Understanding “The Big Shift”
Do you remember the E.F. Hutton advertisement? The essence of the ad is two people are talking about investments. One says, “My broker is E.F. Hutton and he says …” At that point everyone in […]
Capital Campaign = Spiritual Revival. Seriously?
Can a capital campaign in a church cause a spiritual revival? Absolutely! I know from first-hand experience. When I was 25 years old and went through my first capital campaign, it transformed my life, my […]
Free 2017 Year-End Giving Guide from Generis
Givers have certain universal expectations. They expect to be listened to, treated with respect, and never taken for granted. When you ask people to give financially, you must understand that it’s not something they’re naturally […]
Generosity—Three Videos with David Fletcher and Brad Leeper
In these three videos, David Fletcher (XP at EvFree Fullerton and Founder of XPastor) and Brad Leeper (President of Generis) talk about generosity in the church. As they answer questions posed by Executive Pastors, many […]
When Generosity Floods—The Bayou Story
Are you ready for a flood? Are you praying for a flood? Are you anticipating a flood? A flood can be devastating, transformative, or a combination of both. Imagine waking up one Sunday morning to […]
The Offering Moment—A Free Resource
Our friends at Generis have created a great resource called The Offering Moment. They say, “The church has a unique moment, 52 times per year, to engage with their givers in a real and meaningful […]
Video on Generosity, Part 1
David Fletcher and Brad Leeper began a video dialogue regarding giving, money, leadership, culture and many other important topics that fall on the shoulders of the Executive Pastor in a church. In Part One of this […]
Annual Giving Statements: Ideas from Generis
Our friends at Generis are offering their Annual Giving Statement Guide to the XPastor Community. This is an excellent resource! As a leader, you have much to do. Not only are you responsible for the daily […]
Free Magazine on Generosity from unSeminary
Rich Birch will be our featured guest in two years at the 2018 XP-Seminar. He leads a great work called unSeminary. The latest edition of unSeminary magazine centers on […]
Six Givers Jesus Knew
Sharing stories of people doing both good and great things inspires others. When it comes to giving, people can often feel shame and inadequacy. However, the Bible reveals great nuggets from people who lived attainable […]
Book Review: Contagious Generosity
I recently read the book, Contagious Generosity: Creating a Culture of Giving in Your Church by Chris Willard and Jim Sheppard. I found this book […]
A Pastor’s Guide to Accelerating Generosity in Churches
Pastors are always asking me, “Alan, what can I do as the pastor to help increase giving in our church?” I feel that if the church is to have a healthy culture of generosity, then […]
Church Planting and Money
As a pastor of a small church (less than 200 people) that has now planted three churches (two in the last eighteen months), we always have more dreams than dollars. In our context, multiplying churches […]
You’ve Been Deceived: Three Myths Pastors Believe About Church Giving Technology
It’s hard to spend half a $5 bill. Yet that’s exactly what happens to many churches when givers want to be generous but can’t. For decades, giving in the church remained a familiar process. At […]
Is Your Church Reaching Its Budget?
Would it surprise you to learn that, of the churches recently surveyed by Giving Rocket, only fourteen percent were meeting or exceeding budget? Knowing that churches rely entirely on donations to survive, not meeting the […]
Trends in 2014 for Church Tithing, Giving and Stewardship
Church giving and stewardship will continue to evolve and change in 2014. In working with churches in their stewardship practices and dealing with tithing, several trends are emerging. Knowing these trends will make you more […]
Funding the Vision: The Role of Clarity in Financial Reporting
When it comes to funding your ministry and reporting on the finances of your church, few questions matter more. Making clarity your passion as you communicate your church’s finances equips the people of your church […]
Creating a Way for People to Give Online
As a child, I remember my dad placing a check in the offering plate at church on Sunday mornings. As I got older and got a job, I began to be serious about giving and […]
Basic Elements of a Successful Fundraising Campaign
Many other people and organizations are vying for your congregation’s money … and time. If you don’t present your ministries to your people in a way that stirs their interests, they will give their money […]
What Churches Don’t Want to Hear in Raising Capital Funds
It’s inevitable—growing churches at some point will find themselves scrambling to accommodate the people God is sending their way. Which means they need facilities, and that usually means they have to raise money. But churches are often […]
How to Talk About Money in Church
From auctions to raffles to bad rap songs, there are many “creative” ways that churches broach the subject of money. These efforts may be well intentioned, but ultimately amount to an elaborate guilt trip, a […]
Generosity Issues Every Church Should Consider for 2013
The 365 days of 2013 may be the most successful giving year for churches for the last five years. Counter-intuitive? Hard to believe? No question, the days of low-hanging fruit in giving are gone. The recession […]
Ten Generosity Issues for 2011
Welcome to year three of the recession. The church has adapted to this restricted giving environment. The new normal has set in. The new normal may be short lived, however. Making the turn into 2011, churches […]
Ten Generosity Issues Every Church Leader Should Consider in 2010
One year ago, we were tossing around words new to our experience. AIG, financial meltdown, Wall Street collapse, and recession all rushed into our harried conversations. As church leaders, those words pointed us to one […]
Ten Stewardship Issues Every Church Leader Should Consider in 2009
Whether whispered silently in our heads or energetically wrestled through in leadership meetings, economic fears challenge churches. We offer hope and meaning to our communities and a world growing more restless in finding truth. What […]
End-of-Year Giving Communication 2007
This is a sample of what Brad Leeper, President of Generis, sends to his ministry partners—churches that he helps to guide regarding their generosity. Although it is from years ago, the principles of wisdom are […]
Making Unusual Generosity the New Normal
There it was again … a passionate group of church leaders explaining how their exciting vision stalled in the thick mud of financial shortfalls. Their vision exploded with innovation, precision, and compelling results. The financial […]
Digital Giving is Successful Giving
In 2009, 38% of surveyed churches declined in giving while 29% showed no change according to the “State of the Plate” report. Yet 33% of the surveyed churches showed an increase in giving during a […]
Essentials of Fundraising for Churches
When you hear the word “fundraising,” does your heart begin to pound with excitement? Or do you feel the blood drain from your face as you stand in utter terror? For many, the mere thought […]
Cash Reserves: How Much is Enough?
We have all either heard or uttered the phrase, “How much is enough?” And the answer always seems to be, “Just a little bit more!” In business, we have also heard the phrase, “Cash is […]
Now is Not the Time to Suspend Capital Campaigns
In recent months I have dealt with three non-profit clients who were thinking about suspending their capital campaign plans due to the dreadful condition of the economy. Several factors led these top-flight executives to consider […]
Borrowing and the Church
Borrowing money has become a way of life for many. And credit use raises more than a few questions: what does the Bible say about money? Does church financing have a place in building the […]
The Changing Face of Ministry
These are unique and challenging times for churches. There are more distractions to draw people away from church involvement than ever before. These distractions make it difficult for attendees to fully participate in sermon series […]
America’s Houses of Worship
PBS has produced a series of videos entitled, “America’s Houses of Worship.” I saw it when they used it as one of those programs that they intermittently interrupt with an appeal for the viewer to […]
Getting Unstuck: Financial Innovations for Moving Ministries Forward
Peter Haas knew he had a financial challenge on his hands when he got a report on the giving patterns of his fast-growing Substance Church in Fridley, Minnesota, and discovered that his 8-year-old daughter was one of the […]