Here are the Top Five Dumbest Things Pastors Say About Money:

5.   Give whatever you want to give.

4.   If you are a first-time guest, we do not want you to give.

3.   My wife and I are planning on increasing our giving to 6% this year.

2.  Did Jesus say, ‘where your treasure is there your heart is,’ or ‘where your heart is there your treasure is?’ I can not remember.

1. They do not say anything at all.

Many pastors will not or do not talk about money.  That is a mistake.  Jesus spoke more about money than he did about heaven and hell combined.  This fall Giving Rocket members will learn how to talk about money in church without saying dumb things or not saying anything at all.

 You might consider scaling back at church this summer.  People might consider doing the same thing in their giving.  Whether it is a missed Sunday, an extravagant vacation, or something else, people will be absent from worship services and giving will decrease.

That is, unless you make “digital your default.”  While Giving Rocket coaches pastors and churches on the “Automate the Important” campaign in late spring, summer is still a great time to talk digital giving.  In fact, our Giving Rocket members just received full resourcing to make digital the default.  This summer, I want to encourage you to talk about digital giving in three ways:

• Talk about it on Sundays during announcements or during the offering talk.  You should mention digital giving every week during the offering talk. Use something similar to this that fits your culture: “For those of you who have already given digitally or through automated giving, thank you for your consistent generosity.”
• Communicate the importance of it through an email blast or digital newsletter.  You can even include a link embedded within the email for people to click and give!
• As people give for the first-time during the summer, inform them that a number of people from your church have taken the step from being a first-time giver to a consistent faithful giver through the accountability and ease of digital giving.

Making digital the default can help you beat the summer slump.

 When is the last time you shared with the church where all the money goes?  I am not talking about from the offering plate to counter’s table to a safe to a bank.  I am talking about how all the money is spent.  If you have not taken the opportunity to inform the people, consider incorporating it into this week’s offering talk.  Here is what happened when one of the attendees at our FREE Giving Rocket tour events decided to inform his church:

Casey,

Hey man just wanted to say thank you for what you and the team at Giving Rocket are doing.  

After thinking about joining Giving Rocket several times over the past month, we finally pulled the trigger at the Chicago Giving Rocket Tour stop two weeks ago.  After just two Sundays I’m blown away by the results.

We were inspired on the Tour to share with our church in a giving talk where their money goes when they give.  The next Sunday was the final Sunday of our fiscal year so we decided to create a 4 page Annual Report to share with everyone who attended the next Sunday.  We created it on Wednesday and had it back from the printer on Friday.  Then passed them out on Sunday.  We took the “Where the Money Goes” giving talk and updated it for our situation and applied it to the Annual Report we’d printed.  At the close of our worship experiences, before the offering, we took 4 minutes to celebrate what God had done in the past year, where their giving went, and challenged everyone to be a part of what God was going to do in the next 12 months.

We usually average around $6,500 per week in our offering.  Our previous highest regular offering was $8,994.  This past Sunday, with no special giving emphasis, we received $13,059.15 in un-designated giving!  I think it’s safe to say, I wish we’d joined Giving Rocket months ago.  The giving talks alone, with a little local creativity, are worth the price of membership.

Thanks again for what you and your team are doing!

Dale

There is a difference between tithes and offerings, but not everyone knows it. Often, people think they are the same and they might just think you are parrot, echoing yourself when you say, “Let’s bring the tithes and offerings.“

It’s important to clarify for people the difference between tithes and offerings.

One Giving Rocket Member, Brad Mitchell, used a unique strategy to help people think differently about tithing.

Brad is the Lead Pastor of The River Church in Liberty Township, OH. They have been members since 2011 and have seen a 30% increase in giving.

Read the conversation below to see how Brad clarified for his members the difference between tithes and offerings.

Brad Mitchell

First, I think it is vitally important for you to know that I think it is okay to talk about money.

In fact, I think you should talk about money frequently, strategically, and theologically.  However, sometimes you can talk about money without talking about money.  Here are some examples:

• Substitute “finances” for “money.”  It sounds better when you say, “Your faith and your finances are linked.”
• Pastors and people are most uncomfortable when there is a request for money.  So, for every request you make for money, preach twice as much about how people should handle their money.  For example, before you preach on the tithe, preach on getting out of debt, saving money, or budgeting.  It is all in the Bible, and people need to handle 100% of their money well, not just 10%.
• Talk about the characteristic of generosity for Christ-followers.  A person’s willingness to give monetarily ultimately reflects where they are spiritually.  Generosity is a spiritual trait not something a person puts in the plate!
• Teach about money in other environments besides Sunday morning services.  Implement a financial class.  You will be able to offer this to people, and every time you do, it will build credibility and trust.

This fall, Giving Rocket members will be coached on how to talk about money in church.  For more information on membership, click here .

Most people are “tithe challenged,” but what people need is a “tithe challenge.”  Every year, pastors and church staff are informed that only about 3-4% of Christians tithe.  So, apparently people are “tithe challenged.”  One way to combat those that are challenged in this area of their spiritual growth is through a “tithe challenge.”

A “Tithe Challenge” is a pre-determined amount of time when everyone in your church is asked to bring the whole tithe back to God.  The challenge could run in conjunction with a sermon or a sermon series as an applicable step for people who are not giving or are just tipping.  In fact, this is probably the best way to help move a person from being a tipper to a tither.  If we are to take God seriously, as God says to test Him with the tithe (Malachi 3:10), then we need to call people to test God with the tithe.  This is a great way to help everyone feel a little more comfortable with making the decision to tithe.

Speaking of Malachi 3:10, if your church does a “Tithe Challenge,” it might be wise to offer a “Tithe Guarantee.”  A tithe guarantee is essentially the same thing as a refund.  If a person participates completely in the challenge, but in the end finds that they really need the tithe, then within a certain amount of time concluding the challenge, they can request it back.

This month, Giving Rocket members are receiving coaching, communication and a complete Tithe Challenge graphics package.  Not a member?  Join now.

Every weekend, you have the opportunity to motivate your people to give.

But it’s time to abandon the tired, canned speech that you use every week. You can spice up this important moment in your service.

You can motivate and inspire people to give, not just give them an opportunity.

Here’s three tools you can use:

Stats: Where does a dollar go? How many guests have attended church so far this year? How many children are in a particular environment? How much help have you given your community? How many volunteer hours does it take to execute a weekend service? Stats are a great way to highlight ministry and connect the ministry of the church to the time of giving in the service.

Stories: How has Jesus changed your life? How has your church helped a family? What marriage has been restored? What child has placed their faith in Christ? Who is going public with their faith in baptism? What lives are being changed? People who do not care about statistics often connect with a story.

Scripture: What does the Bible say about giving? What does God say about generosity? What’s the difference between a tithe and an offering? What principles are mis-taught? Many people simply don’t know what the Bible says about generosity and giving.

Every giving talk from Giving Rocket is based on this principle. We take a stat, story or Scripture reference and write a giving talk that you can use in your church.

It’s a done-for-you service for every Giving Rocket subscriber. Simply print it off, give it to a staff member or volunteer and intentionally motivate your people to participate in the offering. You can get started for just $1.

Here is a Giving Talk for Father’s Day

Welcome to the summer…
• Baseball
• Summer vacations
• The 4th of July
• And sporadic church attendance
Fluctuations in attendance may be frustrating, but fluctuations in giving could be detrimental. You may not be able to keep people from missing church in the summer, but you can be proactive in keeping them engaged in generosity.
Download this free eBook for the three ways you can beat the summer giving slump.
Click Here

Family vacations are important.

If you’re working at a church that can’t survive without the pastor for a week or two, then you’re working at the wrong church.

If you’ve led your staff or congregation to constantly need you, then you haven’t done a good job of leading your church.

It’s absolutely necessary that you spend time with your family.

You need to plan and save for this expense, and not feel guilty when the time comes.  You may be committed to paying every free cent to your mortgage, but this doesn’t excuse a Scrooge-mentality when it comes to your family.

Pastor, don’t sacrifice your family for the sake of the ministry.

If you have a growing church but your kids don’t know you (or Jesus), you won’t feel like a success in the end.

Plan and budget for vacations with your family.

Don’t let a finance committee, church member, or the calendar keep you from spending time and money on what really matters.

Where are you going on vacation this year?

Tired leaders are everywhere.

Actually, it’s a badge of honor to be tired in a lot of circles.  I am constantly around people that talk about the long hours, lack of sleep, & crazy travel schedules.

Here is the deal:  I used to be one of these guys that bragged about how hard I worked.  And, I was prideful enough to believe that it impressed others.

THE TRUTH: I was dumb and it was hurting me and the people closest to me. 

When tired, we operate out of an exhausted brain.  As I have read & studied, the brain will shift into a “fight or flight” state when we are exhausted.  This means that we will lead through reaction & instinct, instead of wisdom & sound decision-making.  As we become more tired we:

• Learn less – A tired brain doesn’t learn very well
• Overreact – A tired brain makes things a big deal that shouldn’t be
• Under react – A tired brain makes us “not care” about things we should care about
• Get angry quicker – A tired brain decreases patience & will operate out of anger
• Become afraid – A tired brain will create massive amounts of fear that things are falling apart when they really aren’t
• Feel increased desires to escape – A tired brain leads to overeating, over drinking, & sexual temptations
• Deflate our self worth – A tired brain makes us feel like we aren’t any good or worth anything
• Withdraw – A tired brain tells us to withdraw from our family, friends, & team emotionally
• Criticize – A tired brain makes us see things more negatively

Want to know the real me? 

I’m writing this post not as an expert on how to not be exhausted, but as a work in progress.

When I was on staff at a church, I literally got so exhausted by the pace that I would sit in the bathroom stalls on Sunday mornings so I wouldn’t have to talk with people. I also went to the Emergency Room three times, thinking I was having a heart attack.  It ended up being panic attacks due to exhaustion & emotional immaturity.  Many of my other friends were experiencing the same thing and we just thought it was normal to be stressed and exhausted all the time.  I remember being so EMOTIONALLY SICK that I would wake up at 5AM to email staff members so they would see I was up really early working.  That is SO STUPID, but I was trapped.  I was into impressing people above me because I was CRAVING approval.

The Turning Point…

I remember driving to the airport one time with my wife and having to pull off the side of the road because I was having a panic attack.  My wife looked at me & basically told me a STRONG, STRONG, STRONG TRUTH I needed to hear.  She spoke into my life about getting healthy because it was hurting our family.  I was sick & needed help.  I never thought being an exhausted leader was a sickness, but it is.  The people closest to you get hurt the most.

The following are the steps I’ve taken to reduce exhaustion in my life.  I’m NOT perfect at this, but I am growing and getting better.

1. I Go To Counseling 

I believe every leader should go to counseling. Counseling creates a safe environment for you to share your life.  Counselors can help you see WHY you are doing what you are doing.  Most of the time, we try to deal with the symptoms & never get down to the root issues.

My counselor helped me realize that above everything else I want to be wanted & liked.  

I realized the reason WHY I was leading on empty was 100% because I wanted everyone to like me.  I had no limits or boundaries and wouldn’t ever tell people no.  Counseling has literally saved my marriage, family & organizations.

Quit being a wuss and get to counseling now

2. I’m Taking A Sabbatical 

I’m taking five weeks off this summer with ZERO connection to technology.  I’m not sure how this will go, but I feel like it will create a breeding ground for growth.   I believe getting away for a long period of time will help me realize that the world will be just fine without Casey Graham.

3. I Changed My Definition Of Failure

I used to believe I was a failure if something I did failed.  This is NOT true.  I changed my definition of failure to this:

If I learn something, I haven’t failed.

Some lessons are tough, but it takes the pressure off me to try to be perfect.  With my personality, I want to start a lot of things and the temptation is to want them ALL to work.  The best way to relieve the pressure of trying to be perfect is to be honest when you fail, even if it’s just apologizing or admitting things didn’t work.  It’s exhausting to try and NEVER fail!  Failing helps you stay human & reduce pride.

4. I Turned Off Notifications On My Phone

This sounds shallow, but really helps.  The reason you get exhausted is because the brain isn’t turned off. Disengaging from work is impossible if you are connected to social media & your phone 24/7. Just turning off any notifications or sound on your phone can help.  It did for me.

5. I Hired A Trainer

Having a physical trainer is one of the most important decisions I’ve made on my journey from living an exhausted life.  Working out and running literally makes every part of my life better.  The reason I hired a trainer is for accountability.  Having someone show up at my doorstep at 7AM ensures I’m working out!

6. I Work On Stuff I Am Good At

The reason I was so exhausted on church staff was because I was MANAGING stuff instead of leading stuff.  Managing people, budgets, volunteers and day-to-day stuff is NOT what I’m good at.  I need to be creating.  God gifted me to create great stuff.  If I’m not creating a blog post, business, ministry, idea, song, or something, I will die. Yes, I will literally die slowly.

When we do stuff that drains us for long periods of time, it creates defeat and exhaustion.  You might be thinking, “Yeah, but I’m the only one that can do this.” Well… That’s not true.  I used to believe that.  The reality is, there are many people that can do what you think only you can do.  You HAVE to let go! Usually you have to find a volunteer or hire someone to help you. PAY THE MONEY for that assistant or staff position; it’s worth it.

This post was super long, but I just wanted to share my journey in hopes it will help you realize that exhaustion isn’t cool.