Have you ever watched Family Feud? You know, “survey says!”. Imagine if you were a contestant and were asked to list “things that you can invest.” I’m sure your number one answer would be money, right?
I mean, if you flip open a Webster’s Dictionary and look up the word invest, the first definition states “to commit (money) in order to earn a financial return,” so that makes the most sense.
But what would your other answers be, and how would you rank them? Would money even be at the top of your list, or would something like time, effort, or emotion be more valuable to you?
It’s important that churches make it clear that all they are asking from their people is simply to invest in the church and that it’s not because you want something from them but because you want something for them.
That could mean investing time to be a door greeter on Sunday morning or investing in being more engaged by stepping up to lead a home group. There are tons of ways people can invest in your church.
Wait a minute….So, if there are tons of ways to invest in the church, there must be tons of ways you can see your returns!
Exactly!
Think about if you invested one hour each week to lead a youth group, and after a year with the group, you find out that before one of the members started coming, they felt worthless and had thoughts of dropping out of school and running away. After you’ve poured into them and introduced them to Jesus, what if you saw them transform into someone who feels like they have a purpose, are closer to their family and friends, and just got accepted into a community college?
Would seeing something like that take place and knowing the ripple effect of your decision to invest in your church be something you’d consider a great return?
Because those types of “returns” on those types of “investments” happen every single day.
Imagine bringing a family member or friend to church who is going through a very rough season and finally decides to come with you after you’ve been asking forever.
If you’re a guest, most churches love to meet you after the service and possibly even give you a gift. What if your family or friend was given a brand new bible or devotional that they were able to lean on through their struggle?
You know those Bibles and devotionals are not free (or cheap), but because you and so many others made a decision to invest in the church, your loved one was given something they were able to use to help lead them through their storm.
Here’s a little secret: that last one is me, and that’s when my return came full circle.
Seeing with my own eyes where my financial investments were going was such a blessing because the return was far greater than I could’ve ever imagined.
Nothing hits closer than home.
It was life-changing and almost impossible to put into words, but ultimately, it made me want to invest that much more in my church.
Again, the reward or return is something every church desperately wants for its people, but the return doesn’t come without the investment.
Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” -Luke 6:38
You can’t outgive God; if you think so, I invite you to try.
This is the message we should be sending.
Letting people know that there are many more ways to give or invest in your church other than financially and that you want them to make these investments because you’re well aware of what the result will be.
The great news is that typically, once people begin investing in one way or another, it usually leads to investing in other areas as well, meaning they’re more deeply rooted.
But how do I get people to invest in my church?
It’s simple. Invest in them first!
Invest in them by providing necessary tools, resources, ministries, events, etc., because people who feel loved, valued, and invested in typically return (no pun intended…well, maybe just a little) or reciprocate the action and will be excited to re-invest that time, love, attention, money, and more.
The bottom line is that investing is so important because it’s how churches watch seeds become flowers, so what seed will you sow next?
About Kris Andrews
Kris joined our ACST family in 2019 and now serves as an Enterprise Account Executive. One of the things he’s most passionate about is impacting the Kingdom of God, so in his current role, he is fulfilled by being able to help churches leverage technology to overcome their own complex or unique challenges so they can be more successful. Outside of ACST, he enjoys serving in various roles at his home church and being involved in local charities and events.
