Many congregations emphasize giving in the fall months and during the holidays. Here are some factors to consider when your church talks about finances, budgets, and contributions.
· Giving follows membership. A decline in membership will be followed one to two years later by a decline in pledging. An increase in membership will lead to an increase in giving. The best stewardship program is a major commitment to membership development.
· People give for many reasons, some discernible, some not known even to the giver.
· In general, people give to people.
o They have significant relationships in the congregation.
o They feel connected to the clergy.
o They were asked, person to person.
· Some will give to the budget, mainly out of residual affection born of past personal engagement. In the absence of current personal engagement, however, that loyalty will dwindle over time.
· In most cases, talking about the budget rarely encourages improved giving. It usually leads to arguments about the way money is being spent. Complaining or worrying publicly about the budget saps confidence in leadership but doesn’t improve giving.
· Proportional giving, while Biblically correct, has been a tough sell in mainline churches. However, it is the life-transforming approach. It must start with the clergy and top lay leadership. If they tithe, they can ask parishioners to tithe. Setting a norm of tithing is critical, even if people fail to attain it right away, for it becomes the prevailing ethic for all, not a personal quest by a few.
· People give to a vision of what the congregation is about. That vision is rarely expressed in slogans, themes or mission statements, but in perceived activities and values. Something about what they see their congregation doing resonates with the givers’ sense of themselves, or their better selves. The congregation’s identity “feels right” and they feel part of it, and therefore it feels right to give generously.
· Most givers can be led to a higher level of giving, if they trust the ones leading and if they value the perceived outcomes.
To learn more about church leadership, please join the Church Wellness Project. Go to www.churchwellness.com .
Tom Ehrich is a writer, consultant, and leader of workshops. An Episcopal priest, he lives in Durham, N.C. The church wellness project may be found at www.churchwellness.com
