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April 30, 2008
Planned giving for church, Conclusion
I thought the Eleven Commandments for Planned Giving in the Local Church was a very creative way to present the concepts we've briefly discussed over the past few posts.
It's easy to forget about the future when you're simply trying to manage today. And even though the concepts of long-term sustainability are unlikely to become a new concentration of any Masters of Divinity degree program, it doesn't remove our responsibility to ensure the long-term viability of the churches that we have been called to serve.
Just as we expect financial planners to increase our net worth over time, so do our churches need our assistance in doing the same. And for what purpose you might ask? Perhaps the greatest of all: to ensure the work of the Church continues as God intended until Christ's return.
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April 28, 2008
Planned giving for churches, Part 3
Let's assume that you've been thinking about how to begin implementing a planned giving strategy in your church. What's the next step?
I believe there are four critical steps to making planned giving work in your church.
1. Communicate with your church. I know this sounds like a basic concept. Sometimes it's easy to forget that we must involve the church in our decision making. Even though you've presumably spent hours thinking and planning a planned giving strategy, you need to allow time for your congregation to process this concept too. (Remember, the giving part of "planned giving" will be ultimately determined by your congregation.)
2. Get support from key influencers. You know who they are. (If you don't, then you're in trouble.) Spend time cultivating the support of those who can help you influence the church body. Church members need to hear an idea validated from the pulpit and from their peers in the pew. Use this dynamic to your advantage. Meet with these people one on one or in a special leadership meeting.
3. Involve the subject of planned giving in your education plan. Hold seminars or informational meetings throughout the year. Designate one Sunday every year to focus on the need to sustain the ministry of the church beyond today. Place informational flyers in the church foyer. Include the concept in your New Member class materials. Whatever you do, find ways to educate your members over time. Any planned giving strategy will take time, but the rewards are well-worth the effort.
4. Tell your story...over and over again. Every church has a story, a history of events and human interaction over time. Knowing that people give to organizations they are emotionally connected to, it's vital that we find ways for people to experience your church emotionally. And there is no greater tool in communication to convey emotions than the gift of story. This can come in the form of written or verbal testimonials, special services celebrating the past, present and future of the church or even visual displays in the Welcome Center. Legacy decisions are built upon the context of our collective past and our understanding of our individual role in the present. Never underestimate the power of story.
I'm sure there are other critical steps that I have not identified above. The most important legacy that we can leave as church leaders is our ability to provide for the future and continue ministry of the churches we serve beyond our seasons of service.
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April 24, 2008
Planned giving for churches, Part 2
We've discussed planned giving and related subjects on the blog in the past. I'd like to give you the opportunity to review some of the related posts that have been the most popular. I think they will help contribute to our current conversation on the role planned giving plays within life and ministry of every church.
New Day Emphasis includes Estate Tithing
A Christian View of Financial Planning
To give of to serve: that is the question
Philanthrocorp
Investing for eternity
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April 22, 2008
Planned giving for churches, Part 1
Each week I receive a report from Google Analytics that tells me lots of information about the visitor activity on this blog. One piece of information that I'm always interested in is what are the "keywords" that people type into search engines that lead them to this blog.
One subject that keeps rising to the top is planned giving. Since more than 50% of the people who visit our blog for the first time find it organically by searching for specific phrases or words, it tells me that churches and church leaders are beginning to understand the need to see beyond today. Or at least we can be confident that it's a subject more and more are wanting to explore.
I think most churches are comfortable meeting the immediate needs of today. But we have to realize that the cost of doing ministry is increasing just like everything else. That means it will cost more in the future to do the same ministry we are doing today. Thus, the need for planned giving becomes even more important if we hope to achieve any level of sustainability moving forward.
That being the case, I'd like to take the opportunity to open the dialog on the subject to understand why this isn't a more familiar subject to church leaders and how can planned giving benefit every church.
Let's begin with trying to understand why church leaders are reluctant to think about long term sustainability of the church as an organization through planned giving. John Foster and Derek Davis write in Planned Giving for Church: The Last Frontier?:
Unfortunately, part of the blame for this planned giving blind spot rests with clergy and their stewardship committees. While ministers may think about spiritual matters in the framework of eternity, they are often more comfortable asking for money that will be used immediately to relieve human needs ─ and letting providence provide for the long term. They were not trained to be fund-raisers or tax-planners, and are reluctant to preach about topics with which they’re not familiar.
The assumption behind this statement is that church leaders are responsible for the long term spiritual and financial viability of the churches they serve. Do you agree with that assumption? Has your opinion changed since seminary? If so, why?
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April 21, 2008
Think Christian on The Tithing Minority
Think Christian is a blog that I read frequently. Their mission is to engage Christ, culture and faith in the context of everyday life. (A very worthy goal.)
The Tithing Minority asks the same questions I raise in Barna reveals trends in tithing and church giving.
The reality is this: the level and volume of contributions that the church depends upon is at risk of being diverted to other like-minded organizations as more choices become available to the people in our pews. I'm consistenly surprised at how few church leaders approach this subject with a sense of urgency.
Unfortunately, most are dealing with the tyranny of the urgent instead of establishing an intentional strategy moving forward. Another force that I believe is working against this larger conversation is that most people only respond to "pain."
For a lot of churches, they are currently fully funded or only slightly down in giving. The levels of contributions are enough to sustain the ministry of today. My contention is that our responsibility is not only to ensure that our ministry is fully funded today but also sustainable over a long period of time.
Most complex organizations understand that sustainability is one of the key ingredients to long-term success. The church may be the most complex organization to ever exist. And yet it's also the least likely to be concerned with sustainability.
What does all this have to do with tithing? Money offers churches the ability to accomplish the ministry that God has laid on the hearts of the people. Where the people in the pew place their dollars demonstrates what they believe about the church's ability to accomplish the ministry or work that they are most concerned with.
If that place isn't the church, then we as church leaders must take a step back and evaluate the places of ministry we've decided to invest in to ensure that it matches what God has placed on the hearts of the people in the pew.
But most church leaders aren't likely to do that. Why? Because most church leaders are highly skilled at talking--not listening.
And the irony is that what the people in the pew are asking of church leaders is the very thing church leaders are asking of the people in the pew.
Maybe it's time we start listening to each other. Can we really afford not to?
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April 16, 2008
4 tithing questions from a seminary student
John, a Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary student, recently e-mailed me some questions he was working through for his research paper on titihing. I think they are questions that many of us are asking too. I thought I'd share his questions and my responses below.
Feel free to hit the "comment" button below and answer John's questions yourself too.
John, good luck on your research paper and keep thinking about Stewardship and Giving!
1. What is your opinion on the issue of the tithe being for the New Testament church?
Please see my recent post about Ken Hemphill's latest article from Baptist Press. I would concur with him.
2. Do you believe there is a biblical mandate for Christians today to tithe?
Again, tithing is just one piece of the pie. Stewardship means acknowledging that everything we have - our time, money, and talent - are assets given to us by God to be managed for His glory and the advancement of the Kingdom.
3. What differences do you see between stewardship and tithing?
Just like Baptism, giving or tithing to the church is an outward sign of an inward commitment. Stewardship is a lens through which we interpret the world around us--one that believes Jesus is Lord and that all we have and are is a gift from God to be managed for Kingdom growth.
4. If churches were to begin teaching a free-will giving concept what do you foresee could be the possible ramifications (positive or negative)?
The debate on free-will giving vs. tithing is just that--a debate. Both sides can equally defend their position. In the end, we have to believe that the church is only the entity empowered by God at Pentecost to carry out the Work of Christ until His return. There is no plan B. That means it's of paramount concern to every church leader that the Church as an entity and organization be fully funded and sustainable to ensure that we have more money for more ministry. And I think we can do that in many ways.
I can say this with confidence: No Money. No Ministry.
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April 15, 2008
Barna reveals trends in tithing and church giving
A shift is taking place. We have some important decisions to make.
Barna confirms the trend in tithing and donating is just as we expected. People are choosing to donate a portion of their charitable giving to non-church organizations.
The church is worth fighting for. It's time to get our "A" game on and give people measurable results with our ministry decisions. It's time to make our case that the church is the primary vehicle God has designated to empower and expand the Kingdom until His return.
Choosing silence or choosing to do "more of the same" will encourage this trend.
How are you planning to address this trend in your church?
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April 14, 2008
Jerry Mixon on the impact of the Cooperative Program
Jerry W. Mixon is the Director of Stewardship and Cooperative Program for the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board.
Jerry and I were talking about the importance of telling and re-telling the story of the Cooperative Program (CP). It may not be perfect, but it's the best thing on the market. The sad reality is that my generation is two generations removed from the founders of CP, and somewhere along the way we stopped telling the story.
Jerry mentioned an article he recently published on the subject. I wanted to share it with you too. It's an interesting exercise to think of CP as a human being--something much more personable and complex than a pie chart.
Thanks Jerry for sharing this with me. I hope you enjoy it too.
IMAGINE
Let's just suppose an 83-year-old man walked into your office and began telling you that through his efforts last year he was a part of engaging 567,413 new believers and 1.2 million church members in discipleship training and that he had a plan to reach the 3.3 billion people who have never heard the gospel. Would you believe him?
I believe you would have a lot of doubts running through your mind because you see him as a senior adult. You might even think he is not only dated, but obsolete. You can see he does not fit with the culture of today. You notice his suit smells of moth balls and appears old, wrinkled, and worn. The wide suit lapels remind you of your grandfather's suit from 1920.
What if he continued to speak, claiming that last year he started 68 Bible-based churches each day. Would you believe him? I think not. Then, what if he added that last year he saw one person saved and baptized worldwide every minute of every day. Could you believe him? It does not appear to you that he is finished so you invite him to be seated. He takes a seat and speaks of a personal ministry in Mississippi on 33 college and university campuses. He boasts also of helping thousands of children and youth be a part of Bible drills all across our state. He said that he had maintained two camps in the state and planned to develop a new state-of-the-art retreat center for youth and adults. After hearing all of this, would you consider him to be as confused as a termite in a yoyo, or just plain nuts?
Then he stands and walks around the room, observing various books you have on display. He states to you that he personally helped support three schools of higher education in Mississippi last year. He also claims that this year in only seven months he helped restore 57 pastors and staff members to ministry after their sudden termination. This assistance furnished financial aid and counseling. He explains this cost was $22,615.60.
I know by now you are thinking this old fellow has lost it. Then he looks you straight in the eye saying, "That is not all I've done. I could go on, but I came by to say thank you. I could not have done this alone. Thank you for supporting my work financially."
Now you are as confused as the man who bought a new boom-a-rang and could not throw his old one away. The old man continues, "You and your church were a part of all I have done. Together we funded over 10,000 missionaries on the mission field all day, every day and night, last year. You see, I could have done some of this alone and you could have done some alone, but together we have made a huge difference in the world. We did it together." You are about to ask him his name when he says, "Pastor, some call me CP, but my name is Cooperative Program. I was born in 1925. I'm 83 years old, but I'm still young. I wanted you to know that God is not through with me."
You lay your Baptist Record aside and pause to reflect on the article you have been reading. You look up and there is no one in the room. You realize you have just been reminded that your church really did help accomplish all these things this past year through the Cooperative Program. You bow your head and voice a prayer to continue your support of ministry and missions through the Cooperative Program.
This article was printed in the Baptist Record on April 10, 2008, Vol. 132, No. 15., Special Cooperative Program Issue No. 16.
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April 10, 2008
Update to recent visit to SWBTS
I had a great time with students from Southwestern Seminary last week. I was very encouraged to know that we are preparing church leaders to address the concerns of stewardship and giving.
I recognize that church leaders are trained very well when it comes to parsing the Greek language and learning to accurately interpret Scripture. This is absolutely fundamental and must not be ignored or diminished in any way. However, I do think we have inadvertantly overlooked an area of church life that is absolutely vital to providing a place for people to hear, learn and be changed by the message of the Gospel.
As we discussed, our ability to fully fund and sustain the ministry of the local church is a direct result of our commitment to and belief in the purpose and ministry of the local church.
If the church fails, there is no "Plan B."
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April 9, 2008
Book Review: Digital Giving
In his book Digital Giving: How Technology is Changing Charity, author Richard C. McPherson seems to be responding to the challenge of Leonard Sweet in Soul Tsunami: Sink or Swim in New Millennium Culture. Leonard Sweet writes about the massive wave of change rolling toward the church. His advice is to grab a board and ride the wave or, refuse and be buried beneath it. Both McPherson and Sweet are strong proponents of embracing change, not as a negative force, but as a positive step toward being more effective and in sync with where society is.
Digital Giving was written after the author conducted a large number of interviews in which he asked two questions: “what are the big technology needs facing charity?” And “how can organizations embrace them to find public support?” McPherson wrote the book Because as he wrote, “I believe enormous technological changes, daunting as they may seem to busy organizations, will be for the better.” Several interesting statistics are noted in this work, from the Pew internet and American Life Project, that support the author’s view of rapidly changing technology. About 30 percent of the day is spent specifically using media. In addition, the project reported that 66 per cent of an individual’s working day finds that individual immersed in some form of electronic media. The report also finds that the average American home has 26 electronic devises and that the average American spends more time using media than any other activity.
It is on the basis of statistics or information amassed from numerous interviews that McPherson wrote Digital Giving. From the results of his interviews the author sites three “Whopping Big Trends.” The three trends deal with democratization. In the first trend, the “Democritizing of Media” he points out the trend toward more and more information sought from blogs, podcasts, personal web pages, and social networks. In the second trend the “Democratizing of philanthropy” McPherson writes that donors are assuming roles, once held by fund raisers, in deciding what gets funded. In this trend the donors demand more ownership, understanding, accountability and responsible relationships with the charities. The third trend noted in the book is the “Relentless demand for convenience”. Here the idea is presented that, for charities to be effective and successful they are going to have to find ways to make donating easier. The answer to the need for “easier” giving is to be found in technologies’ offerings.
McPherson sums up the three trends by writing “as the competition for donations intensifies, successful charities will be the ones that offer the most engaging variety of donation choices, endorsed and promoted by friends and peers, with the most convenient paths to involvement.”
In presenting the opportunities for dealing with the trends he has noted the author turns to practical applications. His explanation of “Web 2.0" is easy to understand. In explaining that “Web 2.0" is writeable he opens the possibilities for greater donor involvement and access. He quotes Sheeraz Haji:president of Convio.com, “Nonprofits should actually dominate Web 2.0 because it’s all about passion and interest.” Sheeraz suggests that, before technology, a charity should develop its story. He states “To get people involved, your organization has to tell a great story.” To McPherson it is important to focus on the message before worrying about delivery channels.
Only when the story is perfected should the best channel for delivery be chosen. The author writes that the “blogosphere” is a phenomena that can target groups of people inexpensively and credibly. McPherson quotes Jon Abbott of WGBH “It is getting much easier for people to share what they care about.” The strategy of WGBH is to “follow the rhythms of our consumers.”
McPherson quotes Pew Internet reports that “91 percent of all Internet users send e-mail and 91 percent use search engines. He writes that a successful charity will not necessarily go looking for people but will attract attention in such a way that people will “look” for them. How a charity might tap into the multiple listings and directories to attract interested and potential donors is one of the many topics covered in this work.
An interesting phenomena also discussed is the evolution of the cell phone and the not too distant reality of having a total information and computing center in one hand-held devise. This reality may be much closer or arriving faster than even McPherson visualized in 2007.
Digital Giving is a clear call to rethink old ideas of charitable giving and fund-raising. It seems, from the practical advice, based on trends observed from multiple interviews, that any charitable non-profit organization will want to read and reread McPherson’s call to grab a board, with Len Sweet, and learn to ride the surf. With McPherson’s well documented work in hand it will be a great ride.
Don Campbell is the State Stewardship Director for the Virginia Baptist Mission Board. Thanks Don for a great book review!
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April 8, 2008
15 reasons why people donate
People give for various reasons. Understanding what motivates people to give is the key to learning how to communicate in such a way that it results in better giving. The Secret to Getting People to Give: 15 Reasons Why People Donate is an excellent resource to use as you evaluate ways to increase giving in your church.
This is one of those lists that you print out and keep close by for reference.
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April 7, 2008
8 qualities of church financial health
When an organization is new, strategy is everything because everything is on the line. As an organization grows, the temptation to stay the same grows too. Established churches are no exception to this rule. Sometimes it's easier to keep what we know--even if it's less than what we want--rather than exchange it for something that's not certain.
Church Financial Health Can Reduce Skepticism and Cynicism in an Older Church reminds us that church leaders must be willing to see the connection between church spiritual health and church financial health.
The operational decisions we make on behalf of the church are a direct result of what we believe about the purpose and mission of the church.
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April 3, 2008
Fundraising is an essential church leadership skill
I found The Biggest Pressure for Future Nonprofit Leaders: Fundraising interesting in that 41% of those who responded to the survey stated that they did not want to move into executive nonprofit leadership positions for fear of the responsibility of fundraising.
It's comforting to know that Churches aren't the only segment of the nonprofit world that places the burden of fundraising on the leader of the organization. I would venture to say that the number would be even higher if you translated the survey into the context of the Church.
I appreciate Jeff's post about the same subject on his Donor Power Blog:
But it's troubling, too. Why is it so common in the nonprofit culture to be so wrong about fundraising?How is it that fundraising is a bothersome distraction from the "real" work of so many nonprofits?
If these leaders paid attention, they'd see fundraising in a different way. They'd realize that what it does for donors, for causes and for society are astounding. They might come to understand that fundraising is so great, so important, that it matters as much as their primary mission.
Fundraising is an essential skill for every nonprofit leader. And for those who don't want to bother with it...maybe it should disqualify you from top leadership.
Pastors who understand the importance of fundraising know this skill as the means by which one sustains and grows and ultimately does more ministry.
And expanding the Kingdom is what it's all about.
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April 2, 2008
Seminary students talk about stewardship
I'm on my way to visit my friends Dr. David McQuitty and Dr. Scott Preissler at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. David has asked me to come speak with his students about what we've been discussing on the Do More Ministry blog.
I'm not an expert, nor do I bill myself as one. But I'm pleased to see that the conversation of stewardship and giving is expanding. It's a converstaion worth having, and it's nice to know that I'm not just talking to myself.
I'll let you know how everything goes.
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