The One Key Barrier to Reversing the Decline in Giving

The One Key Barrier to Reversing the Decline in Giving

In my over 20 years of helping churches raise funds I have found there is one key barrier to reversing the decline in giving.  It’s the Tyranny of the Urgent. Christian leaders are consumed by immediate problems causing them to ignore future problems.  It is not...
When Taking Up the Offering…Never Apologize!

When Taking Up the Offering…Never Apologize!

If I could give you one piece of advice as you head into this week’s offering time it would be… When taking up the offering…Never Apologize! Before you think that you never do that consider this.  Do you ever before the offering is taken up say...
What Do You Do When You Are Behind Budget?

What Do You Do When You Are Behind Budget?

Right now as we near the end of summer churches are asking, what do you do when you are behind budget?  A few years ago I received a newsletter from a church that stated they were $130,000 behind budget going into the fourth quarter!  That is a lot of ground to make...
Use Testimonies to Improve Your Offerings

Use Testimonies to Improve Your Offerings

Here is my tip of the day to improve giving, use testimonies to improve your offerings. My mentor in the stewardship field, Dave Sutherland, use to say, “Nothing moves a heart like a heart that has been moved.”  We used testimonies regularly in our work with churches...