Generosity
Does it feel like you’re always standing at the pulpit, asking for more money from your congregation? Is offering time a chore for your people? Well, are you taking the time to celebrate ministry that is happening? Perhaps if your people hear testimonies of how God is working, they will be more generous when the plate is passed.
Mrs. Gold and the $300,000 Check
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 [...]
Sharing Stories of Ministry
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 [...]
Thanks for XPastor
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 [...]
The XPastor Site is Different
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 [...]
Is a Donation ‘Thank You’ Too Pushy?
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 [...]
Few Cheerleaders for Ministry
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 [...]
New Donor Email is a Mess
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. [...]
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 [...]
Generosity: Fletch talks with Brad Leeper
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 Generosity. It gives "practical help [...]
Understanding and Engaging Your Givers
Our friends at Generis are again offering a great and free resource to the XPastor community. Their new e-book is entitled "Understanding and Engaging Your Givers." They describe the book: "Count on it: your [...]
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 [...]
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 to be inspiring and refreshing; it resonated with me [...]
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 there [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 clever [...]
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 [...]