My four reasons why summer giving goes down will surprise you! Your first thought was probably that summer giving goes down because attendance goes down. Everyone knows that. If everyone knows that then why is it that we don’t do something to head off the train wreck we know is heading our way? Don’t blame the beach for why your summer giving is off!
I might be more forgiving if this is your first year of being a leader and you have no history of declines in summer giving. Yet EVERY summer giving is challenged in EVERY church in America. If we know summer is a challenging time for giving why is it giving still goes down?
Reason number one: Churches assume people will give. Those days are gone! Now you have to earn that donation. EVERY week! Stop assuming people will give and start working to gain their gift!
Reason number two: Churches keep doing what they have always done. Most churches do nothing and thus keep getting what they always get in the summer, a decline in giving. I always say that if you continue to do what you have always done you will not always get what you always got. You might need to read that a few times to get it. My point is that times have changed and so must our strategies.
Reason number three: Churches get so busy they ignore the obvious. The obvious is that without funding none of your summer programs will happen. I find that in our rush to pull off a fantastic summer one of the key factors towards assuring the success of those programs, funding, gets ignored.
Reason number four: Churches lack a funding plan for the summer. For all those missions and ministry initiatives this summer you have plans and you have been planning. How much planning has gone into funding those initiatives? I know you are busy. However, by failing to plan you are really planning to fail!
It is not too late to do something! Most churches sadly simply wring their hands as they see the summer giving slump hit them. Don’t be an average church, be exceptional. Since summer is typically a time when you are doing the majority of your missions and ministry why not tell the story of what is happening at your church. Show people lives being changed. Tell them how important and impactful your work is. People give to that which makes a difference. So, show them their gift matters by showing them what their gift does.
With just a bit of work you can see your offerings increase even in summer time. It won’t happen unless you act. So, get into action now!
Mark Brooks – The Stewardship Coach