Why Your Giving Woes Could Just Be Starting (And What to Do About It)

About the last thing you want to read is a blog entitled, “Why Your Giving Woes Could Just Be Starting.” Hopefully, my comment in the parenthesis gives you a desire to read this post to the end.

Here is our present reality, nearly every church in America is experiencing the giving woes that COVID19 has brought upon us. While we have seen giving stabilize reports are showing that around 1/3 of churches have seen their giving decline. Another unreported fact is that many churches were able to survive through these last few months because of the Payment Protection Plan money they received. That wellspring of money has now run dry. My sense is that those churches who up until this point have felt financially secure are re-evaluating their position. Let me share with you,

Why Your Giving Woes Could Just Be Starting

1. COVID19 revealed existing problems that had been ignored. My friend Dennis Moses has accurately called COVID19, “The Great Reveal.” Like waters quickly receding, this pandemic has shown how fragile many churches’ financial position is. Few churches had any cash reserves. If the government had not bailed out churches with the PPP money I believe hundreds would have ceased to exist and those that would have survived would have been forced to lay off entire staffs. Add to this the fact that many churches have debt loads that further endanger their financial security. On top of this,
2. Giving has been in a continual decline since the late 1960s. Back then Americans gave justs over 3% of their disposable incomes to the Church. Now they give just over 2%. At the current rate of decline by the year 2050, less than 30 years from now, giving will decline another 50%! There are scores of reasons why this is happening but one often ignored giving woe is,
3. The aging demographic of our key donor base. The top donor group in nearly every church in America are Baby Boomers. Today 10,000 Baby Boomers turn 65. Thus, your top donors are entering into retirement. Even if they continue to tithe at 10% you are looking at around a 30% to 50% decline in giving from this key group. On top of this consider that,
4. Younger donors have not yet stepped up to fill the void being left by Boomers and Seniors. Not only have they not stepped in terms of giving they were absent in terms of church involvement and attendance before COVID19. Now consider,
5. 30% will not come back! Multiple experts are stating that even when we get back to in-person worship we will probably see a 30% decline in attendance for at least the next two years. When attendance is down giving is always down.

While the above is not the most encouraging news of your day we must admit and address the reality of our present to assure we even have a future! COVID19 did not cause your financial woes. It might have accelerated them. The truth however is that we did not get into this overnight and we will not get out of it overnight. Here is the important point,

What to Do About It

The sooner you start doing something to offset the current and coming decline in giving the better your chances of financial security. Here are three things you can do now!

1. Make generosity development a priority. All of the above trends happened while essentially church leaders were focused on other issues. We must change that. One way is through my weekly newsletter, “The Stewardship Coach.” My newsletter provides you with information and help. You’ll be abreast of current trends and have tools to help like weekly written offering talks. My newsletter fleshes out the why of generosity development. Find out more here, https://acts17generosity.com/memberships/silver/
2. Develop a weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly giving plan of action. From this weekends offering time to quarterly plans for increasing giving and givers if you don’t plan you are actually planning to fail. I produce multiple generosity manuals for every season in the life of a church. The newsletter tells you why and the manuals show you how. Find out how to get both my newsletter and my manuals here, https://acts17generosity.com/memberships/gold/ Read to the end for a 25% off code!
3. Hire a Minister of Generosity. Churches are rethinking staffing. Isn’t it time to consider hiring someone to help you assure your church’s path to financial security? Before you hit the X and cancel me out take some time and consider how inexpensive my plans are by going here, https://acts17generosity.com/memberships/ Joining The Stewardship Coach Platform, at Platinum or Diamond levels gives you my newsletters, manuals as well as weekly attendance at my group teaching time called, “Monday Mornings With Mark The Stewardship Coach.” The group coaching is where I teach the details and answer any and all questions. Plus, you get 24/7 access to me giving you a virtual Minister of Generosity.

I spent over 20 years as a Senior Pastor. I know the pressure you feel. I have spent over 20 years raising a billion-plus dollars for Kingdom work. I have sat across the table from pastors like Joel Osteen, Ralph West, Ronnie Floyd, Craig Oliver, Shane Bishop, and others. Let me take the years of experience and the plans God has gifted me with to help you address your giving woes.

The sooner we get started the easier it will be to reverse your current and future giving woes! I am ready are you?

Mark Brooks – The Stewardship Coach

@stewardshipman

Get 25% of my Gold Level membership using this code: 25offgold https://acts17generosity.com/memberships/gold/