Taking Special Offerings & Church Tithing

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Are You a Strategic Giver?

April 23, 2012 in Online Giving In The Church, Taking Special Offerings & Church Tithing, Talking About Money With Your Church with 0 Comments

Many people like to think of giving as an act of spontaneous worship. God speaks, we’re moved, and we drop something in the offering plate. We see a need, our heart is tugged, and we offer to help. That’s how it works for a lot of people.

And while it’s true that we need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and respond to needs as we’re led, there’s another side of the coin that’s equally important.

We need to be strategic givers.

Read Genesis 24 and you’ll find that Abraham planned ahead and sent gifts for Isaac’s future wife.

Read the Christmas story and you’ll find that that the Magi planned ahead and brought expensive gifts with incredible meaning for Jesus.

Isaiah 32:8 says generous people PLAN to do what is generous.

In other words, while we can respond to needs as they arrive, we should PLAN to give.

That’s why I love the phrase Automate the Important. If generosity is important to you, why not set it up and make it automatic? Why not do what the Bible teaches and plan ahead?

Why Are Churches Scared To Take Up An Easter Offering?

March 15, 2012 in Taking Special Offerings & Church Tithing, Talking About Money With Your Church with 0 Comments

Churches are usually scared to take up an Easter Offering because of the amount of people who will be attending the church for the first time. Pastors tell me that they have a fear of scaring off newcomers.

In every church where a pastor has pressed through this fear and held an Easter Offering anyway, they come back to me and say things like, “That really wasn’t a bad idea.”

Asking for money on Easter is a no-brainer because big days produce big results, and you WILL NOT lose the people attending for the first time. Here is why:

1. People aren’t dumb

Do you really think that unchurched people are shocked that you will talk about money? I actually think you have an awesome opportunity to show them that talking about money can be FUNNY and do it in a NO guilt and life-giving way.

2. You can tell them the offering is for them

Explain that the reason you are taking an Easter Offering is because you want to provide ministry for people who don’t go to church. If you can show them that you are doing GOOD with the money and loving your community, they will respect that.

3. People who come to church rarely like to chip in

They are coming to to the church out of some religious guilt, usually. If they participate in the offering, you can follow up with them and show them OVER THE TOP generosity as a church.

You should send What Happens When You Give to every new donor from your Easter Offering. This book makes the giver feel SO VALUED and super appreciated. It is a great outreach tool for new people in your church.

Why Most Special Offerings Fail

March 12, 2012 in Online Giving In The Church, Taking Special Offerings & Church Tithing with 0 Comments

Most special offerings that don’t reach their goal fail because of a few things.

1. The goal is wrong

If you truly think the dollar amount is the goal, you always fail. If the goal is about people, you never really fail. I know this is a hard shift to make and believe, but it’s true.

2. You don’t communicate in advance

We provide our GivingRocket.com members with a step by step checklist for communicating a special offering. You can have access to all of these materials this month for $1.

3. You don’t ask people clearly for money

You INFORM people, but you never truly ASK people. At some point, you have to man up and look at your church people in the face and tell them the truth. The truth is, their wallet indicates what they care about and they need to give and give today!

4. You don’t have digital giving options

Most people in your church don’t carry cash or check. It’s unfair to ask them to give without giving them a way. Check out THIS post about digital giving.

The Trinity of Special Offerings

March 7, 2012 in Taking Special Offerings & Church Tithing with 0 Comments

If you take offerings all the time, they aren’t special anymore. Here are a list of special offerings we have heard of recently. Can you think of anymore?

Love Offering
First Fruits Offering
Annie Armstrong Offering
Drink Offering
Lottie Moon Offering
Wesley Woods Mother’s Day Offering
World Missions Offering

We suggest churches only take three special offerings a year. There are a lot of offerings
you CAN do, but here are the top three I would strongly consider:

1. The Easter Offering

Easter is a great time to take an offering. Big results happen around big days.
Check out THIS post about why most churches are scared to do The Easter
Offering.

The benefits are great. Nothing can build your financial margin faster. Nothing can
build your people’s generosity further than big days as well. Easter is a huge day,
and you can really do the Easter Offering RIGHT and not lose people. We have
done the entire Easter Offering system for our Giving Rocket members. It rocks this
year. Look at the graphic and art we did for them.

2. Christmas Offering

Year end giving is a great time for giving in churches. This offering yields massive
return on investment for the operational budget of your church. Check out a recent
member who did their year end giving and see what happened. The goal was
$30,000 (link to Dave Anderson post)

3. Annual Vision Offering

The annual vision offering is best done in January, May, Sept or October in most
churches in the USA.

This offering is connected to a vision series your church preaches. You have one
time a year to really ask your donors to move their giving forward significantly, and
the Annual Vision Offering provides this opportunity.

How To Do an Easter Offering – Free Webinar

March 5, 2012 in Taking Special Offerings & Church Tithing with 0 Comments

Most churches think that taking up an additional offering on Easter with a lot of new guests will run them off. This isn’t true and we can explain.

We’re hosting a FREE online event called Easter Offering: The Easiest Offering of the Year.

Here are a few things you’re going to learn on this event:

Why you should have a special Easter offering envelope and how to use it effectively
What to say on Easter during the offering
How to follow-up so you retain new givers

45 Minutes + 6 Easy Steps = Financial Breathing Room Before The Summer!

Why wouldn’t you take 45 minutes to create financial breathing room for your church?

Why You Should Do an Easter Offering

February 29, 2012 in Taking Special Offerings & Church Tithing, Talking About Money With Your Church with 0 Comments

I did a quick Google search for churches and special offerings and found a lot of special offerings out there. I’ve heard of churches doing seven or eight different offerings a year, in addition to their weekly offering. Here are a few of the special offerings you could do:

Summer camp for students
Local food shelter
Christmas Offering
Easter Offering
Lottie Moon
Annie Armstrong
Offering for the Gideons
Disaster relief
Crisis pregnancy
School supplies
Winter coats
Canned food

If you have a special offering all the time, by definition, they will cease to be special.

When you emphasize a new giving opportunity all the time, you’re taking the focus off the bread and butter.

We believe that special offerings (like an Easter Offering) are great opportunities to fund special projects and engage new givers. People new to the church might be more attracted to a cause.

But too many special offerings can be dangerous.

Six days from now, I’m offering a free online event on how to do a special Easter Offering.

You’re going to get a six-step process, in less than 45 minutes, that you can implement this Easter.

Reserve your spot today. The increase you will have from your Easter offering will make a difference as summer approaches. Register now.

Lost People Will Give to an Easter Offering

February 22, 2012 in Taking Special Offerings & Church Tithing with 0 Comments

There are many ways to gain first time givers, but one of the best ways is to do a special offering (like an Easter Offering). Also, the Easter Offering is one of the quickest ways to build financial breathing room in your church!

Sometimes pastors freak out when we talk about doing a special offering on Easter. Pastors have an unfounded fear that every lost or unchurched person will leave their church and never come back.

We tested the special Easter Offering idea in many churches for the last 3 years and found that it was one of the best ways to actually reach new givers. Further, we found that the pastors who had the fear of not doing an Easter Offering TOTALLY changed their tune after seeing how effective it can be to move the church finances forward and reach new givers.

Contrary to popular belief, the lost & unchurched didn’t run away and never come back.

The key is to do the Easter Offering right & change the way the unchurched think about how the church talks about money.

Here are 3 tips many of our member churches have used to help find success:

1. Tie the Easter Offering to Community Service Project Funding

The lost & unchurched LOVE to chip in for something that will make a difference in the community. We also have seen that tangible needs motivate non-givers & non-church attenders to start giving.

2. Speak to the Non-Giver Directly

In fact, you might say something like, “If you don’t give regularly at this church, then you can still get involved with the Easter offering and help make a difference in our community.”

3. Follow Up Quickly

You have the BEST chance to change the way people think about church in how you handle money. Follow up quickly & make it personal!

Think about this: Most churches on Easter are trying to get people to make a spiritual decision. I believe that when people GIVE, it IS a spiritual decision, not a financial one. Follow up accordingly.

Be sure to join me for the Easter Offering: The Easiest Offering of the Year event in a couple weeks. I’m going to go through the strategy of doing the offering the right way – to not offend people and help them actually grow in their generosity.

Financial Breathing Room Is Possible By Doing This

February 15, 2012 in Taking Special Offerings & Church Tithing, Talking About Money With Your Church with 0 Comments

Attend our FREE online event entitled: Easter Offering: The Easiest Offering of the Year

The event is offered three times:

• Tuesday, March 6 at 1:00 PM ET
• Wednesday, March 7 at 2:00 PM ET
• Thursday, March 8 at 3:00 PM ET

Less than 45 Minutes + 6 Easy Steps = Financial Breathing Room Before The Summer!

• Six-Step Strategy To Implement The Easiest Offering All Year!

• All Content Delivered In Under 45 Minutes!

Plus, special offerings usually generate more first time givers than any other offerings of the year. Don’t miss the opportunity.

Register NOW!

Easter Offering – The Easiest Offering of the Year

February 1, 2012 in Taking Special Offerings & Church Tithing, Talking About Money With Your Church with 0 Comments

Did you know that taking up an Easter offering is one of the easiest offerings you can take up all year?

Take up an Easter Offering as a special offering and you will increase your giving big time on that weekend.

People have unfounded fears about talking about money on Easter.

Most churches I know think that taking up an additional offering on Easter with a lot of new guests will run them off. This isn’t true.

I’m hosting a FREE online event called:

Easter Offering: The Easiest Offering of the Year

We’re offering three times you can attend

• Tuesday, March 6 at 1:00pm ET
• Wednesday, March 7 at 2:00pm ET
• Thursday, March 8 at 3:00pm ET

On the event we will line out the step-by-step process to execute the Easter Offering THIS Easter.

The Easter offering is one of the best ways to create financial breathing room. Register for one of the three dates here.

Turning First Time Givers Into Second Time Givers

May 3, 2011 in Follow Up, Taking Special Offerings & Church Tithing with 0 Comments

It’s a big deal when someone makes a first-time contribution to your church, and hopefully, you have a process in place to thank them and appreciate their generosity. But you also need a plan in place to help first time givers become second-time givers. After all, your church has a big mission and you want everyone to be on board. Here are three things you can do to help turn first-time givers into second-time (and eventually, regular) givers.

1. Appoint one person to own the process. If two people are in charge, then nobody is in charge. You may have a team of people involved in the process, but make sure that one person owns the process. This could be the pastor, another staff member, or a key volunteer, but one person needs to wake up thinking about this.

2. Appreciate people. Make sure you thank people for their contribution and for acting in generosity. Remember, what is appreciated is often repeated.

3. Provide a clear next step. If you want people to give a second time, then you’ve got to make it simple and clear for them. They may have made an impulse decision or responded to the Holy Spirit during a service. God will continue to work on their hearts, but make sure they know how to give online or give during another service.

Check out The First Time Giver System resource for only $49.97. It’s a Done-For-You resource to get a system in place to help first time givers become regular givers. Click here for more details. Get started today celebrating people and them becoming more like Jesus!

Do you talk about this in your church? How do you appreciate first time givers and provide a clear next step?