Fundraising is part art and part science…and it can feel intimidating for pastors and ministry leaders suddenly charged with donor development.
This article provides answers to the six most commonly-asked questions about stewardship – from the pastor’s role in making an ask of a donor to how frequently we should be asking givers for support.
These easy-to-implement strategies get their inspiration from the models of generosity we find in scripture. Inspire your staff and your church’s donors by taking a look at best practices in leadership alongside some of the Bible’s most poignant lessons about giving as you freshen your stewardship plans.
Loyal church donors are usually generous to other organizations and charities, too. Those nonprofit causes often do a better job than the church of (1) valuing donors, (2) anticipating and answering their questions, and (3) demonstrating the impact of their giving.
The tools in this article will help you and your staff anticipate – and effectively answer – the questions donors have but aren’t likely to ask you. Explore the six things your givers MOST want to know today.
Data. These days data is everywhere. Especially in larger churches. There’s so much information to manage:
All of this for thousands of names. Keeping up easily feels like a part-time job. Many churches ignore this work, and soon their data becomes a dreaded mess everyone avoids.
Data should be a massive ministry asset, and it starts by centralizing everything into a single, current, easy-to-use system. In this free guide, Centralizing Data for More Effective Ministry, you learn how to go from scattered to streamlined.
In this guide, you discover:
Imagine opening your church tech tools and feeling:
Growth is exciting. More people show up, which means more people are reached.
Having more people involved means complexity creeps in. No one wants this to happen; it’s a byproduct of growth. Without diagnosing this problem, it festers. Ultimately, confusion and complexity reign, making it harder to grow a stronger church.
Thankfully, after working with tens of thousands of churches, we’ve seen other paths.
Our latest resource, Fighting for Simplicity as Your Church Grows, shows a path you and your team can follow.
In this guide, you discover:
Learn simple, repeatable ways today to eliminate complexity and be a model of simplicity.
These are just some of the things that happen when you fight for simplicity.
People love visiting your church.
They enjoy the music. The teaching challenges and encourages them. Their family feels welcomed. But they don’t get involved.
This is a common story for many churches. Getting people connected to your church community is hard, especially with larger congregations. Do it well and you lead a stronger, thriving church. Or struggle to assimilate and people feel disconnected.
Our latest resource, Assimilation: The Secret to a Growing, Thriving Church, provides the tactical framework for starting (or resetting) an assimilation plan in your church.
In this guide, you discover:
● The problems solved by a great assimilation plan
● Why so many churches struggle with this
● Practical steps you can implement today, especially in larger churches
No more uncertainty. No more confusion. No more complexity. Just a clear, proven roadmap you and your church can implement now.
● Imagine guests who quickly connect with the people of your church.
● Imagine not needing volunteers because people quickly find places to serve.
● Imagine your staff reaching more people because technology empowers them to help connect people.
These are just some of the things that happen when you successfully assimilate people in your church.
This guide shows you how your church can thrive by connecting more people. Download it today and see for yourself.
Relationships are critical to a healthy church. In larger churches, though, it’s hard to stay connected. You have more people attending, making it harder to really know who attends. People want to feel a sense of belonging. This happens when people know each other.
How do you overcome this problem? Technology.
Technology can accelerate the speed of relationships. In this free guide, Managing Relationships with Technology, you learn how technology is your best team member for managing more relationships.
In this guide, you discover:
Imagine celebrating the highs and mourning the struggles.
Imagine centralizing everything, so you stay current at a glance.
Imagine connecting to more people in your church.
This could be your church. It starts by downloading our free guide today.
Many people may not put these two terms together – outreach and church growth. The reality is this; outreach should lead to church growth.
In Acts 1:8, Jesus tells his disciples to begin spreading Christianity in Jerusalem, then go to Judea and Samaria and then to the ends of the earth. The early church knew experienced rapid growth. Thousands were added to the church very quickly, and it was all through word of mouth. The early church didn’t have what we have right now from a technology perspective. They didn’t have access to demographic data or mass mailings or social
media.
There are three very important realities of church growth we cover in “Know and Grow.”
1) Healthy churches grow, but how and why?
2) Outreach leads to church growth. Unlock outreach strategies to position your church for rapid growth.
3) As disciples of Christ, we are commanded to go and make more disciples!
The more people know you, the easier it is to lead.
People follow who they know. As a ministry leader, they look to you for vision, spiritual direction, and biblical teaching. But a large church creates more demands on your time and more people to meet. Many leaders face this tension. There are usually a few responses: isolation or burnout.
Thankfully, after working with tens of thousands of churches, we’ve seen other paths.
Our latest resource, How to Connect Personally When You Can’t Know Everyone, shows a path you and your team can follow.
In this guide, you discover:
Learn simple, repeatable ways you can build more connections with more people.
These are just some of the things that happen when you build personal connections when you can’t know everyone.
This guide shows how you can thrive by connecting more people. Download it today and see for yourself.
Let’s face it: we all want to feel known.
Some people may say they prefer to get lost in a crowd. In reality, they want people to know how they are. They want to feel part of something. They want connection.
Being a larger church does create more opportunities, but it also creates more ways for people to get lost. They slip through the cracks of large gatherings, an online presence, or constant activities. Their name gets replaced by a number.
People should feel known at church. Our latest resource, Big Church Made Small: Make Everyone Feel Known shows a path you and your team can follow.
In this guide, you discover:
These are just some of the things that happen when larger churches feel small.
