Tag Archive for: pastor

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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What 6 Church Leaders Are Saying About Moving to One Church Software

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With so many options for your Church Management Software (ChMS), how can you tell which one is the right choice for your church? Sometimes once you select a ChMS and work to implement it, you discover that a key feature you need costs extra, it isn’t as good as you thought, or there is little-to-no support offered.

To help take some of the guesswork out of picking a ChMS, we asked church leaders what they thought of our software after making the switch to One Church Software.

Check out more reviews for One Church Software here >>

“Reliable, stable, consistent” – Andrew K., Lead Pastor

Our team loves that they only have to learn ONE software to handle our needs. It’s easy to connect with, easy to work with, and the OCS team is VERY responsive to our needs and requests. We love the ability to easily facilitate prayer requests and make the interactions live.

“OCS is teaching us how to be a 21st-century church!” – Jane. R.

We switched to OCS in February 2020. OCS has served our church of 300+ members well throughout the pandemic and beyond! We are working smarter to utilize connection and involvement features. We enjoy how the design of One Church supports our mission to build a supportive, inclusive community that can use technology tools to worship, grow, learn, and work for justice.

“The best church software.” – Mike P.

This software is user-friendly and intuitive by design! The best features are its automation capabilities for follow-up and assimilation. But the report builders are set-up in such a way that even a non-tech-savvy person, like myself, can use them with ease. Having this one-stop shop helps our church stay organized and keeps all of our ministries connected.

“An all-in-one solution that won’t nickel and dime you.” – James D.

OCS has one price for all features, unlike other softwares that charge you for “extras.” They take many solutions and combine them into one great software! OCS includes everything you need from church accountability, text-to-give, text and email communication, easily generates giving reports, and provides some things we didn’t even know we needed!

“Membership Software with Communications Simplified” – Scott G., Pastor

Maintenance of distribution lists has always been an issue when we utilized Outlook and Server software. OCS is a single location to handle all of our communication needs! We have made a great deal of use of the built-in communication capabilities to keep everyone in the loop.

“Great software, even better service.” – Nick P., Children’s Minister

We struggled to know who was a part of our church and how connected they were. But with electronic check-in for children’s ministries and adults, we now have a clear picture of who is engaging with our community. One Church Software is also a great solution for managing teams, organizing groups, communicating with members, teams, and more. With the ability to set up automation, you can focus your attention on getting processes set up and then letting the system do the heavy lifting. OCS comes with a free hour of in-person training with membership.

We set out to make a ChMS that did one thing—helps church leaders. We didn’t just want to design software that handled the technical side of ministry. We created one that would help church leaders care for their members, empower their volunteers, and serve their community better.

When you have a ChMS that handles the behind-the-scenes stuff well, you have extra time to do what you do best—care for the souls of people. You don’t have to take our word for it! Test out our software free for 14 days and see for yourself!

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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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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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3 Ways to Encourage Young Families to Give to Your Church

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The generous financial gifts of a local church congregation are the backbone of sustaining a local church. Money and giving are twin topics that are often taboo in a local church, and this can obviously inhibit giving and cripple the financial situation of a ministry. It isn’t very fun to think about, but doing ministry does cost money, and the generous giving of church members is needed if the church is to serve their community in tangible ways.

One of the greatest giving pain points in local churches is encouraging giving among young adults. Research shows young people trust churches and church leaders less than their parents or grandparents did at their age. This lack of trust can often lead to a lack of giving. Then, their lack of giving can hobble the ministry of the local church.

How does a local church encourage young families to give? Here are three practical steps:

1. Make recurring giving simple.

Very practically, churches must make recurring giving as simple as possible. Once upon a time, churches could count on members remembering to bring their tithes via check or cash every week, or perhaps once per month. With the digital revolution and the relatively recent phenomenon of electronic bill paying, few young people (including people well into their 30s and even 40s) carry cash or checks with any regularity. If your church only has physical giving options available, with no opportunity to automate giving electronically, you’re missing out on a lot of potential to make giving easy for this generation.

Young people are much more likely to regularly and generously give to the local church if they have a way to do so electronically. This obviously has nothing to do with the discipline of generosity that should be important to all believers. Not having an opportunity to give to a church through the internet is no excuse for not giving at all. But local church leaders should recognize that friction can be reduced for young people who want to give by providing plenty of opportunity to set up recurring giving via an app or other kind of payment service. This will ensure regular giving from young people.

But how do these people begin to give generously, rather than just consistently? See steps two and three.

2. Make your values, not your programs, the focus of giving.

Church culture changes over time. This is only natural and has happened generationally for hundreds of years. Worship styles change. How people prefer to gather changes. Preaching styles shift. The Word of God and the message of the Gospel stay the same, but all of the contextual pieces around “how to do church” are pretty fluid.

One way these changes have been manifested in our current context is in how young people view church. Evangelical churches in the late-20th and even early 21st centuries were built on programs. Many young families around the turn of the millennium flocked to churches with the coolest children’s programming, the nicest facilities, or the most fun youth ministry. Do many people still choose churches and generously give to churches for these reasons? Most definitely. But the tides are turning away from programs and more toward values and community.

Plenty of statistics abound about how young people make more decisions based on values than generations who have come before. Young people today are more likely to give to your church because of your values than they are because of your programs. Quality church programming became such an integral part of local church ministry that it was almost commoditized—quality church programming could be found anywhere. Now, with a generation of young Christians who have seen some of their most beloved Christian leaders fall out of ministry because of moral failure or even criminal behavior, they are more likely to give generously to a church with whom their values align and who they can trust than a church with the coolest children’s ministry programs or facilities.

That last point, focused on trust, is our third and final step on how to encourage church members to give:

3. Make your church finances and budget transparent.

There is absolutely no reason that church finances and budgets should not be transparent to church members. This doesn’t mean church staff need to project their salaries up on the big screen once a month, but it does mean that church members should have a breakdown on where finances go, so they can make an educated and confident decision as they give.

Church leaders who provide no transparency into how church money is used or how budgets are made have no leg to stand on when it comes to wondering why church members aren’t giving. Young people are more skeptical of church leaders and their authority than any generation in modern history. Church leaders today need to earn the trust and respect of young church members, and when it comes to money, trust and respect is earned with transparency.

Young families will give generously when they realize their values align with the church’s values and when they are assured that the people collecting and spending their money are trustworthy and of Christlike character. Then, churches can encourage frictionless, consistent giving by providing young families with electronic means to set up recurring giving.

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

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.

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A Word of Encouragement to Pastors in 2021

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Dear Pastor,

What a season we have lived through. You have stood as steady as possible and your church members are starting to trickle back into their “normal” routines. But let’s not forget all that we have been through the last 18 months.

You were suddenly faced with the uncertainty of if you could meet or even if you should.

You’ve had to shoulder the responsibility and weight of keeping your members safe while balancing the toll isolation would take on their souls.

You’ve had to shift to a world of virtual meetings and livestream, likely with little to no experience, equipment, or trained staff.

You’ve had countless conversations that felt like they were a lot less about shepherding someone’s soul, and more about the perspective of politicians and the recommendations of doctors.

When you began meeting in-person again, you noticed every face that wasn’t there. And today, there are still those that have yet to return, if they do at all.

You’ve felt the weight of leading your church in a way that honored Jesus and the call to the gospel, but may be fighting the feeling of personal failure when you see so many believers still fighting amongst ourselves.

You’ve been to all of the funerals but missed all the celebrations.

As you press forward, remember that you also need rest. You also need to be cared for. And instead of looking for the faces that are missing, look instead at the faces that are still there. You have done so much with what felt like so little.

God has given you a special calling to lead these people. And that is not by accident! As you are looking to the future and preparing to face new challenges, remember that God is the one that is equipping you to complete this work. You have what it takes to navigate what’s ahead and to shift your ministry as necessary to best meet the needs of your people.

This work is not easy, but it is the most important work in the world! As you work to serve your church, remember Jesus wants to serve them more. As you love these people, Jesus loves them more. You want to reach lost people; Jesus wants to reach them even more than you do! Jesus is ready to do incredible things in your community and He has chosen you to help do that.

So you may feel discouraged or burnt out going into 2022, but we are here to remind you of your calling. To remind you that this is not the end of the story. That God isn’t done working yet. There is hope and many lost people that He is still calling to Himself.

We believe in you and we are cheering you on! God is still doing a mighty work!

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5 Ways We Should Talk About Money at Church

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Money can be a taboo topic, can’t it? Money has torn families apart. Money has torn businesses apart. Money has torn churches apart. It can be a difficult subject and, because of that, we sometimes avoid it.

But this doesn’t need to be the case!

Given that money is a sensitive subject in churches for any number of reasons—from sin, to past church hurt, or others—we should talk about money at church strategically.

Here are five intentional ways churches can talk about money that lead to openness and Christlikeness rather than fear and sin:

1. We should talk about money frequently.

One of the most common mistakes church leaders make is avoiding talking about money and generosity until it’s time to initiate a building campaign or another kind of fundraising initiative to support the work of the church. This not only hinders consistent giving, but it can inhibit the trust of people in your church. Learning to manage money with wisdom and in accordance with Christian values are important to life and pursuing Christlikeness. Discussions about how to manage money or cultivate a heart of generosity should not be reserved for when one aspect of the ministry needs a new or expanded space.

Obviously, talking about money at church too frequently can hurt trust in another way…by making it sound like all your church cares about is money and gathering money from its people—a fear of many Christians that is all too legitimate.

Talking about money is important. Stay consistent with it. Find a healthy rhythm and balance to keep it at the forefront.

2. We should talk about money without shaming people.

Many churches struggle with church members who consume sermons every week and benefit from the ministries of the church without giving of their time or their money to further the work of the church in the community. It is a sad reality, but this is common, and it should be addressed by church leadership. But handling poor giving and stingy hearts by shaming church members who rarely give or don’t give at all is not the way to approach this difficult situation.

Instead, we need to approach how people give with grace and invitation, just like Jesus did. It’s an opportunity to live a life of generosity. This isn’t forced; it’s an invitation to take a step deeper into their walk with Christ.

3. We should talk about money in relation to discipleship.

Sex and money are two of the most common idols that we humans worship instead of our Creator. Part of the reason we are too afraid to talk about money in relation to our faith is because, deep down, we recognize that we hold on to our money a bit too tightly. How we handle our money is a discipleship issue. Mishandling money by being greedy, cheating people out of money we owe them, or other issues like those are spiritual problems, not just ethical or moral problems.

The sooner we start treating our relationship with money as a discipleship issue and not just a “money” issue, the sooner we will start handling our money in a more Christlike, God-glorifying way…and the sooner we’ll be generous with the money we’ve been given.

When church leaders talk about money, it is imperative they lead their people to see their relationship with their money as a matter of spiritual concern. This leads people to understand that money is to be handled with great care because it is so intertwined with their worship.

4. We should talk about money in our children’s and student ministries.

Adults give the most money to the local church, so it is only natural that church conversations about money tend to focus on how adults can be more generous with their money. But because our relationship with our money is a discipleship matter, not just a financial matter, church leaders should be sure that the topic of money makes a regular appearance in children’s and student ministry curricula as well.

Because the church is called to lead children and young adults to have the mind of Christ and pursue godliness in all aspects of life, the church should educate its young people on how to handle money in accordance with their young faith.

Just because young people can’t give very much doesn’t mean we shouldn’t teach them the value of generosity!

5. We should talk about money with eternity in mind.

This point has been hinted at in passing throughout this post, but to wrap it up, let’s reiterate: Our relationship with our money is a discipleship matter, which means our relationship with our money is a matter of eternal importance. By God’s grace, those of us who trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ are saved by Him and what He has done for us. But this gracious salvation does not exempt us from opening our hands and giving back to God those dollars which He gave us in the first place.

God sacrificed His Son so that we might know Him and come to salvation, spending eternity with Him in His presence. In return, we can entrust Him with our finances by pursuing the life of generosity He calls us to.

Leaders, let’s be generous. Let’s encourage a culture of generosity in our churches. And let’s not be afraid to talk about money in the church.

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