The summer slump—when the presence of sunshine and warm weather cause generosity to decline. We see it every year in churches across the United States. Okay, sunshine and warm weather may not be the direct cause of decreased generosity, but the summer months are notorious among church leaders. Generally during these months churches see lower […]
So, everything’s going great at your church. Sunday mornings have record attendance. The children’s ministry is thriving. There’s more volunteers than you know what to do with. But despite seeming to have it all together, you just can’t get your giving to grow no matter what you do. Unfortunately, this is the case for a […]
So how do you make this digital giving thing work? Maybe you’ve had digital giving for a while, maybe you just recently adopted it again, or maybe you’re brand new to it. Regardless of your background, creating a strategy to ensure your giving platforms are successful can be confusing. But it doesn’t have to be. […]
Those crazy Macedonians, am I right? We hear about them in 2 Corinthians 8. And honestly, it’s difficult not to be inspired by their generosity. Though they had little, yet they gave extravagantly. They were poverty stricken, yet they were rich in generosity. As church leaders, we all want the people in our church to […]
It’s hard to say when it all started. I remember being a young person, hearing about generous people and feeling very inspired. I wanted to be that way, but I didn’t really know how. In all honesty, I think I made it a lot more difficult than it had to be. I also remember feeling […]
So how do you build a generous church full of generous people? You start with discipleship through relationships. My husband, Marty, and I started Stevens Creek Church in Augusta, Georgia in 1987. Over the years, we were able to grow our twenty person congregation meeting in a borrowed living room into a multi-campus church that […]
How often do you think about water? Your usage. The impact it has on our daily lives. The things we use it for. And, at times, how we at times take it for granted. To put things in perspective, here are some facts about water: 1 in 9 people lack access to safe drinking water. […]
Odds are you’re putting the finishing touches on your Easter 2021 service now. Everything is lining up great- from the worship set to preaching to hospitality efforts. However, there’s likely one piece still missing. Your giving strategy. The truth is, most church leaders try to avoid giving strategies at all costs, especially on Easter Sunday. […]
As a church leader, how are you connecting with the people in your church? While church emails and sermons dedicated to generosity are important, building personal relationships is key. To truly cultivate a culture of generosity in your church, you should be connecting with people on a deeper level that allows for personalized discipleship. The […]
What do you feel when you realize that Easter is right around the corner? As a worship pastor at Stevens Creek Church, I get excited. But, I also get a little anxious. The reason for conflicting emotions is that I know what’s at stake. More people come through our church doors that weekend than any […]
Some churches found themselves in a surprising spot last year. Many church leaders anticipated a significant financial downturn in 2020. As the year progressed, they noticed something contrary to their expectations—giving was up. Even with a decrease in overhead (due to the lack of in-person events), many churches’ financial reports were better than originally predicted. […]
Without question, 2020 will be forever remembered as a terrible year. It will regularly become a baseline by which other years are measured. “At least it wasn’t like 2020,” will likely be a common refrain. But even though the calendar tells us we’ve moved on from that dreadful year, the events and their corresponding fears […]