Jess HollandHint: The answer is yes. And a more predictable budget means less stress and more room for ministry. Creating a healthy church budget lets you plan wisely for the future. It lets you know what you can say yes to, what to say no to, and how well...
Faithlife StaffAcross the United States, Giving Tuesday will be celebrated on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving. The day kicks off the giving season, offering a counterbalance to the materialism of Black Friday shopping. Although Giving Tuesday focuses on...
Toy theft and pursuant wails in living rooms and church nurseries make it ear-splittingly obvious: taking is instinctual. Learning to give? That takes effort, but it’s a critical step in helping kids understand stewardship. We asked pastors...
Are you responsible for your church budget . . . and wish you weren’t? That’s the case for many pastors, particularly in small churches. Research shows that 66% love teaching and preaching, but nearly 20% of the same group said that the...
Jennifer GrishamMy third December as a church administrator floored me. In January of that year, our church had planted a new church 20 minutes down the road, and 80–100 faithful leaders and givers went with the new plant to help the new church get going. We were...
Mary JahnkeMany of us can remember sitting hunched over the kitchen table as a kid, toiling away at a stack of thank-you notes. We wanted to say thank you—but it seemed so hard to come up with an interesting way to express our gratitude. Years later, and that...
In just two or three years, you can raise 200–300% of your normal operating budget by running a church capital campaign. That astounding stat comes from Smart Church Finances: A Pastor’s Guide to Budgets, Spreadsheets, and Other Things You Didn’t...
“Is it better to give or to receive?” Without hesitation, most church members would answer “To give!” Yet, when it comes to actually giving? You know how it goes. . . . There’s considerably more hesitation, and even people who absolutely want to...
Giving statements matter for two reasons: you provide givers with a record of their contributions, and you get an opportunity to thank them. This simple step in year-end giving is critical for strengthening the sense of partnership between you and...
Today is Giving Tuesday! If you panicked because you forgot to prep your church for it, then this post is for you. Giving Tuesday began in 2012 with a simple purpose: to connect people around the world through the act of generosity. It’s also a day...
Sending end-of-year giving statements doesn’t have to mean weeping and gnashing of teeth. Or paper cuts. Here are two simple ways you can send giving statements with Faithlife Giving. At the end of the year, Faithlife Giving will automatically...
Faithlife Giving has been serving churches throughout the United States for just over a year and, already, the giving stats we’re seeing are staggering. The biggest lesson coming out of all of it is this: If you’re only collecting gifts...
Fall is here and that means the busyness of the holiday season is about to start. And while the holidays are full of celebration and fun, it can be stressful for church members to find time to plan their generosity for the upcoming new year. But...
“To cover fees or not cover fees, that is the question.” While Shakespeare never debated the benefit of giver-covered fees, it is a debate in churches. Before we look at the “why” behind giver-covered fees, let’s break down the “what.” What is a...
Discipleship and stewardship are terms we hear often in church. But they aren’t often used together. There’s a link between discipleship and stewardship, however, and it’s not one to miss. Greg Ogden explains the characteristics of a disciple like...
You might be wondering how mobile giving, a simple technology, could help your church be more generous. Stay with me. As believers, we all experience times when the Holy Spirit speaks to us and we are compelled to action. During those moments, we’re...
There’s a reason New Year’s resolutions like “pray more” tend to fail. “More” is vague—when will you feel like you’ve reached your resolution? And if you’re talking about church giving campaign goals, “more” means practically nothing to your donors...
As a church leader, you know how generosity is key to the Christian life. You want people to experience spiritual transformation and honor God by giving their time, talent, and treasure. But church management can feel discouraging when you only have...
You’re probably noticing, like the rest of the world, that people are hardly carrying cash or checks anymore. Most transactions are happening from our phones. That’s why having text-to-give in your church is so important. (Though passing the plate...
Matthew BoffeyOne of the best ways to inspire generosity in your church is to keep your congregation informed. When people know where their donations are going, see the progress they are making together, and learn how God is using their gifts to grow the kingdom...
‘Tis the season for giving statements! When I was on church staff, I spent a week every January working on giving statements, from updating our mailing list to printing, folding, and stuffing as many envelopes as you can imagine (okay, it was...
What three mobile apps do your members use most? A recent survey shows nearly one-third of smartphone users rank their mobile banking app as their most-used app, just after social media and weather. And it’s not just the under-30 crowd that’s...
Did you know that the last three days of the year can account for over 10% of a church’s total donations? That makes December 29–31 the most important three days for January 1 and beyond. By planning a year-end giving campaign now, you take...