Accelerating Generosity – Success Story
LeadershipRecent client conversations are surfacing very exciting results as churches are making changes that were recommended in their Generosity Audit reports.
Following an analysis into the church’s historical data, including financials, budgets, giving history, and other metrics including the teaching and preaching intensity on the subject, I spend a day on-site conducting a series of meetings with staff teams and congregation members.
This deep dive allows us to do a thorough diagnostic that surfaces all things good and not-so-good related to how the church might be impacting generosity, positively and negatively.
Think of it as an MRI, as compared to a general checkup with your physician. The deliverable is a totally customized written report highlighting affirmations and concerns, followed by a suggested strategy that allows the church to address that list of concerns.
In one recent client conversation, the executive pastor was sharing some of the impact they were seeing as a result of changes they implemented from their audit strategy.
According to the executive pastor’s comments in August, the previous three months (May, June, and July) were the strongest three months in the church’s giving over the past year.
Knowing that summer months are notoriously lower than most all other months of the year, I pushed back to clarify what he was saying.
“You mean those three months were stronger than any other months in 2011, right?”
Nope. Those three months were stronger than any of the last 12 months, including last October, November and December when giving is usually at its strongest!
Wow! We then discussed the things they were doing differently as a result of the audit that are attributing to their strong performance.
It is affirming to see our recommendations making a significant difference in ministry funding.
I am blessed to engage with this ministry through much of 2012 as we continue to accelerate generosity in bigger and better ways.
How can I assist your ministry by increasing operational revenue? Let’s talk about the Generosity Audit and the difference it can make for you.
About Rusty Lewis
As a church leader, there’s nothing more frustrating than not having the funding to do what God’s calling you to do. But when you think about trying to address that problem, you feel overwhelmed, you dread the potential pushback from your congregation, and you’re not sure where to turn for help. Over the last 18 years, I’ve helped more than 120 churches close the gap between their current financial reality and what they need to move forward in ministry.