How Is Your Giving?

Does your church update the giving totals each week in your bulletin? Do they send a note once a month with a giving update? Do you receive a letter each quarter with your giving total for the year?

Each church handles giving communication differently and these are a few ideas from a variety of churches.  It is important to track your giving so you know as leadership where the church finances stand at any time.  So what do you do when your review indicates that you need to adjust your plans?  How do you adjust your plans?

Here’s an idea from a church that was behind on their giving for the current year.  A couple weeks ago the leadership asked in the bulletin for continued prayer and consideration of the year-to-date budget deficit.  They broke down the total deficit and asked each family to give $415 before the end of the year in order to climb out of the deficit.  So instead of just saying we are $100,000 behind in the budget, they asked for a specific amount from each family.

In addition, they communicated that almost half of that giving would be for denominational ministry shares in order to continue to give 100% of the requested amount to ministry shares.  Therefore, they are communicating to the members to write a check to the church and it would go to support ministries such as Back to God Ministries International, Home Missions, World Missions, and other denominational ministries in addition to the local church.

So what would your response be to that? Are there times you could choose not to spend $50 on something and instead give that extra money to church?

What has your church done to promote giving when there is a deficit?  Have you thought of ways to frame the need in a way so that the goal is achievable by each member and/or family? Hopefully reframing the need will allow giving to continue to sustain the ministry plan without cutting costs dramatically.

Of course, this communication always has to be in addition to stewardship training and money management courses which provide core training in understanding how God wants us to use what he has entrusted to us.