by Rusty Lewis | Aug 29, 2018 | Generosity
As church participation continues to decline, even the most optimistic, faith-fueled pastors are taking notice. In the midst of discouraging attendance trends, it’s essential that church leaders keep a cool head—and a prayerful heart. God’s church is...
by Rusty Lewis | May 3, 2018 | Communication, Generosity
For most churches, summer vacations bring a dreaded trend: Attendance wavers more than usual and giving declines. And with the exception of the most mature givers, people simply don’t make up that giving when they return. The result? We lose valuable ministry revenue....
by Rusty Lewis | Apr 5, 2018 | Generosity
As church leaders, we like our numbers, don’t we? One of the first questions we ask one another is, “How many people attend your church?” We love learning how many people came to our Christmas and Easter gatherings. We get excited when a long-planned...
by Rusty Lewis | Mar 15, 2018 | Generosity
As 2017 came to a close, one topic seemed to dominate the headlines: tax reform. As news of sweeping changes made its way from Capitol Hill to Facebook, assumptions were touted as truth, and opinions spawned heated arguments. Personally, I began receiving emails from...
by Rusty Lewis | Jan 18, 2018 | Generosity
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...
by Rusty Lewis | Jan 4, 2018 | Generosity
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...