Estate Planning is an often overlooked financial tool when evaluating church funding now and in the future. National surveys tell us that over 65% of our church members don’t have any type of estate plan […]
Generosity is an action. It is the ongoing activity of giving away what you can’t take with you at the end of your life. To understand it better, Brad will share about what happened in […]
Most church leaders don’t have a will or an estate plan. So it is easy to see why church leaders don’t encourage congregants to get one either. So many say, “I don’t have enough net […]
Year-end letters are vital to the life of your people and church. They can share stories of ministry and remind people of God’s great work during the year.
A number of years ago, my former church […]
We had the pandemic and that raised lots of eyebrows about giving. Now we are in a post-pandemic era. There is angst about economic uncertainty and changes in core giving engagement. What is giving really […]
As leaders, we are called to seek out and then shine a light on the path for the faithful to follow. One of those paths is stewardship and generosity. But how do we facilitate these […]
Even though giving is stable now, what variables loom ahead that could disrupt your financial world to diminish your church mission? Explore the […]
An interview with Clynt Reddy, Executive Director of Operations for River Valley Church and Engiven.
Each year River Valley hosts an annual event called Kingdom Builders, where they ask […]
I’ve spent a lot of time on church websites recently … like dozens of hours on hundreds of websites! Along the way, I noticed some trends about online giving. Having grown by 21% in 2020 […]
We all have ideas about how our church could grow in the next month. There are a number of digital tools and systems that can help you run your church, but what’s actually working well, […]
Almost every pastor I talk to gives to the church. But, the majority seem to give from duty, obligation, almost joylessly. I can almost hear some of their inner thoughts:
The box is checked. I’ve done […]
The stewardship journey is not only the work of a faithful follower of Christ but those chosen to lead them. The church has a unique opportunity to provide leadership in encouraging the completion of essential […]
What should you expect in projected giving through the balance of 2021? How will you engage more givers to end the year financially better than you expect? Get answers to these pressing questions.
We’ll dive into […]
Full of charts and graphs, the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability has produced a free 24-page report on the state of giving in 2020. Warren Bird Ph.D., Vice President of Research and Equipping, served as project […]
Of all the things you as an XP have to navigate and worry about, what if a downturn in financial resources this fall is added to your list? Let’s talk about how to position yourself […]
Fletch and Troy Pollock always have intriguing discussions. This time they will focus on how to hone your online giving. This will be coupled with new features in online giving. Fletch loves technology—automation that enhances […]
Fletch and Troy Pollock began an intriguing discussion at the 2019 XP-Seminar. Back by popular demand, this “state of digital giving” continues that discussion. From his vantage point of working with thousands of churches around the […]
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
Hey Fletch … I’ve been reading the columns for a while. It seems like you know so much about churches. I would say that ‘Fletch knows how to run a church.’
DRF—Thanks for […]
Friday, December 14, 2018
Hey Fletch … I was at the Smart Money for Church Salaries workshop in Dallas. It was awesome. I’m creating an executive summary of my notes for our directional team at […]
Thursday, December 6, 2018
Hey Fletch … I am senior pastor in Kenya. We face financial problems in our small church. A salary for me is just a dream. We kindly request if any assistance.
DRF—Thank you […]
Monday, August 20, 2018
Hey Fletch … Our church is considering starting online giving. What are the kinds of things that we should be looking for?
DRF—From a user’s perspective, the number one thing for me in […]
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 […]
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 […]
Thursday, June 7, 2018
Hey Fletch … In all of the church connections you have, do you know of other churches that are attempting to give away large percentages (50%+) of what they receive annually? If you […]
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
Hey Fletch … On Sunday, Mrs. Gold (that’s really her name) handed me an unmarked envelope with a letter in it. When I got back to my office and opened it, the […]
Saturday, May 26, 2018
Hey Fletch … I like your suggestion about getting people’s stories. How do you do that in a church?
DRF—One of the best way to measure the effectiveness of your vision statement is […]
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
Hey Fletch … Seriously—this is an invaluable resource. Love that you are doing so much writing. I like the “Hey Fletch” column. Thanks for featuring the 14 years of XP-Seminar in the […]
Monday, April 23, 2018
Hey Fletch … I’ve been in ministry a long time. Your XP-Seminar is unlike anything that I have attended before. I absolutely love it. The XPastor site exudes something different than […]
Thursday, April 19, 2018
Hey Fletch … Do you encourage churches to acknowledge first time givers through a thank you letter? I am considering starting this because I see this as a significant opportunity but […]
Monday, April 16, 2018
Hey Fletch … Thanks for the encouragement. As you might expect, working with the church does not come with a cheerleading squad. The more we work with churches in the ditch, the […]
February 4, 2018
Hey Doc … Our new giver email is a mess. I clicked on a link and got a 404—page not found. The fonts are all strange for people who get it. Help!
DRF—An email […]
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 […]
In these three videos, Fletch and Brad Leeper (President of Generis) talk about generosity in the church. As they answer questions posed by Executive Pastors, many illustrations will be shared regarding how churches have succeeded […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
