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Are We Growing Generous Givers?

Use this free assessment to create a better plan for receiving contributions.
posted 5/14/2008

Try also: Charitable contributions, Endowments, Estate gift, Finance, Financial reporting, Money, Payment


Are We Growing Generous Givers?
Use the following assessment to understand how to better communicate with your church body in order to grow generous givers.
Last Name  First Name 
1
We plan ahead, preparing our resource development strategy as carefully as we plan our music program or any other program in our church.

2
We emphasize discipleship, teaching church members the principles of stewardship to help them mature in their faith in the same way we teach them to read the Bible and pray.

3
We bathe our efforts in prayer because we believe, when we pray, God softens hearts, changes lives, clarifies priorities, and opens checkbooks.

4
We identify specific goals by creating a "wish list" of new projects to undertake with increased giving so that if offerings exceed the budget, we can pursue those items and tell people their increased giving makes a difference.

5
We get commitments because commitment cards help people clarify and cement their decisions.

6
Seventy percent of offerings come from those who serve. During our stewardship emphasis, we teach the stewardship of time and talents. We ask everyone to fill out a ministry service commitment for the coming year.

7
We build trust by showing people: 1) They can trust us not to overspend; and 2) We get maximum ministry value out of the budget.

8
We model generosity because we know people discern the leaders' levels of giving, even when financial records are confidential. The church will not rise above the leaders' examples.

9
We stay positive, teaching the benefits of giving, rather than emphasizing God's judgment on those who are not generous.

10
We spell out the sacrifice--and point out the reward. We know the only way most people will be able to fulfill their giving promises is by sacrificing a current expense. Every dollar we earn will be invested somewhere--food, entertainment, the stock market. We emphasize that offerings are an eternal investment in people who will be with God forever.

Click "Submit" to see your church's results.
 

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Anonymous

January 15, 2009  10:10am

Sad to say, I had to check "We do a fair job of this" in some instances where "We don't do this at all" or "We do a poor job of this" would have been a more accurate response.

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