News
The Future of the American Church
The future of the American church has been on my mind for some time now. I returned early from our trip to Germany as I had been invited to speak at a retreat sponsored by the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention’s state stewardship leaders. My task was to give an update on the state of giving in America. To say I am concerned about the state of giving, let alone how things stand in the church in America, is an understatement. The trends are not our friends. Here are the major trends I gave in my presentation, plus one new trend I should have listed.
The Two Questions That Will Determine Your Summer
Two questions could determine whether you struggle this summer financially or not. First, what percentage of your giving comes in some digital form? Most churches are now at or beyond 50%.
Here is a second question that most churches never ask, how much of your digital dollars comes online through ACH transactions? ACH, what? Automated Clearing House or ACH payments refer to the direct transfer of funds between two bank accounts. Your member’s bank account and your church account, to be specific. What is your percentages?
How to Use Show and Tell to Increase Summer Giving
Churches that are fully funded know how to use show and tell to increase summer giving. Do you? You remember show and tell from school. You brought something cool from home and then you had to get up and tell about it.
What to Say Before you Take up the Easter Offering
If you haven’t thought about what to say before you take up the Easter offering here is a sample offering talk for you! Don’t fail to plan out the offering this Easter. After all the offering is worship. The key is setting up the offering as a time of worship. Create a moment that everyone, member and guest, WANT to participate in.
3 Easter Offering Mistakes
You’ll have the biggest crowd of the year but if you make these 3 Easter offering mistakes you could lose the potential for your best offering ever!
Get Ready for Church 3.0
Are you ready for Church 3.0? James Emery White has a new book out entitled Hybrid Church: Rethinking the Church in a Post-Christian Digital Age.