Blog
A Pep Talk for Church Communicators
I've partnered with churches for more than 15 years, and I've learned a lot about what it takes for a church to disciple people well and make a difference in their community. Without a doubt, church communicators play a significant role in their church's...
Establishing a Culture of Legacy Giving in Your Church
A study from Boston College Center on Wealth and Philanthropy projects that charities are forecast to receive more than $6 trillion from final estates between 2007 and 2061. This is great news for your ministry. If, that is, your church is among those charities. But...
How to Thank Givers
Not all thank yous are created equal. When it comes to thanking people for their charitable contributions, your approach matters. This isn't the first time I've written about the value of saying thank you. I talk frequently about the importance of sharing stories to...
Normalizing Conversations About Money Through Small Groups
Many pastors feel uneasy about bringing up the topic of money. You might get brave enough to talk about it during November as part of an annual "giving campaign," and you'll preach four or five money-themed messages (in a row!) during a building project every few...
Three Steps to Ensure a Successful Year-End Giving Appeal
In 2016, people gave $390 billion to charitable organizations, a record level for the third year in a row. According to the most recent data available, online giving is growing at more than four times the pace of overall giving, and data shows 31% of online...
Important Dates for Year-End Giving
Year-end giving is a big deal. According to recent data, 31% of annual charitable giving occurs in December, with 12% of donations given during the last three days of the year. Why is that? Surely it's because of your inspired preaching during the Advent season,...
Engaging Millennial Givers
As the proud father of two young adults, I might have a slightly biased opinion, but I think Millennials, people born between 1981 and 1998, have gotten a bad rap. Now the largest living generation, Millennials have been pegged as entitled, lazy, insubordinate,...
Maintaining Momentum in the Fulfillment Phase
The months leading up to a generosity initiative can feel exhausting. Given the number of decisions to be made, conversations to have, and plans to implement, it's natural to reach Commitment Weekend and think, "Whew! We're finally at the finish line!" I hate to break...
Accelerating Year-End Giving at Your Church
Did October sneak up on you, too? It seems like just yesterday you were powering through Vacation Bible School, and now—suddenly—it's only 10 weeks until Christmas. (Did your blood pressure go up a bit just now?) Along with the stress of planning for the Christmas...