are some resolutions that I would recommend.

I am going to thank first time givers

This is probably the easiest thing to do in a church or non-profit, but I am always surprised at the people who do not write a thank you to a first time giver. Write a hand written note that says “Thank You for giving. It is my understanding that this is the first time that you have given to … You’re giving will help us continue to do. . .” This should be hand written by the highest-level person possible in the organization or church. For most organizations or churches, this should be the Executive Director or Senior Pastor. This is not a task that should be delegated.

I am going to do the offering moment differently

This one is specifically for churches. Churches are the only non-profits that have their donor base in front of them 52 times a year. This is an incredible opportunity to be creative in your communication. This should always be tied in with telling the church vision, but doing it through story. You need to put flesh to your vision, bring it down to an understandable level. Very few of us can understand what a billion dollars looks like, but most all of us know what a hundred or even a thousand dollars looks like. When we take the vision and communicate it in such a way that it becomes low hanging fruit for our donors people will start to get it. That is when we get spontaneous applause during the offering moment. When was the last time someone shed a tear during the offering at your church because of what was being communicated?

I am going to send out Quarterly Giving statements

Quarterly statements are important for two reasons. First, it is a simple reminder to people about their giving and where they stand for the year. Often time churches and organizations see a spike in their giving right after the statements have been sent out. Secondly, with the addition of a well-constructed cover letter it will be an additional opportunity for you to communicate the great things that are going on in your church or organization. To get the latest information on how to write an impactful giving statement you can download a great eBook here.

I am going to tell people our vision through story and tie it to their giving.

I have spent over twenty years in leadership in a variety of organizations and nothing can be more frustrating than trying to communicate vision. As leadership and staff, you live and breath the vision of the organization or your church and you assume that everyone else does as well. You could not be more wrong. A vast majority of people who come to your church are spiritually apathetic and luke warm. A lot of time they come out of some sense of obligation not out of a desire to change the world. Vision is not even a second thought for them. Therefore, we must communicate in a way that they can grasp it. Tell a story of life change or church/organizational impact. Make sure to tie it in with their investment of time (serving) and resources (giving). It should sound something like “This is the kind of thing that happens when you invest of your time and resources here at . . . “

I am not going to approach generosity this year the same way I did last year

If you only make one resolution this year make this one. I continually run into organizations that have been struggling in the area of donor development or giving for years. Yet, year after year they keep doing the same thing and expect it to work magically all of a sudden. Instead of trying, to change your donors maybe it is you, the leader, that needs to change first. Become a student of generosity. No one, whether it is in the church or any other non-profit, wants to feel like a transaction. They want their giving experience to feel transformational, but often time that transformation begins with the senior pastor or executive director.

I am going to hire an expert (keep reading)

I know what you are thinking; this seems a little self-serving. As a former Executive Pastor of a church, I hired an expert to come in and help us with our giving and it paid off. Therefore, before you dismiss this last one, I practiced what I am preaching to you and it worked. In our church, our giving went up significantly the first year. It more than paid for the investment of hiring an expert to come in.

The reality is most pastors or Executive Directors or Pastors do not have the desire, capacity or training to be very good at resourcing their ministry or organization. There is too much at stake to ignore this area. Look at this as an investment in you and your cause. For an hour of free couching email me at erik@generis.com.

Shrinking Vision to Meet Your Budget

“I need to shrink our vision to meet our budget,” said no leader ever! Yet, as leaders our actions often seem to say this. When we have a scarcity mindset instead of an abundance mindset, we put our organization in survival mode. We become more concerned about building a bunker and self-preservation instead of being innovative and going on the offensive. We tend to focus on what we cannot do as opposed to what we can do. Which way do you want people to think in your organization?

Have you learned to be content or satisfied at the level of vision currently being funded? This is usually characterized by feelings of satisfaction and contentment. The idea here is that you have become ok with not growing or innovating.

Do you or your financial people say you have all the money that you need? In other words, if someone gave you a million dollars would you have nothing in mind to spend it on? Most leaders in an organization could find places to invest that money. If this is you, then you need more resources.

How do you get your budget to meet your vision? That’s a great question and one that cannot be completely answered here in this post, but here are some tips to get started: First of all, resolve to start changing the giving culture in your organization and that begins with you. Start discovering what it would look like if you were completely funded. Secondly, create an environment of generosity where it is normal to talk about resourcing your church, ministry or organization. Thirdly, develop a plan on how to talk about this creatively in a transforming way and not a transactional way. It is not about the dollars we get from people, but it is about people getting ahold of what biblical generosity is all about. Lastly, tell people how their investment in your church or organization is impacting lives and be specific.

Churches, you are the only non-profits in the world that have your donor base physically in front of you at least every seven days. Resourcing the vision should not be an issue. If the ASPCA can raise millions of dollars nationally, you should be able to raise what you need for your local ministry.

Pray that God will help you and your congregation catch His desire for what resourcing your mission looks like. Hire an experienced consultant that can get you up and running in a matter of weeks and not months. If you try to figure this out on your own, it will take you months and tons of labor. You can avoid missteps and lots of guess work by engaging an expert like Generis.

It takes a sound strategy, that all levels of leadership are committed to, that is implemented over a period of time to change your culture. This is not for the faint of heart. It is hard, but also very rewarding.

If you want to continue the conversation leave a comment below or fill out the form below to begin your generosity journey today!

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It is About the Heart, Not the Wallet

I was talking to a friend recently about an overseas church that does not keep track of who is giving what to their church. Most churches I know track a person/family’s donations. When I asked him why the church does not keep records, I was told it was because in that country, there is no tax deduction given for donations to churches. Immediately, I thought to myself that this pastor does not “get it”; and then thought I wonder how many U.S. pastors only keep track of givers because we DO receive a government tax credit.

As pastors and church leaders, we need to ask ourselves, “Why do I keep track of what people give?” If your sole purpose for keeping track of giving is to provide a tax credit at the end of the year then you do not get the total principles of biblical generosity. Before I go any further, let me clarify that I do not define biblical generosity as a certain dollar amount but rather as a certain level of sacrifice. Generosity is an indicator of many things. Here are a few:

• It indicates, at least partially, where someone is on their spiritual journey.
• It shows what is important to the person.
• It tells us how “bought in” a person is to our ministry.
• It’s a quick way to see who is on our core team. Sometimes we might think someone is on our core team until we look at their giving.
• It tells us when someone is having a faith crisis or an issue with the
church.
• Giving patterns predict who is thinking of leaving the church or may have already left.
• It can tell us how compelling our vision is to those we are trying to impact.

Do I need to continue?

Our pursuit of growing people who are fully devoted to the cause of Christ has to involve one of the chief indicators of their commitment; their generosity. If you are genuinely concerned about your congregation’s spiritual welfare, you will pay attention to this important metric in your church or ministry. You do not even have to know specifically who gives what amount, although it sure helps.

Your motivation towards tracking giving should be in what the information can help you give your congregation not in what your can get from them. It should be about their heart and spiritual growth; about them fully sold out to Christ.

I would love to chat with you about your church. Let’s start with a free analysis of your church’s giving data and see what we find out! If you are interested, let me know and we will get it arranged.

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Another Thing They Didn’t Teach You in Seminary

When I was in college getting my degree in theology there were many great things that I was taught. I studied every book of the Bible. I took Greek, although my professor may debate this claim. I had classes in pastoral theology, systematic theology, hermeneutics, and homiletics. I even had to take a class in how to lead music. Even though there we many things that my college taught me, there were many things that it did not teach me. One area that it did not teach me about was how important it would be to teach and lead people about living as a generous Christian. That’s not an indictment toward my college, I am hard pressed to find any college or seminary that teaches anything significant about biblical generosity. However, let me ask you this, how much of your time is spent dealing with finances? This may include budgets, financial reports, making financial decisions, analyzing income, and navigating the waters of bank financing, let alone teaching your people about what the bible has to say about stewardship and generosity. Even if we did get some teaching from our respective institution I am sure it was from a business perspective and not a spiritual perspective.

You see if you are reading this blog you are considering going on one of the biggest adventures of your life. You again find yourself dealing with buildings and finances; two areas that you did not learn about in seminary. This journey of building will be scary, frustrating, challenging, and rewarding, faith building and fantastic all at the same time. If our mindset is that a financial transaction needs to take place in order to raise the money then you have missed the point. First we need to view this as a spiritual adventure not only for your congregation, but also for you personally. How are you going to grow in your relationship with God through this? How is God going to change you as a leader? Then as the spiritual leader of your congregation what would God have you teach your people about biblical generosity?

As the pastor, one of the things you have to do to raise money is ask for it. This is what pastors dread the most. But when you go at this with a discipleship approach instead of a business approach the experience becomes rewarding and fulfilling. Some pastors even say it is fun! Let’s chat, email me and we will continue the conversation.

3 MYTHS PASTORS BELIEVE ABOUT HIGH CAPACITY GIVERS

Most pastors are not at ease when it comes to engaging high capacity givers. However, those givers whom God has blessed financially, often fund a majority of the pastor’s visions, projects and initiatives. So why do pastors struggle with high capacity givers? Here are three myths that often hold pastors back.   Myth #1 High Capacity Givers have it all together because they have money. Many pastors feel that a large home or a fancy car must mean that a High Capacity Giver has life all together. They mistakenly assume that those who appear to be living the American dream, plus some, have a spiritual life that reflects their financial status. When Samuel went to the house of Jesse to anoint the next king of Israel, the outward appearance of Jesse’s elder son convinced Samuel that he was the next king. But the Lord had already rejected him and taught Samuel not to judge by the people’s outward appearances. 1 Samuel 16:7 says that God looks at the heart, not what people look at. Myth #2 High Capacity Givers know how to handle money, including giving it. Many wealthy people are self-made. They work hard, invest well and are blessed financially by God. Nevertheless, as in the professional sports world, the number of multi-millionaire athletes that go bankrupt shortly after their career ends, is astounding. The Bible clearly explains the pastor’s role in discipling the High Capacity Giver. 1 Timothy 6:17-18 says, “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” The text continues to say, “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” Here, Paul is telling his young protégé to teach people that God has blessed with means, to use it to further His kingdom. Myth #3 High Capacity givers must not have the money I think they do, since they don’t give to our church. Many churches that we work with have at least one person in their church that God has blessed financially in an unusual way. At Generis, we have observed that people don’t give to the church because they are not given a compelling reason to give. As pastors, we may be great at teaching and in many other areas of ministry, but that does not mean that we know how to cast vision and tell inspiring stories of life change and tie it into generosity. A high capacity person in your congregation wants to know that their giving makes a difference in people’s lives. If we don’t communicate that, it does make a difference on how much they will give. They will always give somewhere that communicates better. As pastors, we need to have a discipleship mind-set when it comes to the financial conversation. Our conversation needs to be transformational, not transactional. How are your conversations with your High Capacity Givers? In light of these three myths, would you like to know what is your church’s generosity potential? Send me an email at erik@generis.com for a FREE assessment or fill out the contact form below.

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4 TIPS TO INCREASE ONLINE GIVING

Summer is almost over! Most all of us are gearing up for a new ministry season. I remember my years in ministry and could not wait until summer came so that we could catch our breath and Start making plans for the fall. As the Executive Pastor, I’d always think, “what was going to happen to our income” during the summer months.  Just as our attendance would drop, so would our income. Maybe you guys experienced that same thing this past summer.

Though many strategies can help “smooth out” the income drop over the summer months, one strategy that sticks out is to have a good mobile/online giving strategy. Now you may say, “Erik, summer is almost over; it’s a little late.” While that is true, why don’t you take this fall and develop a strategy and plan for a good mobile/online giving strategy for your church.

 At Generis, we work with hundreds of churches each year and hence, know many of the best practices for a strong online giving strategy. Here are four bench marks, to-do’s and pitfalls that we see churches make often:

1. Your church should be at 50%+ in giving, that comes in outside of the weekend services.  Where is your church at, in this regard? Dive in and see where your income comes from. We have an amazing new diagnostic tool that can help you determine this, email me for more information.
2. When was the last time you took a good look at your online giving system? Technology has come a long way in this area and we need to make sure we are keeping up so that we can be on the same page with our givers. Audit your modes of giving, today. (See next point)
3. People should be able to complete their online/mobile giving experience in less than 30 seconds and sometimes, within 15 seconds. If your givers have to jump through too many hoops to give, they won’t! See how you can make it easy for givers to connect and contribute to your church or organization.
4. Cost of mobile and online giving systems is a factor, but should not be in the top two consideration points when making a decision about implementing a sound online giving strategy. You always want to be wise with resources, but the end user experience is key to an effective strategy. Engage givers with a magnetic experience that draws them back repeatedly.

A smart online/mobile giving strategy is part of a bigger church generosity conversation and should only be considered one part of an overall plan. Ultimately people give out of a heart inspired by a strong vision that is communicated clearly, passionately and that can show results.

To see how your church is doing in the area of generosity, click here to schedule a free 30 minute consultation session so that I can help you start your Generosity Journey today!

WHAT CAN THE CHURCH LEARN FROM SUPERMAN?

CNN announced in April that there had been a breakthrough for the treatment of spinal cord injuries. This was done quite by accident but has been pursued vigorously and is ground breaking indeed. CLICK HERE to read the whole article.

One thing that stood out to me in this article is that the research is being partially funded by the Christopher and Dana Reeves Foundation. You remember Christopher Reeves right? Superman back in the 80′s? Maybe some of you don’t, but he was paralyzed in a horse riding accident that left him as a quadriplegic.

What struck me was that he and his wife passed away a number of years ago but I hear they are still making a difference in the world long after their last breath. How excited do you think they would be if they were still around?

Let’s shift gears. As a pastor, how do you encourage people to leave a lasting impact long after they are gone? While research like this is needed, how much more would it be to impact people for eternity? As leaders, we have a responsibility to make sure we are equipped to equip others in all areas of generosity.

At Generis, we not only help churches in the areas of every day giving and campaign giving, but also in aspects such as Legacy Generosity. How cool would it be to read an article that a breakthrough in someone’s life was funded by someone who has long passed.

Leave a comment below and lets continue the conversation. Don’t miss out on the chance to impact the future with a lasting legacy.

OVERCOMING YOUR CHURCH’S FINANCIAL CRISIS

Remember playing football in the neighborhood during the long hot summers? Without the luxury of instant replays, inevitably a penalty would occur often followed by an argument about whether the right call was made. Just when the game was going to blow apart, someone would yell “Do over!” It would save the day and the game.

In 20 years of market place service and leadership positions in church operation, there are things I wish I could do over. As an executive pastor, I had a scarcity mindset. When money got tight (an annual feature, it seemed), I slipped into survival mode. The focus shifted from the good that we could do with the money that God provided, to what we could not do.

Later when we restructured the staff, the church experienced a major financial turnaround. The process was painful, but worth the sacrifice. Then we communicated the positive financial changes with the congregation, who responded with generosity and support.

Personally, I got a glimpse of my mistake from the book Contagious Generosity. Scarcity scales back ministries during tough times instead of advancing ministries. It inadvertently teaches the congregation the importance of holding back instead of giving.

The cure for scarcity is to do the opposite, 
be giving and generous.

Yes, be responsible in your generosity, but begin the adventure. Give and you will see how God responds to your generosity. In fact, open-handed generosity during financial valleys is a more forceful weapon.

How about you? Have you ever encountered scarcity in your ministry? Can you tell me about your generosity journey? Leave a comment!

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