Even when there are people and ministries that I value and cherish, they do not automatically come to mind. Busyness, competition in my limited mental bandwidth, and the daily demands of life mean that I just do not naturally think about ministry where Lisa and [...]

“We’re about to be a story that you will tell other churches.” Those words led off the voice mail trailed by that sinking feeling crashing through what was a stable, flourishing project. Having coached groups in generosity for several years, train wrecks occur more than [...]

Getting ready to head to breakfast.  Not just a restaurant, but an experience that results from a delightfully choreographed dance of relationships. And the church can learn much from this marketplace illustration. If a church would engage givers the way this place engages its suppliers, [...]

With some, no great, reluctance Rock has agreed to let us on the inside of the world of high capacity giver. A high capacity giver thinks and acts so differently than what church leaders believe.  In trying to help church leaders understand the gap between [...]

Knowing that the standard, church default contribution letter decreases giver connection rather than builds loyalty, here is an example of an annual statement cover letter. Dear Brad and Lisa, What a year we have experienced together at Clear Creek! Could we have imagined God’s work [...]

Sometimes sitting in church, if the angles are just right, you can watch a person and get a glimpse of their personal world.  With the sloped seating in the room with 2000+ and no one blocking my direct view, a couple gave me a picture [...]

The annual giving statement represents an incredible moment to inspire and inform. Page 2, the secondary giving report, does the informing. Let’s craft an inspirational cover letter that will weave deeper connection to your givers. The Tools Church letterhead Church envelope with first name and [...]

Annual giving statements build healthy relationship or reinforce a passive nonchalance for a giver. In our series on annual giving statements we move from the why of investing in quality statements to what typical elements waste a giver’s time.  A giving household receives the required [...]

Treasurers and business administrators are gearing up.  Toner cartridges are at the ready. Staff are trying to crack the code of how to run the statements. And givers will be just as under-whelmed with their church annual giving statement again this year. How can church [...]

The gap grows wider. Church leaders have a certain view of why people give. Actual givers behave much differently than what their leaders think. The evidence mounts each time I work with a focus group in a church.  ”Why do you give?” and “Why do [...]