3 Ways to Increase Generosity in Small Churches…and More! Interview with Joe Park, CEO, Horizons Stewardship, Part 2
Hi friends. Thanks for returning for Part 2 of our two-part series with Horizons CEO, Joe Park. Part 1 can be found here.
As Joe rightly said, “Each of these questions could be a blog topic, in and of themselves.”
But – lucky you – discover Joe’s wisdom about...
small church generosity
what pastors should know about who gives what
capital campaign timing
in one easy location. Enjoy!
Cesie: A lot of my readers come from small-ish congregations (65 or fewer in worship). What three tips might you suggest for them to increase generosity?
Joe Park:
As congregations age, narrowing the ministry focus will allow these churches to do a few things well without overtaxing their volunteer base. The more effective the ministry, the more motivated givers will be to support it and volunteers to join it.
Each week, have someone from the church share a ministry impact story during worship, connecting giving to impact. Tell the story of one life that was changed, avoiding the substitution of facts and figures for the story of a single life that was changed.
Commit to Spiritual Formation. There is no single act a church can take that will bring about more giving and volunteers than having people engage in small groups that are teaching the Bible and caring for others. Inviting people to a Sunday class or small group should be a major front door to new members.
Many pastors are reluctant to know who gives what amount in their congregation. What would you say to those pastors?
If you are a United Methodist pastor, the UMC Book of Discipline requires you to know and use household giving data for ministry purposes.
Spiritually dismissing this clear responsibility is rarely helpful for church giving and, more importantly, it limits your ability to help people mature in their relationships with money and possessions, an area Jesus emphasized more than any other topic except the Kingdom of God.
Helpful resources for examining this practice include A Spirituality of Fundraising by Henri Nouwen and This is Not Your Parents' Offering Plate by Clif Christiopher.
Horizons does a lot of work with capital campaigns. How often do you recommend that a church run a capital campaign?
Horizons works in the areas of growing disciples and funding ministry through annual, special, capital, and planned giving. Each has its own place and purpose.
Capital campaigns should be considered when your capital funding needs (deferred maintenance, debt, remodeling, or building) exceed one time your annual giving.
For lower capital needs, a specialized giving approach (a more focused, simplified approach) is generally advisable. Here are two great resources for your leadership to explore if you have unfunded capital needs:
Three Signs You are Ready for a Capital Campaign and
De-Risk Capital Campaigns: A Spiritual Funding Approach.
How can a Capital Campaign increase generosity in a church?
Horizons applies the same foundational principles across annual, capital, special, and planned giving, so an investment in one area yields results in others. It is very rare for a well-designed and executed capital campaign to reduce annual giving. To learn more about a year-round, integrated funding strategy, consider this blog post: Building a Culture of Generosity through an Integrated Funding Strategy.
And…that’s a wrap! Thank you, Joe, for taking time to help educate us on ways to help our congregations be more generous. If you’d like to connect with Joe, you can do so right here.
On a side note – the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference is next week in Boise. And I’ll be there. If you’d like to connect for a conversation – drop me a line here. Or stop me and say “hello.” I’d love to meet you!
###Cesie Delve Scheuermann (pronounced “CC Delv Sherman,” yes, really) is a Stewardship Consultant for the OR-ID Annual Conference. She is also a Senior Ministry Strategist with Horizons Stewardship – helping with capital campaigns and encouraging more generosity. For 25 years, while working as a volunteer and part-time consultant, she has helped raise millions of dollars for numerous churches and non-profit organizations. You know, she’s a big fan of America’s Got Talent. This choir from Atlanta is amazing. She hopes you have a Lovely Day.
You can reach Cesie at inspiringgenerosity@gmail.com, at CesieScheuermann.com, or at cesieds@horizons.net. Want to schedule a meeting? She’s got you covered!
Schedule a meeting now.
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