How to Think About End-of-Year Giving

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Decorations are up, your Christmas sermon planning is in full swing, and in the midst of all the organizing and planning you have one more thing on your mind—end-of-year giving.

31% of charitable giving happens in December because for many donors this is the last chance to get their giving reflected on this year’s taxes, and for companies their fiscal year often ends in December.

Anywhere you look this time of year, it’s common to see organizations putting together one big push for donations before January 1. However, churches and church leaders can often feel deterred from talking about this topic too much for fear of being pushy, seeming ungrateful, or to focus on other important reminders during the holiday season.

While we want to be intentional about how we talk about finances, we also have a responsibility to think and talk about end-of-year giving in a way that honors our church’s mission and doesn’t let this opportunity go unnoticed.

Here are a few tips on how to approach end-of-year giving:

1. Talk about it.

There is a reason so many people and organizations have a big push at the end of the year. It’s not only the last opportunity to get donations in this calendar year, but this is also a major opportunity to practice a mindset of generosity. Around the Christmas season, we are surrounded by opportunities to “buy, buy, buy” that can shift our focus on what we don’t have rather than appreciate what we do.

But the true reason for the season is to celebrate the birth of Christ, recognize the hope we have, and practice giving generously out of gratitude of the gift we have received in Jesus.

You may have a fear that talking about giving in a public way may put undue pressure or an expectation on those who cannot afford to be generous. However, we have to remember that God works in everyone’s heart individually, and will lead each person individually. When we present the reasons giving matters in the ministry of the church, we can trust God to faithfully lead those in our congregation through how they should individually respond.

People can’t respond to a need if they don’t know the need exists.

2. This isn’t the only time to ask people to give.

While this is a great opportunity for giving, you can take some pressure off your shoulders by remembering that this isn’t the only time of the year that people can give. You have many faithful, monthly givers who donate year-round to support your ministry.

Take a deep breath and remember that this isn’t an all-or-nothing situation. It’s an opportunity we can leverage as much as possible and an opportunity to give people a chance to get involved with what God is doing in your church, but this isn’t the only time of the year you can invite your congregation to take this step.

READ: 5 Important Online Giving Statistics

3. Connect giving to a specific outcome.

What are people’s gifts going to be used for? People like to help you meet a specific need or fund a project. This also helps build excitement around your ministry and allows you to tangibly show people how their dollars help achieve the mission. You might consider connecting your end-of-year giving with a building project, ministry upgrade, or particular area of service so people can see something tangible their dollars will go towards.

There may also be years that you have a shortage in your budget from lower giving throughout the year. Make sure you communicate that need to your congregation. The majority of people won’t know you have a potential deficit if you don’t communicate it to them.

4. Incorporate storytelling into your messaging.

End-of-year giving isn’t just about soliciting donations; it’s a chance to celebrate what God has done through generosity in the past. This is an opportunity to talk about the heart of your ministry and even share some stories of the impact you have been able to have through generous giving in the past!

What stories can you focus on telling as you invite people to give generously?

READ: 5 Ways We Should Talk About Money at Church

5. 73% of church giving happens throughout the week.

You don’t have to push people to give only on Sunday mornings. In fact, many people do the majority of their giving during the week. This means that you should be including an opportunity to give in your emails, on social media, and even giving people a text reminder. These helpful reminders throughout the week with a direct link to where they can donate are a great way to lead people to take action whenever they are ready.

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The end of the year is a great opportunity to give people options to donate and practice generosity. As church leaders, we have a responsibility to talk about how people can get involved without guilting them into giving.

By following the tips above, you can start thinking about end-of-year giving in a way that is God-honoring and doesn’t let the timeliness of this season pass you by.

Do you need a church management system that can help you communicate with your congregation, organize volunteers, and lead efficiently? You can try One Church Software FREE for 14 days to see all the ways it can help you care for your members, empower your volunteers, and serve your community.

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9 Things To Be Grateful For as a Pastor

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During the holidays, there is an emphasis on gratitude and “giving thanks” but it can often be overshadowed by the messaging of Black Friday and the busyness of Christmas traditions and events.

As a church leader or pastor, you might take a moment to incorporate gratitude into your personal life or even study for a sermon on the topic. But if we’re honest, we can easily get so caught up in preparing for the Christmas season that we forget to truly pause and be grateful ourselves.

We may even be overwhelmed with the numerous problems we are asked to help solve, the daily running of the church, or even addressing the life challenges of our congregation during this time of the year. It can be a lot to handle, and all that gratitude can get moved to the backburner.

We are told throughout Scripture the importance of giving thanks and offering praise to God for all that He has done in our lives. Here are a few examples:

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. – Psalm 103:1-5 (ESV)

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever! – 1 Chronicles 16:34 (ESV)

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. – Psalm 95:1-3 (ESV)

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:4-7 (ESV)

Offering thanks and cultivating gratitude is an opportunity to orient our hearts to what God is doing and what He has been up to. It’s a reminder of what we should focus our minds on. By first ensuring our hearts and minds are full of gratitude and praise for the story God is writing in our life and our churches, we can trust that God will provide the outcome and bring about fruit from our faithful labor.

READ MORE: 6 Things to Keep in Mind for Your Christmas Service This Year

In the midst of the holiday season, consider taking a moment to pause and focus on gratitude for these things: 

1. What God is Doing

Take a look around your church. How are people growing and changing? Whose life stands out that God is actively working on sanctifying or at work in? Regardless of the size of your church, there are likely several people who stand out. God is actively at work in your church, its members, and even in your own life. Consider starting a list and adding to it each day. You may be surprised by how long it is and what God is up to!

2. What God Has Done

In Scripture, the Israelites would set up altars or stones of remembrance. These would serve as a physical reminder of when God came through for them, fulfilled His promises, or did miraculous things. We are a fairly forgetful people and can easily forget what God has done in our lives and around us.

Where have you seen God do incredible things? Could you set up something physical to help you remember all that He has done?

3. The Gifts God Has Given You as a Leader 

Many of us as church leaders can easily name all the things we are lacking or the talents we wish we had. But how often do we consider the gifts God has given to us? Rather than falling into the trap of comparison, focus on all the ways that God has uniquely equipped you for your current position.

4. Your Congregation

Not only are your congregation the people whom you have been called to minister to and shepherd, but they are the people who will do much life alongside you and your family. Give thanks for their role in your own story!

5. Your Community

Where is your church located? What is the community around it like? What is the incredible mission God has put you on at this moment in time in your unique community. Give thanks to God for the opportunities and consider the ways you can communicate your appreciation for being a part of your greater community. 

6. Your Family 

Family is something that is too easy to take for granted or it can feel like it’s a challenge to get enough time with them. Your family is one of the greatest gifts God has given you, and is something to thank God often for!

7. Your Staff

Your staff often share the responsibilities that allow the church to function efficiently. They too answered the call to serve the Lord and live out the mission of your church. They partner with you day after day to serve your congregation well. From the big things to the small things, our staff is worth our gratitude and appreciation!

8. Your Volunteers

A church can’t run without faithful people serving by giving their time, talents, and resources. They make it possible to offer nursery services, VBS, Awana, worship, and other programs at your church. How can you express gratitude to your volunteers in a heartfelt way this holiday season?

9. Your Friends

Who is your support system? Who comes to you to give rather than receive from you? These are the people who seek ways to feed into your soul, allow you to be vulnerable, and truly cherish your friendship. Give thanks for the breath of fresh air they are in your life.

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As pastors, church leaders, and followers of Christ, we are called to have a heart of gratitude and offer praise to God.

Consider ways you can continue to cultivate gratitude in your daily walk either by starting your daily devotion time with thanksgiving, keeping a gratitude journal, or even setting up a physical reminder of all the things you have to be thankful for.

Our team here at One Church Software is cheering you on!

Do you have a church management system or are considering switching? You can try One Church Software FREE for 14 days to see all the ways it can help you care for your members, empower your volunteers, and serve your community.

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How to Cast Vision for Your Congregation

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Casting vision is one of the core responsibilities of a leader. Being able to translate the mission of who you are as a church and communicate where you’re headed is what inspires unity and purpose throughout your congregation. When the vision is understood, everyone can work together towards that future.

Casting a vision for your congregation gives clarity of where your church is headed, provides inspiration about the future, and unites everyone around what your church is doing. This can feel like a daunting task at times, though, can’t it?

Here are some of our favorite tips on casting vision for your congregation:

1. Make Sure You Have a Clear Mission

Vision starts with mission. Vision is about how you’re accomplishing your purpose even better in the future. So if your unique mission is a little fuzzy, set aside some time to answer this question: Why does our church exist in our community at this time?

That mission is the core of who you are as a congregation, and who you are in the context of a larger surrounding community.

Your vision is the expansion of that mission. It is the place that God is calling you to that will extend that mission in even greater ways. Vision is the picture you can paint for the people you lead of where you all are headed, together.

2. Dream and Plan With Your Team

Vision clarity starts with your core team of staff and leadership. Before you consider casting vision for your congregation, make sure you have a plan in place on how you will accomplish it. Your team will be able to provide feedback, identify ways you can practically accomplish the vision, and help you discover the pieces of the puzzle that will help the church move forward effectively.

Let the vision breathe, change, and expand as you share what God has placed on your heart with your team!

3. Connect Exciting Vision Initiatives Back to the Mission

It’s always exciting to share vision initiatives with your congregation! But we can forget to connect these back to the mission, which is who we are and why we exist as a church.

It’s important that exciting new goals don’t get communicated as goals for the sake of goals. By sharing how new vision initiatives connect back to your mission, you can ensure your congregation remembers your greater mission and how this particular initiative fulfills your church’s purpose.

4. Remind People of the Vision and Mission Often

Perhaps you’ve heard the famous leadership principle: “Vision leaks.” This is very true! Vision isn’t something you can set once and then forget—this is something we have to consistently nurture.

In order to do that, we need to be talking about our vision and mission often! Doing this not only keeps it at the forefront of your congregations’ minds, but will help them actively look for opportunities to move towards that vision in their daily life.

5. Let Yourself Be Excited!

Casting vision is something to get excited about. God is at work within you, in your church, and in your community! Let yourself dream and get excited about how He is at work.

When you lead from a place of excitement, it becomes contagious. This is one of the core ways of how your congregation can “catch” the vision and how your church can become eager to move forward in unity.

Your congregation needs to be aware of your mission and vision. They need to be connected to the future goal. Without that connection, it’s like running a relay race with only half of your team showing up to run! We hope these tips have inspired you to cast vision in a way and support the people you lead in getting involved in the work God has called you to accomplish.

Do you have a church management system or are considering switching? You can try One Church Software FREE for 14 days to see all the ways it can help you care for your members, empower your volunteers, and serve your community.

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10 Encouraging Bible Verses for the Pastor Preparing for the Fall

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Can you believe that summer is almost over?!

The summer season can tend to be a slower time in ministry with many college students returning home for the break, families participating in summer sports, and vacations that cause your attendance to drop.

As we move into the Fall, all of that is about to change as many people will be returning to their normal rhythm, which includes participating in your Sunday and weekday programs (WOO! 🥳). As you prepare for this shift, we want you to do so with a renewed vision and excitement for what God is going to do in your congregation and through your ministry!

To help you start planning for this new season of ministry, take a moment to reflect on these 10 encouraging Bible verses:

1) God will give you direction.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6

You don’t have to have all the answers figured out as you approach this next season of ministry. Place your trust in the Lord and He will direct your path and nourish your ministry.

2) God answers prayers.

The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. – Psalm 145:18

We serve a God who not only listens to us when we call out to Him but one who answers us! How great it is to know that He cares about all our worries, stresses, and what is happening in our day. When we pray to God, He will answer us.

3) God loves you with an immeasurable love.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38-39

When was the last time you pondered this? God loves us so much that He sent His own son to die for us. That is love beyond measure! There is nothing in all creation that can remove us from God’s love. What an incredible encouragement!

4) God provides wisdom.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. – Psalm 32:8

It is encouraging to know that God doesn’t expect us to have all of life figured out. He provides instruction and teaching to help us grow and mature. Part of this is through Scripture, but it is also through a relationship with Him and the experiences He guides us through.

5) We have good work to do.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. – Galatians 6:9

The ministry you do day-in and day-out can wear on you and you may begin to feel discouraged. While this work is not easy, it is good! Scripture reminds us that our struggle is for the souls of the people in our community. While things may feel dark or particularly difficult at this moment, don’t give up.

6) God satisfies our desires.

Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. – Psalms 103:1-5

Consider this: God doesn’t merely give us what we need, but He takes the time to understand the desires of our hearts. And He satisfies them with good things. God deeply cares about our well-being and the satisfaction of our souls. That kind of care is worthy of praise!

7) God extends mercy to us.

…he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit… – Titus 3:5

It is because of God’s mercy that He saved us and made us a new creation. And not only that, but He renews us through the Holy Spirit. It is encouraging to remember that we are saved not because of anything we have done, but through the mercy of our Heavenly Father.

8) We find our strength in the Lord.

The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. – Exodus 15:2

It can sometimes be hard to find the inspiration to lead your church well, especially if you are feeling discouraged or weak. It’s important to remember that God lends us His strength and comes to our defense. We can always find our strength in Him.

9) God is our source of peace even in the midst of troubles.

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. – John 16:33

God reminded us in Scripture that we will face many troubles. But He also reminds us that we have peace in Him. We can take comfort in knowing that He has overcome the world already!

10) We have power in Christ.

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. – 2 Timothy 1:7 

We have a tendency to forget that God has given us power among other gifts. How can you be bold in this upcoming season of your church to accomplish the mission God has for you?

We hope this has encouraged your soul as you look to the season ahead and all God has in store for your church. As church leaders, we have been given a special responsibility to nurture and shepherd the people of God within our care, and it’s important that we let God’s truth nurture our own soul first so we can minister out of the overflow.

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10 Reminders of Who Your Congregation is in Christ

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As a church leader, do you ever feel like it’s easy to become distracted from how miraculous and powerful our identity in Christ is? We rush about our duties to serve the church, but how often are we reminded to see people for who they truly are? Specifically, for who God says they are?

We can get so preoccupied with making sure the slides are ready for the sermon, the floors have been vacuumed, parents have adequate childcare, and the bathrooms are fully stocked with toilet paper (which, of course, are hold some importance) that we can unintentionally overlook the jaw-dropping, astonishing, and remarkable reality of who we all are in Christ.

To help reorient our hearts for those we lead around these truths, here are 10 reminders of who your congregation is in Christ:

1) They are forgiven.

Not only did they receive forgiveness at the point of salvation, but this forgiveness doesn’t stop there! It is an ongoing event that can never run out. Because they are still being sanctified, they will continue to need and have access to forgiveness.

“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” – Colossians 1:13-14

2) They are adopted.

This means that they are elevated to a position in God’s family. Like an orphan, they previously had no rights in the family of God but once they were saved they gained access to the benefits of being in the family of God!

“He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” – Ephesians 1:5

3) They are Christ’s ambassadors.

Christ has charged believers with being His ambassadors here on earth. That means they have been charged with sharing His light with the world and representing Him. As their shepherd, teacher, and encourager you have been given the responsibility to equip them to do this work.

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:20

4) They are blessed.

God has blessed His people beyond measure! This is not something He is required to do but that He chooses to do! This isn’t something we have to earn or are rewarded with for good behavior. Your congregation has and is being richly blessed by their heavenly Father.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” – Ephesians 1:3

5) They are part of the body of Christ.

Just like our human bodies, the body of Christ is made up of unique parts. We have a common mission and have each been given unique talents and roles within that body. Your congregation is to come together with their unique parts to receive mutual encouragement, be made complete, and perform the work that God has for them.

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” – 1 Corinthians 12:27

6) They are free.

As Christians, it’s important to remember that we were set free! We are no longer held captive by sin and that comes with immense relief and freedom.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” – Galatians 5:1

7) They are citizens of Heaven.

As Christians, our hope is not in this life on this earth. We are but foreigners. Our true home is in Heaven and we look forward to knowing we will be there one day!

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ…” – Philippians 3:20

8) They are a new creation.

Your congregation is not just given a new identity when they are saved, they ARE a completely new creation. The miraculous work of the cross has made them brand new with new desires and hopes.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17

9 They are a friend of Jesus.

Have you considered the weight of this? The God of the entire universe calls us friends. We are a part of His inner circle and share a bond with each other!

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” – John 15:15

10 They have direct access to God.

No longer do we have to go through the ritual of the Holy of Holies or rely on a priest to communicate with God for us. Because of the Holy Spirit, we can talk to God as if He was sitting right next to us. He hears His people!

“For through him we have access to the Father by one Spirit.” – Ephesians 2:18

These are just a few reminders of who your congregation is in Christ (there are, of course, much more in Scripture). As church leaders, we have been given a special responsibility to nurture and shepherd the people of God within our care. These truths should be a reminder of how important that task is that God has called us to do!

Consider how you can lead your congregation this week to remind them of these truths. How can you support them in embracing who God says they are? 

Don’t forget that all of these reminders are for you too! Why not go back through the list and swap out “they” for “I” in each of these reminders?

If you don’t have a church management system or are considering switching, you can try One Church Software FREE for 14 days to see all the ways it can help you care for your members, empower your volunteers, and serve your community.

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5 Steps to Help You Prepare for Your 2022 Easter Service

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Easter Sunday—According to Pew Research Center, it’s one of the biggest two Sundays people will attend each year and more Americans search online for “church” around Easter than they do any other time of the year. Every day in the life of a church matters deeply, but to say that Easter is the church’s Super Bowl for engaging new people is no understatement!

Whether you’ve already been planning for weeks and know where your team is headed, or if your calendar doesn’t yet have Easter Sunday highlighted, circled, with multiple notifications and a countdown timer, we wanted to share five simple steps you should consider as you get ready for your 2022 Easter church service.

Let’s jump in to Easter service planning:

1) Make a clear plan in advance.

Perhaps this should go without saying, but with the number of people that will be coming through your church’s doors (physically or digitally), you need to have a clear plan in place. For many of those people, this is the one time a year they attend a church service. It may also be a chance to welcome back those that haven’t been attending regularly.

Take some time to detail a clear plan with any special elements that need to be created in advance. What are your goals for Easter? Will you have special graphics? Do you need extra help that day to make sure everyone gets a seat? Who are the key people on your team you need to empower to direct others?

By making sure you have a solid plan in advance, you are able to approach the day strategically, and you will avoid stressing out your team by scrambling to organize an Easter church service last-minute.

2) Communicate that plan to your team.

Now that you have a clear plan of what your church’s goals are for Easter Sunday, don’t keep it to yourself! That plan needs to be communicated to your team. This could be done over a detailed email, a planning meeting, or through your church management software.

Make sure your team has all the necessary resources to execute the plan and keep up-to-date on what has been accomplished and what’s left undone.

Most of all, this is your opportunity to get your team excited! Help them see the vision for your Easter service this year. Build excitement for them, praying together expectantly for what God will do in the hearts of those who engage with your church on Easter.

3) Make sure you have a guest follow-up plan.

It’s no secret that many churches view Easter Sunday as a prime opportunity to get once-a-year churchgoers or those who have been involved irregularly to engage with your church beyond this one Easter service.

But that doesn’t happen by accident. It requires an intentional follow-up plan.

How do you plan to engage meaningfully with the people who are attending your Easter service? This, of course, starts with how they experience the service itself. Is it easy for them to check their kids into the children’s ministry? Can they find a place to sit easily? Were people kind?

But beyond that, this leads into your follow-up plan. How do you plan to engage meaningfully after the service is over? Do you have a visitor card that is simple and can be quickly completed? Are you planning to send a follow-up text or a carefully-crafted series of emails? Would it make sense to send a thank you gift? What is the next step you’re inviting new people to take?

These are all questions worth asking.

4) Schedule an Easter debrief meeting ahead of time.

All too often, we have a habit of waiting until next year’s planning meeting to ask how the previous year went. But here’s the problem with that: Nobody remembers the detailed breakdown of what went right and wrong!

Instead, we should review what worked well and what didn’t within a week of Easter Sunday so everything is fresh in our team’s minds. Make sure you take good notes that you can find next year.

Is there anything you did this year that didn’t work? Was there anything that worked particularly well? Was there anything you missed that you need to remember to improve on next year?

5) Focus on the truth of Easter.

Ultimately, this one is most important. All of the planning and organizing in the world doesn’t make a difference if you are personally not being reminded of what Easter is all about. How is the truth of Christ’s death and resurrection affecting your heart right now? How should that truth inspire your church to live out their faith in your community? What hope does it give us in a world full of uncertainty and chaos?

As leaders, when our hearts are moved by the truth of Christ’s death and resurrection, and that is our focus while we observe Easter Sunday, we can rest assured these truths will bleed over into the hearts of those we lead as well.

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Easter service planning can take a lot of coordination and support from our teams, but there truly is so much opportunity for us to engage our communities. Take the time to make a plan, and remember your why—to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Mt. 28:19-20a).

Organizing your people and communicating with them is a whole lot easier when you have a church management system doing the hard work for you of helping you stay organized. Learn how One Church Software’s all-in-one solution can help you manage your volunteers, finances, service planning, giving, children’s ministry check-in, event registrations, and much more.

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Why You Need to Structure Ministry Around What Your Community Values

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Your church’s mission is to reach people with the Good News and grow their faith. It’s the core of everything you do, but capturing people’s hearts and attention isn’t always easy. And many times, it’s the little details outside of the regular service that communicates genuine care and understanding.

There are all kinds of trendy and cool things your church can offer, from running a cafe that serves lattes and giving out free t-shirts to guests. Those kinds of things are not wrong in and of themselves, but if your ministry’s structure isn’t considering how it lines up with your community’s values, then you will have a hard time reaching people.

Does your community have a lot of young parents or single parents? If so, your community probably values making it easy for families to participate in all events. To structure your ministry in line with this value, you may offer additional child care, make it easier to check in your kids, or even find ways to integrate them into events.

While there are many different values your church may identify, here are a few of the top values we’ve seen in communities and how churches can integrate those values into ministry structure using church management software like One Church:

Easy Connection to Community

Have you ever been the new kid on the block? It can be hard to get to know people, let alone find a core community to get support and encouragement. You can provide an easy way to find out what groups exist and when they meet so people can join without waiting to receive a personal invitation.

Security & Safety

This is especially important in your kids’ area. Not only can you give parents an efficient way to check their kids in, but they can also provide the people authorized to pick them up. And have you ever worried about if the right people know about your child’s allergies? Any medical needs and allergies are printed directly on a child’s security label.

Clear Communication

Our lives are busy and complicated. Often if you don’t add an event to your personal calendar during the announcement, you won’t get the details at all! Or even worse, if you come in late or miss a service entirely, it’s easy to feel out of the loop. By using church software to house all your upcoming events and opportunities, including registration and easy integration to your personal calendar, you can ensure that everyone stays in the know!

A Sense of Purpose

People are passionate about their causes. They want what they do to make a difference—providing in-the-moment action steps like text-to-give is just a small part of this. Communicating what those finances did and providing additional ways to get involved is crucial to connect your members to their sense of purpose. Your church has a responsibility to have transparency and follow-through when it comes to the ways we are impacting the world with our resources.

Clarity

Finding information, whether about events, your church’s mission, or more about what you believe, can be a treasure hunt! If your community has difficulty navigating your system or finding the answer in person, this is likely a point of frustration that can lead to disengagement.

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Whatever your community values may be, how you structure your ministry should reflect those values. We know taking the step to get a church management software can feel like a big one. But, we have worked with countless churches and church leaders to help integrate their community values as they add church management software to structure their ministry.

If you would like to hear about how a church management software can support your specific community values, watch a free demo today —

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3 Ways to Promote Consistent Giving at Your Church

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A typical problem churches face is maintaining a consistent stream of funds to support ministry operations. The work of the local church, whether discipling teenagers or providing meals for the homeless, costs money, and if a church struggles to maintain a consistent stream of giving from its members, the work of ministry can be hindered.

How can churches encourage consistent giving from their church members without breaking trust or sounding “greedy,” a common fear of church leaders? Here are a few basic ways to promote consistent giving in the local church:

1. Talk about money outside of giving campaigns.

One of the biggest mistakes churches make is neglecting any talk about generosity, giving, or money outside of specialized fundraising campaigns for new facilities, new ministry opportunities, or other such projects.

A common line churches use is, “This is not about a building…it’s about cultivating generosity in your heart.” Unfortunately, if the only time you’re talking like that on a Sunday morning or in your small groups is when you’re trying to add a new facility, people are probably going to roll their eyes! And more importantly, you’re going to lose trust.

One of the best ways you can cultivate a culture of generosity and consistent giving in your church is to talk about money and generosity regularly so that finances aren’t as taboo a topic as they too often are. God cares about our money and how we spend, invest, or give it, and church leaders should be talking about our relationship with money as a regular part of the discipleship process, whether there’s a fundraising campaign or not.

Make conversations about finances a regular part of your discipleship efforts. You will not only cultivate generous hearts that are more like Christ, but you’ll also see more consistent giving from your church members.

2. Encourage regular service within the local church.

This is an essential but often overlooked point when it comes to encouraging giving. In general, even outside of the church walls, people are more likely to personally invest in projects or efforts with which they are actively involved in some way. Sure, plenty of generous donors give to nonprofits or philanthropic causes with whom they have little personal connection. Still, most small and medium-sized givers will be most faithful and consistent if they have a vested interest and participatory relationship with the recipient of their giving.

A really simple, underrated way to encourage consistent giving at church is to encourage your church members to serve regularly. The more involved they are through serving in the children’s ministry or taking meals to new parents throughout the week, the more likely they will be willing to open their wallets and give.

Two of the resources about which people are most stingy are their time and money. If you can get your church members to loosen their grip on their time and be generous on that front, you are more likely to successfully loosen their grip on their money and encourage them to be generous with it.

Encourage service and watch giving become more consistent.

3. Prioritize electronic giving and monitor it.

More and more people are paying their bills through automatic electronic withdrawals from their bank accounts. The number of people who write checks to pay their bills will only continue to decrease moving into the future. The same is true with church giving. Though church demographics tend to skew older than the average age of a community’s population, the digital financial revolution will hit your church soon if it hasn’t already.

If you hope to encourage regular, consistent giving at church, reliable electronic giving needs to be a top priority. There are seemingly dozens of options available for churches to make electronic giving available to their church members. Whichever option you choose, make sure that user experience is important in your decision-making process. Electronic giving that is difficult to use creates unnecessary friction and could even erode trust in your church members, which will only hinder consistent financial giving.

An extra bonus if the solution you choose makes communication easy with your donors, allows members to give via text, and makes it simple for you to monitor it all!

Consistent financial giving is important in the life of the local church because we should always be growing in generosity as we strive to become more like Christ, and those funds fuel the important ministry in your community and around the world.

Looking for an easy giving solution for your church? Look no further than One Church Giving, Our safe, secure, and fully integrated giving solution. Learn more here.

Want to read more?
– 5 Ways We Should Talk About Money at Church
– 5 Reasons to Consider Text Giving for Your Ministry
– 3 Ways to Encourage Young Families to Give to Your Church

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5 Goal-Setting Principles Every Church Leader Should Know

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With the start of a new year, it can seem like everyone is setting a resolution to lose weight, break a bad habit, or start a new hobby. It may feel like setting goals in January is more of a fad that we quickly forget once February arrives. 

However, there is value to setting goals during the start of a new year that shouldn’t be ignored.

Whether this is a new year or just a new season at your church, today we want to share a few goal-setting principles every church leader should keep in mind when setting goals:

1) Setting goals is an important part of spiritual leadership.

As a leader in your church, people will naturally look to you for guidance and clarity in what direction the church is taking. You have a noble calling to lead and shepherd these people toward Christ and to reach the surrounding community. But this doesn’t just happen. It requires an intentional plan. As such, you should take time to set goals for yourself, your church, and how you will reach others.

In the end, it is God that will bring fruit to our efforts but it’s our job to partner with Him by creating a plan, setting goals, working the plan, and then seeing how God uses those efforts.

2) Don’t just make a to-do list; cast a vision.

It’s easy to set a long list of things to do, but that isn’t actually the point of setting church goals. Not to mention, you’d have to create unique to-do lists for each area of your ministry. Instead, you should focus on casting a vision. Help people see how the goals that the church is setting are actually helping the ministry move towards the overall vision.

This is an opportunity to inspire rather than just inform.

3) Don’t be afraid to reach for the stars, but make sure your goals are still realistic.

Michael Hyatt has said, “You can’t get where you want to go unless you start with where you are.” When setting goals, it’s hard to find that middle ground. We want to be ambitious and set near-impossible goals. Or we want to be realistic and don’t dream big enough.

A good goal will stretch us beyond what we are capable of, and will require God to show up in order to achieve it, but it remains in the realm of possibilities. “By next year, our church will take our attendance from 500 to 5,000” is an example of a near-impossible goal (in that timespan).

4) Be sure your goals are SMART.

If you aren’t familiar with the acronym of SMART goals, here’s a quick breakdown:

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time-bound

The purpose of this acronym is to give you a tool to not only plan, but also achieve your goals. It’s one thing to say, “We want to reach our community.” It’s another thing to say, “By December 31, we will see 100 new connect cards filled out by first-time guests.” One is time-bound and measurable, and the other is not.

Utilize SMART church goals in your planning!

5) Check your progress.

Just like those that make New Year’s Resolutions, if you don’t make a plan to follow through on your goals, you will tend to forget about them. The purpose of goal-setting is to keep you accountable to the mission as you move through the year.

Take the time now to set up times to review how you are doing with each goal. Make a reminder in your calendar now so you can look back at your goals and continually track your progress.

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Goal-setting can feel like a heavy responsibility and a lot of work. The truth is that it is both of those things! It takes time and effort to set meaningful goals for your church and that is not something that should be taken lightly. The effort is well worth it! 

So this month, feel free to dream big, set goals, cast vision, and get excited about how God will show up to help you meet those goals. Setting goals is a necessary part of being a church leader, and you are equipped to dream about a potential future to pursue alongside your God.

Discover an all-in-one technology solution to help you care for your members, empower your volunteers, & serve your community. Learn more about One Church Software.

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3 Considerations When Creating a Church Budget

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“A solid budget and spending plan creates trust between church leaders and church members, which is important because so many people lack trust in churches to manage money well because of past experiences they have had.”

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Happy New Year! As we kickoff this fresh year, we’re tackling an important topic: Church budgets.

Most people who find themselves on staff at a local church didn’t go to school for finance or accounting. Few (if any) seminaries have classes about creating or maintaining a church budget. Wise stewardship of parishioners’ tithes can definitely fall into the “nobody-taught-me-how-to-do-this” area of ministry. But if the local church is going to handle money in a trustworthy, God-honoring way while also funding the important work of ministry that church members do, establishing an effective church budget has to be a top priority.

Whether you’re getting ready to plant a church or you’ve become a leader at a centuries-old church that doesn’t have the most solid budget, the best time to create a church budget was yesterday. The second-best time to create a church budget is now.

But where do you even start? How do you create a solid church budget from scratch? Here are a few considerations when creating a church budget to get you started down the right path:

1) Consider your values.

Before you get into the weeds of dollar amounts, giving trends, and bookkeeping details, you need to be sure that the budget you’re creating is reflective of your church’s values and the needs of your church family. If your church is mostly made up of young families, it makes more sense to allocate more funds toward the children’s ministry than the senior adult ministry. If your church sits near an underprivileged neighborhood where you do regular ministry, it probably makes more sense to allocate more funds toward that work than it does toward another ministry effort that, though worthwhile, doesn’t fit the work of your church body quite as well.

Ultimately, if you don’t make your budget align with the values of your church, it won’t matter how well you evaluate giving trends or track spending. Why? Because your church members likely won’t give with the same consistency and generosity as they would if your budget aligned appropriately with the values and unique context of your church.

2) Evaluate past and projected giving trends.

Most church giving experts recommend not relying too much on past giving trends or projected giving trends when creating a church budget, but to consider both past receipts and future projections. Every church is different, but generally speaking, creating a church budget based on past giving trends may cause you to create a budget that is too conservative, and misinterpreting future giving trends may lead you to create a budget that overestimates the dollars your church will receive in the coming months and years.

It is a good idea to examine the last few years’ giving, figure out what the “minimum” giving situation may look like to give you a sort of baseline off of which to work, and then project some increase based on higher church attendance or other similar factors.

Again, every church is different and your church’s context may lead you to consider putting more emphasis on either past or future giving…and that is okay! Just be sure to consider all possibilities and not marry your budget to one or the other too strongly.

3. Track every dollar collected and spent.

A fine-tuned budget established by a careful evaluation of past and future giving trends and defined by the values and work of the ministry can be completely and devastatingly sidetracked by poor accounting. What good is a budget if church leaders aren’t intimately aware of how much money is being given to the church in a given week and how much money the church is spending in a given week? Creating an effective budget but not tracking giving and spending is like buying a $300,000 Lamborghini and letting your teenager use it for driver’s ed—it’s foolish and dangerous!

It’s true: tracking every dollar your church collects and spends can be cumbersome. There’s no doubt about it. But effective money management is the gasoline that makes an effective church budget run. By tracking your funds, you provide your church members with a sense of trust that they deserve, and you make your budget more effective for future years.

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Budgeting is important! It’s important for families, and it’s just as important for church families! A solid budget and spending plan creates trust between church leaders and church members, which is important because so many people lack trust in churches to manage money well because of past experiences they have had. At the same time, a church budget that is created with your values in mind and maintained by wise financial tracking will make your ministry more effective and help you reach more people with the gospel that we have been charged to share with the world.

Don’t neglect your church’s budget! Make one today.

When you use One Church Software, all of your giving, accounting, and people records are seamlessly connected within your church management software. Learn more about accounting within One Church >>

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