10 Ways to Increase Offerings 10-25%
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Fri, April 22, 2005
- Viewed 70
- (22) comments so far
#1 - Personal giving testimonies
#2 - Outside teaching resources that will teach Christians to manage their finances
#3 - Annual financial or whole life stewardship sermon series
#4 - Designated giving
#5 - Money-back guarantee
#6 - All-church tithing Sunday
#7 - Pre-offering Bible verse, comments and offertory prayer by a church leader
#8 - Effective use of your church's giving records
#9 - Outside stewardship speaker
#10 - Start a Christian financial counseling ministry
Brian writes, "I have seen churches that have used just three or four of these ideas increase their giving 10 percent to 25 percent or more."
Brian Kluth is a national and international speaker and writer on Biblical generosity and financial matters. He is also a church pastor and the founder of MAXIMUM Generosity, a public ministry dedicated to advancing Biblical generosity through inspirational preaching, leadership training seminars, writing, resources and the media. Brian?s written materials have been distributed to more than 350,000 Christian leaders in more than 100 countries. For additional materials or to contact Brian, email: or visit: www.kluth.org.
Our friend Brian Kluth offers ten different ways to help your church increase their offerings and become better stewards. This article was recently featured at ChurchCentral.com. Here are the main points? you can read Brian’s insight and words of wisdom on each point by viewing the full article here…
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Ellen on Fri, April 22, 2005
Forget Warren - it’s all about God…
It’s all about money!
this list forgot making sure that the congregation feels that their money isn’t being wasted (great taste, less filling).
I’m a single mom supporting 3 teenagers, one of which is not my own. Taking in the child of a woman who was homeless at the time (now in rehab and headed to jail after that), receiving no help from the state or his family - that more than makes up for what I might be tithing.
This boy is now in a church for the first time in his life and is doing quite well, thank you. Money is very tight and getting tighter. I *AM* the widow that the church is supposed to be helping - I have not asked. But I’m on the battleground, getting this teen to God - this is a ministry all on its own.
I don’t tithe. 10% of what I bring in? I don’t think so. My home is open 24/7 and I’ve asked God to send me kids that need to be here; one of them stayed. It is not uncommon for me to have 5 or six teenagers at my house overnight on weekends.
10% is not God’s - it’s all God’s.
Pastor Al on Fri, April 22, 2005
Every once in a while I will tell my congregation to reach forward and take their neighbors wallet and then give like they always wanted too! (of course I do this jokingly, but we usually get a good offering as a result!)
bernie dehler on Fri, April 22, 2005
Good comments, Ellen. You’re a good example of being the “salt of the earth” as our Lord taught. You are in full-time ministry, without a doubt!
I think Churches need to practice better stewardship. Show what they are doing with the money. Seems like most want to keep what they do with the money private. Why not have clear programs, objectives, mention the cost, give feedback, etc.? Seems to me like most think of giving as a form of “begging.” It would be cool if Pastors would disclose all their churches finances like nonprofits have to in a 990 tax form. Most likely, church members would find out how LOW their Pastors are paid, and want to pay them more. Big churches may have a real problem, though…
Here’s an example of a tax form disclosure, for a great role-model ministry, NW Medical Teams. They are a Christian ministry with excellent accountability/stewardship:
http://www.freegoodnews.com/form_990/NW_Med_Teams.pdf
These tax forms are public info, by law.
...Bernie
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/247
Ricky on Fri, April 22, 2005
Ellen:
You’re doing more ministry than all of the tithes that pastors spend on their cars, swimming pools and “parsonages.”
God bless you!
Ricky on Fri, April 22, 2005
It would seem to me that Ellen represents exactly those whom the Church should be helping without them having to feel like they must ask.
The Early Church took care of their own well before they spent a dime on those outside of the church. Today, however, every “church” has a “mission budget,” which usually means little more than a pastoral slush fund that is spent (i.e., wasted) on his TV and radio programs.
Disgusting use of what is not theirs.
Phil in CA on Fri, April 22, 2005
Pastors, I have four requests for you on this matter:
#1) Whatever you do, please repent of the guilt-based ploys for more offereings. These are especially common (and, sadly, effective) among stewardship ministries and their . It usually goes something like this “Of COURSE you can give a little more! Besides, God gave His only Son, so how could you hold back?” That just shows that even the truth (taht God gave His Son) can lay the foundation for powerful manipulation.
#2) Please, quit quoting/applying Matt 6:3 (“do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing”) as justification for squeezing your flock. The ploy usually goes something like, “Give beyond what you think you can, because Jesus said not to ‘let your left hand know what your right hand is doing’!” This false application ignores that the very next verse explains why Jesus said this: “so that your giving may be in secret.” Matthew 6:3 has nothing to do with the AMOUNT one gives, and it certainly does not endorse financial irresponsibility—not matter how well meaning.
#3) Quit teaching that “giving to the LORD” can only mean givng to the local church coffer. Matthew 6 begins, “When you give to the needy…” That says, “needy”, which can mean giving through the church, but not always. Jesus recognized direct-to-the-needy giving, and so should you.
#4) Quit using the word “tithe” in application to NT Church-era financial obligations. The tithe was an obligation under the (abolished) Temple-Law system, not the New Testament Church, and you durn’d well know it.
Ricky on Fri, April 22, 2005
Articles like the above are sickening because I can’t see Jesus using any of the above gimmicks (i.e., schemes) in teaching His disciples or the crowds.
If Paul were alive today, he’d blow a gasket.
J. R. Miller on Fri, April 22, 2005
Here is my favorite one, “#5 - Money-back guarantee”. I am fairly certain that this is the way God wants us to approach the practice of our faith. I suggest folks try this for their alter calls as well. “Come and accept Jesus, and if in 90 days you are not completely satisfied, we will give you back your soul.”
I may try it this week!
Guy on Fri, April 22, 2005
Its so sad to hear people say pastors use ploys to get people to give. Giving is a grace. It is a privilage! It is a joy! When I consider how much God has given to me….....the tithe is the least I can do. Do you not realize that if every member of the christian church would just obey the biblical teaching on tithing, that compalining woman…...who is not a tither herself…..would be helped without having to ask. Does her pastor even know she is in need?
As to a pastor’s car…...your statement is from Hell! If my pastor is feeding me the word of God purely and undefiled and I am growing he can live in a mansion and own a jet and have a limo. He deserves it!! In a day when our president can have troops murdered for oil and take 100 billion dollars to fight a war that we should not be in anyway…..when taxes are taken and not given and we have no choice in the matter….....I consider the promise of God one that will not disappoint me….“Give and it shall be given unto you…..pressed down, shaken together shall MEN give into your bosom.” Be real or stop calling yourselves christians. Obey it all or start serving the devil and admit you are his follower. Stop whining and use a little more faith. God will supply!
God will open the windows of Heaven!
God will use others to bless you!
God will make a way out of no way!
Bit it’s according to your faith!!!!!!!!!
Ellen on Fri, April 22, 2005
Uh…I wasn’t complaining, I was trying to get across a New Covenant point (I’m under the New Covenant, not the Old) that each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion (an arbitrary 10%)
The other point is that I said I don’t tithe. I never said I didn’t give. There’s a very big difference.
Guy on Fri, April 22, 2005
Thou shalt not kill…....thats in the old testament…...you gonna ignore that too
They that wait upon thr Lord shall renew their strength…....thats in the old testament…you gonna ignore that too
The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want….thats in the old testament
I will bless them that bless thee and curse them that curse thee…...thats in the old testament…....you gonna ignore that too. Damn woman….who is your pastor? You need a new one or you need to be born again. This is not a Fresh Choice religion where you pic what you like and leave the rest. The BIBLE is one book…..its all or nothing. I tell you this out of love and experience. Free your mind and the rest will follow. Obey and be blessed. Trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus.
Ellen on Fri, April 22, 2005
killing is condemned in the New Testament also. (Romans 13:9 - as part of the Ten Commandments) - by the way, do you keep the Sabbath? Worship on the seventh day?
So is being strong in the Lord (Ephesians 6:10)
So is sufficiency in the Lord (2 Cor 3:5)
1) don’t “damn” me.
2) don’t judge my salvation
3) don’t presume to know whether or not I’m trusting and obeying. You have no clue what I have or haven’t trusted God with.
Ellen
Phil in CA on Fri, April 22, 2005
Hey, um, “Guy”… your attacks are completely uncalled for and uncharitable. Be respectful or go somewhere else.
MzEllen: Ignore the troll. You don’t have to attend every fight you’re invited to http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/images/smileys/wink.gif
Daniel Zepeda on Fri, April 22, 2005
You Know I just wished that leadership would spend the amount of time and literature to disciple the Body of Christ as they do trying to figure out ways to pull a dollar out of someones pocket.
If the leadership of the church would return to truly knowing Christ and lead their congregations to a personal relationship with the Lord and teach them how to enter into God’s Most Holy presence we wouldn’t need special gimmicks to induce people to give.
The problem is that we don’t want to spend the time or the effort needed to seek God and would rather go to the internet to find our next sermon than to seek God’s heart and receive a direct word from God for those under our care. How shamefully said is our current condition. It makes me weep.
Ricky on Fri, April 22, 2005
Guy said:
“Giving is a grace. It is a privilage! It is a joy!”
Let me define Guy’s terms for all:
“Grace” = the pastor’s personal attention. The greater the gift, the greater the attention.
“Privilege” = the life that the pastor gets to live at the giver’s expense.
“Joy” = what the pastor feels when the bottom line looks healthier.
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