Will this be you come June?
That which no one owns fails to be accomplished. This is a truth that applies to every area of ministry in the church. If someone is not the champion of the cause then the cause, no matter how important, will be left undone.
In my years of working to increase churches giving I have found that one of the greatest reasons why giving in the Church is declining is because no one owns the process. I wrote a book a few years ago entitled, “The Top Ten Stewardship Mistakes Churches Make.” One of the chapters was entitled, “Lack of Planning.” It laid out the premise that no one owns stewardship in the average church in America. Thus, what no one owns does not get done. The result is that churches across America have little to no plans towards increasing their giving.
An absence of a giving plan for your church will cause your giving to decline. It is just that simple. Here is a truth I have preached for years…
If you fail to plan you are planning to fail!
It is just that simple. You understand this in other areas of your ministry. Churches have all kinds of plans. They plan for growth, they plan for missions, they plan for nearly everything. Except few plan for increasing giving in order to fund the other plans they have!
What is your plan to increase giving and givers in 2015? If that question causes you to pause then you really do not have a plan. That lack of planning is endangering your ability to be fully funded for all your other plans. Now in the closing days of this year it is time to think about what your plan for next year is?
Who owns stewardship at your church? I have been shocked and dismayed at how many churches when I press them have to admit that no one owns stewardship. It is a back burner issue. How often do you talk about a stewardship plan in staff meetings? While you moan about the lack of funding, are you doing anything at all to correct that? Do you have a plan to address stewardship in your church? If you have a plan, does someone own making sure it gets accomplished? Have you simply given this to a committee that might or might not see it to completion? Do you even think about stewardship?
“How can I plan for something that I don’t fully understand?” Few pastors and staff are trained in the area of giving. Since we tend to avoid what we don’t understand this causes churches to fail to produce plans for increasing giving and givers.
Here is my prophesy for those that do not have a giving plan! Here is what happens. You march into the year with great expectations and dreams. Then wham it snows one Sunday and you lose an offering. Now you are stressed financially. Then comes the post Easter slump in attendance that runs through the summer. You know what happens when attendance is down? Giving goes down as well. So you hit June, the start of your busiest missions and ministry time, and you are running on near empty. You panic. You pound the pulpit. You send out desperate letters begging your supporters to give more. You look desperate. Your donors wonder why you didn’t have a plan in the first place. Ultimately you have to cut spending, lay off people and put off missions and ministry.
This will happen to you unless you have a plan! So what is your plan? What are you doing NOW to avoid the above? Has this post caused you further worry and angst? Then let help you. I have a plan that WILL increase your giving and givers!
The Stewardship Coach will help you start your giving year out right and will continue to maintain giving throughout the year! It costs just $59.95 a month. You can cancel at any time. The money you spend on my coaching will be more than made up by the increase in giving.
You cannot afford NOT to have a plan! Enough said! Let’s get ready now to fully fund your 2015. Sign up here to start getting immediately my weekly plans for your church. https://thestewardshipcoach.org/join-now/
Have you got a better idea or plan? Then let’s get started!
Mark Brooks – The Stewardship Coach
Starting in January I will be for 8 weeks teaching how to build out five key tracks towards increasing your giving. Sign up now so you will not miss this!