What I did NOT learn in seminary could have derailed my ministry! I am a proud graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX. I graduated in 19 none of your business! I learned a lot as SWBTS but I never remember being taught anything about giving. Everything I learned about stewardship (that was the word we used back then) I learned from conferences or books.
This lack of knowledge of how to build a system to increase giving at one point threatened to derail the growth my church was experiencing. I remember meeting with my staff after the Finance Team the night before had cut our budget. I said, “Fellas, this year you get to be creative. The church expects us to continue providing all that we have but you have less money to spend. Oh, and everyone’s salary including mine is frozen!” That was not a happy staff meeting!
Avoid cutting your budget or your staff by working now on a successful giving plan! I believe in the power of prayer. My first reaction to any reduction in funding is to earnestly seek God. Then I roll up my sleeves and get to work. I believe you have to work hard and pray harder! Most miracles have a human element in it. God uses you, or someone else to provide that miracle you have been praying to Him for.
A miraculous testimony – I get the thrill of helping churches across the country. One of my client pastors wrote me this last year,
“We planned this year for a 30% increase in giving, praying that God would make a way for it to happen. You were the way. We just didn’t know it at the time. All that is to say that we trust you and I’m grateful for your coaching.”
32% increase in giving in 2014! That is what they experienced last year following my teaching and using my manuals and offering talks. Instead of seeing giving decline they saw it rocket upward. Being fully funded allowed them to do all the missions and ministry initiatives that they thought they were crazy to budget for at the start of the year.
Let their story be your story! You too can get the same kind of help by joining, “The Stewardship Coach.” You don’t have to go back to school, go to a conference or buy another book. The help you need comes right to your email inbox each and every week. I take the knowledge I gained from over 20 years as a Senior Pastor and from nearly 17 years working with some of America’s largest churches and give it to you! Let me help you avoid a slump in giving this summer.
I want to be your Stewardship Coach! To join now go to https://thestewardshipcoach.org/join-now/
Mark Brooks – The Stewardship Coach
Join now and get my new manual “The 2015 Fully Funded Summer,” in time to plan out a successful summer giving campaign.