http://stewardshipdirect.com/ en David@stewardshipdirect.com Copyright 2011 2011-07-28T09:43:00+00:00 http://www.stewardshipdirect.com/blog/develop_your_stewardship_strategy/ http://www.stewardshipdirect.com/blog/develop_your_stewardship_strategy/#When:08:43:00Z People enter every situation with preconceived notions. This is an educational fact. Sometimes our preconceived notions are completely off base. There are other times when when we know exactly what to expect.   Skeptical people have their guns loaded and are looking for reasons to become more skeptical. When it comes to church, unengaged people expect to be made to feel guilty about not giving. We often play right into their hands by turning a sermon about Noah’s Ark into a challenge to give more. Our financial pleas are often forced and unnatural. We come across looking more like a poorly produced telethon than a church. And the skeptical grow more skeptical, perhaps even cynical.   Newsflash… it's not working because they aren’t giving.   If we understand the preconceived notions people hold, we can be more strategic about countering those notions. Without a predetermined strategy, we will inadvertently reinforce all of the reasons people have for being resistant to giving to church. Herein lies the problem in many churches: People don’t give because we haven’t countered their resistance.   So, how do we counter people’s resistance to giving? By showing them how their participation makes a difference. We must tell the stories of life change. When we do, those who are uninvolved will begin to see involvement as desirable. Their staunch resistance will weaken. Their attitudes will soften, and they will begin to give. Maybe they will give a little to start, but eventually, their giving will increase. Over time, their preconceived notions will change and they will become vocal supporters of the church and its ministries. Isn’t this what we want to see happen?   What’s your strategy to champion stewardship in your church?  2011-07-28T08:43:00+00:00 http://www.stewardshipdirect.com/blog/stewardship_is_an_indicator_of_spiritual_health/ http://www.stewardshipdirect.com/blog/stewardship_is_an_indicator_of_spiritual_health/#When:08:41:50Z I’ve never met anyone in the context of the church who says that he or she doesn’t want to grow spiritually. But when asked what it means to be spiritually healthy, the responses vary. It’s obvious that most everyone wants to be spiritually healthy; we just can’t agree on what healthy looks like.    Spiritual health is an ambiguous term. It often is described in relationship to a previous spiritual condition. In other words, we determine our current health based on how healthy we have been in the past. The problem with that approach is that we become the standard by which spiritual health is judged. That’s not biblical. It’s not even healthy.    Spiritual health is determined in response to God’s standards as revealed in His Word. Because we are in a right relationship with Him, we will do the things He expects us to do. One of those expectations is that we be good stewards or managers of everything He entrusts to us.    Some church leaders have abandoned conversation about stewardship because it’s uncomfortable for the marginally religious people in the crowd. We have replaced conversation about stewardship with conversations about other things. As a result, we have created a generation of church-goers that doesn’t really know anything about what it means to manage God’s resources according to God’s plan.    Maybe it’s time for us to begin talking about those things the Bible says are important. One of the most important things we can do is distinguish between ownership and stewardship. When we try to persuade people to give from what is theirs, we reinforce the belief that it all belongs to them. When we help people see their roles as managers of God’s resources, they will begin to embrace the idea of stewardship.    How does your church teach stewardship? Is it part of your overall discipleship strategy?   2011-07-25T08:41:50+00:00 http://www.stewardshipdirect.com/blog/increased_attendance_doesnt_translate_into_increased_giving/ http://www.stewardshipdirect.com/blog/increased_attendance_doesnt_translate_into_increased_giving/#When:08:35:36Z You’ve probably seen this diagram used in conjunction with a variety of ministry conversations. I’d love to give credit to its originator, but it has been so widely circulated that I’m not sure who that person is. I can do little other than acknowledge the fact that I borrowed it.    The challenge for most churches is moving people from the outer circles to the inner circles of this diagram. This is true when it comes to involvement, and it’s also true in the area of giving.    We understand that most of the resources in your church come from the two inner circles—the core and the committed. These also are the people who are most engaged in ministry in and through your church. The problem many churches have is that they continue to hammer away at the congregation, crowd, and community encouraging them to give more. Yet, those same churches lack a strategy for moving people toward becoming a part of the committed or the core.   Should we expect people to outperform their level of spiritual maturity?    If you don’t believe this is true, go back and check your church’s receipts from Easter weekend. Though your attendance increased dramatically, what happened to your budget receipts? Unless yours is a unique situation, giving probably remained consistent from the previous week. What’s the point? More people in the building doesn’t positively affect giving.    If you focus on building the crowd, your resources will remain the same. However, if you focus on developing the committed and the core, your financial picture will set itself on a new trajectory.   Are you trying to attract more attenders or develop more disciples? There is a difference between the two...in function and value. 2011-07-21T08:35:36+00:00 http://www.stewardshipdirect.com/blog/asking_why_in_church...especially_about_giving/ http://www.stewardshipdirect.com/blog/asking_why_in_church...especially_about_giving/#When:08:33:05Z You might have been raised in a family where asking why wasn’t allowed. You could have been raised in a family where asking why was a part of the routine. The fact is that asking why is a part of our culture. We ask that question all the time to a variety of organizations, causes, and leaders.    One of the few places we are reluctant to ask why is church. We seem to have some kind of aversion to questioning things of God or anything connected to things of God. I’m not sure where that idea originated, but it is causing problems for the postmodern church.    Today’s empowered donor doesn’t mind asking why and when they ask, they expect a logical response. Yet, many churches have been doing the same things for a long, long time. There probably isn’t anyone at the church who remembers the why. So, why do we keep doing things for which there is no explanation? Why do we keep funneling resources toward ministries that died two generations ago?    If the church is going to gain a vote of confidence from a skeptical society, it is going to have to take a hard look at the things it does for which there is no explanation. The church can’t continue to carry on as if it’s still 1960.    So, why don’t churches ask why? Because tradition carries more weight than effectiveness. We’d rather keep doing what we’ve always done than look for ways to be more effective at reaching the world. Why should people give to an organization that has lost touch with reality? When was the last time you examined your approach to doing church and asked why?   Are you and your church staff prepared to ask and answer the ultimate question: why?  2011-07-18T08:33:05+00:00 http://www.stewardshipdirect.com/blog/maximize_your_budget_dollars_for_ministry/ http://www.stewardshipdirect.com/blog/maximize_your_budget_dollars_for_ministry/#When:08:32:24Z USA Today reports that the number of households in the United States who will no longer receive phone book deliveries will increase to more than 50 percent . That’s not surprising. Many people rely solely on online information making the phone book obsolete. In my opinion, there are a few things around our churches that should go the way of the phone book. Almost every piece of paper represents an expense that could be eliminated.    Balancing the church budget is a lot like balancing any other budget. There are two sides of the equation—income and expenses. Most churches focus primarily on the income side and go to great lengths to get more people to give and the people who give to give more.    Are there ways, however, for the church to eliminate unnecessary expenses? What needs to join the phone book on the list of “the way we used to do things”? Let’s consider two ideas: The church newsletter. The information in most church newsletters is representative of the information on the church Web site. It takes time for someone to lay out and proof  the newsletter. Then it must be printed, folded, labeled, sorted, taken to the post office, and delivered (hopefully). Why not eliminate all of these costs and just use the Web site? People are going to Web for everything else, why not church information? Sunday bulletins. Why do we go to such great lengths to print something that we end up having to pick up once church is over? Why not print them and go scatter them all over the worship center before people arrive? It would save time! Seriously, most church bulletins end up in the trash. Why not trim expenses by eliminating the bulletin? People will get used to it… someday! We could go on and on. There are lots of things we print that are unnecessary. Maybe you can’t dump the newsletter or bulletin yet. But there are a few things you can eliminate today.    What are you currently spending money on that could be redirected to other areas of your church’s ministry budget?  Hint: The people in your pews are already asking this question. 2011-07-14T08:32:24+00:00 http://www.stewardshipdirect.com/blog/the_stewardship_of_consumer_confidence/ http://www.stewardshipdirect.com/blog/the_stewardship_of_consumer_confidence/#When:08:29:33Z We often hear news reports about the status of consumer confidence. Basically, this is a report about the willingness of people to spend money. The more confidence people have in the economy, the more willing people are to spend or invest.   If people based their giving to your church on your ability to manage resources and maximize Kingdom impact, how likely are they to give to your church? In other words, what is their level of confidence in your church? Do they trust that your church is being efficient, conservative, and responsible? These are big questions for the postmodern church.   Let's be real honest... most church leaders have little background in organizational management. Yet they are charged with managing complex budgets that sometimes exceed those of even large companies. This can lead to organizational inefficiencies which often results in resources being poorly managed. If businesses operated the same way most churches did, many would go out of business very quickly.   Many large churches operate with principles that date back to their early days as a much smaller congregation. As the church grew and changed, they kept their old ways of doing things while their budgets grew exponentially. It's not uncommon for church budgets to be in the millions of dollars. Is your church prepared to manage such large sums of money?   Today's church attenders want to know they are investing in something that is well-managed. As a church leader, you must look for ways to cut costs and improve processes so that people have confidence in your leadership. Frivolous spending and extravagance send a message to the congregation that their money isn't needed. Is that the message you want to send?   What steps are you taking to build trust and confidence with the people in your congregation? When it comes time for them to decide who and what to give to whom, will people choose to fund your church?   2011-07-11T08:29:33+00:00 http://www.stewardshipdirect.com/blog/overcoming_the_summer_giving_slump/ http://www.stewardshipdirect.com/blog/overcoming_the_summer_giving_slump/#When:08:14:24Z Most churches anticipate a decrease in attendance and, subsequently, giving during the summer months. This is a relatively new phenomenon. It suggests a few things about today’s givers.   First, most giving is from discretionary funds. This makes sense because givers hold back when vacation time comes. They also hold back when they have to pay for childcare rather than sending their kids to school. It’s almost as if they want to give and will give as long as there is money left over. The problem is that there isn’t much money left over during the summer months.    Second, giving parallels attendance, so when people don’t attend, they don’t give. The summer “shutdown” in many churches has an unintended negative effect—people are encouraged not to come because the church has told them there isn’t much going on. Churches have tried self-addressed, postage-paid envelops, online giving, and automatic giving but still see their operating budgets strained during the summer. People who really want to give probably are those people who remain faithful in their attendance regardless of what’s on the schedule. Sadly, this is a shrinking portion of most congregations.    Third, giving follows hype, therefore, when there isn’t a big deal happening at the church, many people don’t see the need to give. We could conclude that giving is emotional. When the emotion subsides, the giving subsides.    Maybe it’s time for churches to stop advertising the summer slump. If we quit giving people excuses for not attending, they might come. And, if they come, there’s a better chance they’ll give.     What’s your plan to overcome the summer giving slump? 2011-07-07T08:14:24+00:00 http://www.stewardshipdirect.com/blog/change_the_climate_of_giving_in_your_church/ http://www.stewardshipdirect.com/blog/change_the_climate_of_giving_in_your_church/#When:08:11:52Z We all probably agree that the climate—when it comes to giving—in most churches is unfavorable at best. We haven’t done a good job of raising faithful givers. We have celebrated attendance so much that most people believe they’ve met the expectations.    Some churches are having great success by challenging new members to sign financial commitment cards as a part of the membership process. Some go as far as to send “bills” when people fall behind their pledged amount. We aren’t arguing the validity of these strategies; we are simply pointing out the efforts being made by some churches to change the climate of giving in their church.    Without change, we will keep getting what we’re getting. As today’s generation of faithful givers slowly decreases, the church is becoming more and more occupied by people who don’t have a Biblically based understanding of money or giving. Their approach to church is the same as their approach to their favorite restaurant—meet their expectations and you might get a tip; but drop the ball at any point and they might never come back.    Many churches are being held hostage by a generation of takers. The church caves to their demands in order to keep them attending. But, are they really engaged in the life of the church. If the takers in your congregation decided to go somewhere else, would the budget decrease? Would classes lack leaders? Would your church even notice?    The only people who would notice are the people who count heads. The takers aren’t giving, leading, or sticking around to help stack chairs. When you change the environment, they might leave… or, they might step up to the plate and get involved.    Let’s be honest, some can’t be any less involved than they are now, so why not change the climate to create better conditions for faithful giving?   2011-07-04T08:11:52+00:00 http://www.stewardshipdirect.com/blog/discipleship_key_to_overcoming_poor_giving_habits/ http://www.stewardshipdirect.com/blog/discipleship_key_to_overcoming_poor_giving_habits/#When:08:00:29Z We underestimate the resistance when we attempt to hold people accountable to the church for management of their personal resources. Keep in mind, the people who really want to give are giving. The others are consumers, and consumers resist being held accountable to businesses. They have a different attitude. They often think, “You should be glad I’m in your store. You are accountable to me, or I’ll shop somewhere else.” Marginal church-goers often carry the same attitude.    This is the very reason that the people who complain that you talk too much about money are, in fact, the people who aren’t giving at all.   We’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating… the giving problem facing the church is a discipleship problem. The average, unengaged church-goer doesn’t understand the concept of stewardship. They believe their money is theirs to do with as they wish. They are accountable to mortgage companies, banks, credit card companies, and so forth, but they aren’t accountable to the church or God.    Reason alone will not change their minds. They even have an elaborate avoidance strategy—they skip church when they know you’re talking about money. We must change our approach. Stewardship is an aspect of every believer’s life, not an option for a few. Therefore, we must introduce the topic of stewardship whenever Scripture hits the subject (which is often).    The downfall of the Israelites was their self-absorption. If we aren’t careful, many people in today’s society will be defeated by the very same thing.     What’s your discipleship plan for moving people from where they are today to living the life of a Biblical steward? 2011-06-30T08:00:29+00:00 http://www.stewardshipdirect.com/blog/a_lot_giving_a_little_is_still_a_lot/ http://www.stewardshipdirect.com/blog/a_lot_giving_a_little_is_still_a_lot/#When:08:58:37Z Everyone has a vast network of relationships. Most would agree that relationships are the fabric from which life is made. There are few things we do that don’t involve relationships. So, how do relationships and giving sync up? After all, isn’t giving a private matter?   Adults invest in things that matter to them. They invest their time, talents, and money based on perceived value. Things that are important get priority. This is where social capital comes into play. As church leaders, we need to help people catch the vision for what can happen when everyone participates in a mission. Rather than trying to persuade people to give to the budget, we must help them see the needs that are being addressed through a fully funded budget. But catching the vision isn’t all there is.    Sometimes the needs are much larger than the personal budgets of the average giver. A multi-million dollar budget is beyond the comprehension of the average person. They are living with little margin and often don’t see how their little gift will make a difference. We can help them see how important they are by establishing reachable goals.    If we teach people who have little the blessing of giving, they will still give when they have a lot. However, if we wait until they have a lot to try to convince them to give, we’ll much less likely to influence their giving habits. The same is true with children. When we intentionally teach them about giving when they are young, they are more likely to maintain that habit as they grow up.     What would happen in your church if every family gave $50 extra? What would happen if every person who doesn’t give started giving $10 per week? 2011-06-27T08:58:37+00:00