Take a page for the World Cup to learn how half time can help your church be fully funded. As an American I have to confess I don’t know a whole lot about soccer. Yet I do know that most of the world is glued to the television as the World Cup is being played out. I wondered what teams did at half time. So, I Googled it! Here is what one site said occurred at half time…
All the tactics are reviewed and if changes are needed it is made then and there itself. I would say that is true for all sports. Half time is not just for rest it is a time to review your game plan so that your team can function more effectively in the second half. That is a good plan for your church when it comes to being fully funded.
Think of the next few weeks as half time. I say that because we are now in the last weeks of the first half of the year getting ready to start the second half. July marks an important time of the year for you in terms of analyzing how giving is going. This is important in helping you develop a plan of action for the remainder of the year.
One of the first steps towards being fully funded is an Accurate Assessment of where your giving stands half way through the year. I am constantly amazed when I ask pastors how giving is going in their church and they have no clue! You can’t effectively lead if you don’t know the financial status of the organization you are leading.
Here are some basic assessment questions you should be asking half way through your fiscal year…
- Is giving ahead or behind budget? Please tell me you already know this!!!!
- How does first half giving compare to a year ago or even the last two to three years?
- How much was given in the second half of 2017? What about other years? Knowing second half trends helps analyze any deficit you might now be facing.
- How many new donors did we have in the first half and how does that compare to past years?
- What is our giving per giving unit per week average? Is that increasing or declining? Why is that so?
- Is spending ahead or behind last year? Is our spending in line with our budget?
- Do we have major budget expenses coming up that I need to be aware of so that we have the money in the bank for that?
Are you behind or ahead of budget? The answer to this question drives everything. If you are ahead keep doing what you have been doing. If you are behind then you need to do the second key step which is…
Analyze why you are behind. Don’t react, respond. Knowing what has led to being behind budget is the only way to truly catch up and stay caught up.
How far behind is too far? Here is my standard…
You might be in trouble if…
- Your giving is more than two weeks offering behind.
- Your second half giving historically is not enough to make up your current deficit.
If you don’t fix the problem any actions, you take will fail.
This leads then to cultivating a Plan of Action to keep giving strong or to make up any shortfall. One of the biggest mistakes churches make is waiting too late to act upon a giving deficit. NOW is the time to put a plan of action together that can offset your decline.
One of my key pieces of advice is not to panic. Too often churches that are behind at this point in the year send out desperate letters. I get that they need money but it makes them look less than fiscally responsible which builds a lack of trust into your donor base. It takes skill to address shortfalls in a way that bring attention to the problem without coming off as desperate. You need a plan of action but make sure that plan is built around your core values.
Finally, I would recommend keeping your eye on the ball and keep working your plan. I recommend what I call the 3 R’s.
Review – Constantly review where your giving is and how your plan is working or not.
Revise – Change your plan as needed.
Reapply – Like sunscreen which you need to constantly reapply the same is true for a plan to reverse any decline in giving.
One thing is for sure. If you don’t keep up with how giving is doing and plan accordingly don’t be surprised when you don’t make budget. It’s halftime and now is the time to adjust and prepare for the second half.
Mark Brooks – The Stewardship Coach