I talk with so many pastors that are concerned with “systems”.  It is a huge buzz word in our culture right now.  People think systems will grow a churches generosity!  I have never seen a system catalyze a person’s heart to give.

Bottom Line: People catalyze people.

I realize that God works through people to help other people make bold spiritual moves.  This is very clearly seen in the area of generosity.  God uses spiritual leaders to ask people to give.  Please quit skirting the responsibility.  No, everyone isn’t going to leave your church.  Yes, systems can help but they don’t have life on life appeal.  Get fired up and ask your people to fund your God given vision.

YOU ARE NOT A FUNDRAISER! YOU ARE A CHURCH LEADER!  Take joy in your “ask” being more for the Kingdom than your personal gain or project!  Be bold! Move! Shake! Fast! Pray! Bring it this weekend!

BTW: Systems are important but I wouldn’t lead with systems. I would lead with God ordained boldness.

One great thing about my life is the people God has given me the opportunity to meet.  Here are 3 people you should know and why you should know them.

1. Mark Clement from Big Picture Media Group

Mark’s company did all of our branding and website.  He adds more value than he receives in payment.  Top reason you should know Mark is that he just 100% gets YOUR culture.  They start from scratch and I like that.

2. David Putman

David has just launched out from my home church Mountain Lake Church and is helping pastors with ministry coaching.  If you are looking to staff for growth, shape strategic direction or finance your vision, comment on the blog and I will hook you up with David.

3.  Jim Sheppard and Generis

Jim is one of the leaders of thought in the area generosity.  Want to accelerate generosity? Jim and his team can help.

Who should I know, follow on twitter or read their blog? What is your blog about? Let me know!

I was privileged to hang out with Rick Warren for two days during the www.churchplanters.com conference.  We picked Rick and his assistant Steve up at the airport at 12:45 AM.  We wanted to get Rick and Steve back to their hotel as quick as possible.  As we were headed to the hotel they wanted to get something to eat.  We tried some fast food joints but they were closed so we ended up going to Waffle House.

Here are the highlights of our time at Waffle House:

1. Don’t take yourself to seriously

I see so many pastors that try to protect themselves from people.  Rick WANTED to go to Waffle House and hang out with us.  He asked us all about our lives and cared about us!  Too many pastors are too cool for this type of activity.

2. Have Fun

Rick Warren prank called my wife at 2:30 AM.  Enough said!

3. Treat people the same

Steve told us that they treat taxi cab drivers and Presidents the same way.  They totally have integrity in this.  I have had multiple conversations with Steve after they left, and he is sending me a present in the mail!

4.  Eat Hot Sauce

Rick Warren eats a spoonful of hot sauce on every bite! NO, I AM NOT KIDDING OR EXAGGERATING!

5.  Care about the cook

Rick built a relationship with the cook and server at Waffle House.  He added value to their lives through hearing their story and then signed a copy of purpose driven life for them!

I went to bed at 3:55 AM that night.  It was one of the best nights of my life.

We were sitting in the office asking, “What could we do to make our clients laugh on a Friday?” This is what came out of it. Within 24 hours this video had been watched over 600 times! Rick Warren even tweeted about it saying, “Church accounting in a mess? Call my Waffle house buddy @CaseyGraham.”

Are your books on the ground? If so, click HERE and we can help.

I recently found a great solution for churches that want to serve their community better.  It’s called The Common.  This is the best solution to a benevolence ministry I have ever seen.  Basically, it’s a web-based solution for benevolence.  Instead of the church having to say, “No, we can’t pay your light bill”, to everybody that needs help, it your community aware of the need.  People can meet each others’ needs instead of the church doing it all the time.

I am not saying you shouldn’t help people corporately with needs.  I am just saying that often times the needs are too much for a lot of churches to help all of them.  This could save you money and increase your effectiveness.  Take a look at it!

Should you let people designate gifts to your church?

I get asked that question all the time.  I am for it and against it.

I believe this is a situational subject more than a hard policy.  Below would be my policy for accepting a designated gift.  (This post is written because of a phone call I just got off of.  The church brings in one million dollars a year, but 25% of it is designated.  They can’t fund their ministry properly because of designation.)

Policy for Receiving Designated Funds:

1. Given by member of the church (or consistent attender)

2. Designated to fund something in line with your vision (be cautious of people who want to fund “their deal”)

3. Short-term designation verses creating their “own” budget to give towards

4. They will continue to give to the general fund (this gift can’t be a replacement because they want control)

5. Written documentation stating this is a special circumstance that is in the best interest of the church and the giver at that time.  This communicates that it is special and not something that just anyone can do.

If you start letting people create “pet” funds, it can really hurt you in accomplishing the mission of your church.

What are your thoughts on designating gifts to the church?

1.  Hire a consultant

VERY, VERY, VERY few campaigns are done well without a consultant.  People often say, “Consultants are too expensive.”  I believe it is “too expensive” NOT to have a consultant.  When doing a campaign you have one shot to make the big ask; don’t miss your opportunities because you don’t want to pay some money up front.  Consultants consistently raise more than “self-led” campaigns.  I don’t do capital campaign consulting, but I have a lot of friends that do.  If you need help, let me know.

2.  Think shorter vs. longer

It used to be the standard to do a three year campaign.  We have seen that three year campaigns aren’t as effective anymore.  Try a one or two year campaign.  If your church is like others, you need to think shorter because things change so much in a year.  The annual campaign is a good option especially if you are in a fast growing church.  The shorter campaign allows you to cast vision each year for people to give to.

3.  Take up a one time offering

Make sure you take up a big offering at the beginning of the campaign period.  A lot can be done in one day when people sacrifice together.

4.  Be clear

It should be crystal clear what people are giving their money towards.  A general ask will get a general commitment; a specific ask will get a specific commitment.  You must spell out the goals and make them specific.

5.  Know people will leave

People leave churches during campaigns.  That is just a reality.  Having a consultant will help you not lose as many!

6.  Take your time

Too many people try to rush a campaign.  Give at least six months of lead time before a public phase of a campaign.  This will allow you to accomplish more behind the scenes than in front of everyone.  This will help people receive the campaign better.

7.  Follow up

Too many churches get a commitment but not the cash!  A proper follow plan is crucial.  Annual updates aren’t enough.  Touch people weekly or monthly, in some way, about how their money is making a difference.

Campaigns are a tool that can be used to fund your vision.  Just be careful not to burn your people out by asking all the time.

This week I’ve asked several friends to write guest posts to help bring a fresh perspective to the blog.  Ron Edmondson is lead pastor of Grace Community Church in Clarksville, TN.  He is a phenomenal leader and I’m thankful for the time that I have been able to hang out with Ron.  He has some great insight on leadership and life and glad he was willing to share with us today.

In many ways, we grew up as an organization this past year at Grace Community Church. During our short life as a church, we have experienced rapid growth and everything seemed to come to us easily at first. Last year, as our size reached a certain point, leadership became a much more important need and many days we were stretched to continue the pace at which we had been functioning.

One of those areas where new leadership was needed was in the area of financial development. When the church was smaller, with less paid staff, there wasn’t as much need to consider the money aspect. As the church grew, new team members were needed and, as we move towards a building program in the near future, it became apparent that we needed to teach our people about the need to fund the vision. We partnered with The Change Group to learn how other churches modeled like us, that attract many previously unchurched people not accustomed to giving, are helping their people understand the value of giving.

In the process, I have learned a few principles I think are worthy of sharing:

1. People want to give to something they believe in, even in a non-traditional church.

2. People are willing to place trust in people in whom they believe. (I’m thankful for that trust.)

3. People want to be a part of something exciting and growing.

4. People want to give to something that has lasting value.

5. People experience joy in giving even more when they can see the results of their gifts.

I’m sure there is much more to learn, but I’m thankful for what God has allowed me to be a part of in sharing His love and building His Kingdom.

What principles have you learned about funding your God-given vision?

This week I’ve asked several friends to write guest posts to help bring a fresh perspective to the blog. I am so happy to introduce Ben Stroup.  Ben is a thought leader in the area of generosity and wrote Church Giving Matters.  I would recommend Ben to any church in America for generosity coaching!  Thanks for posting with us, Ben!

Ever wonder what the biggest pitfalls are in church funding? You’ll be surprised to know that many of them are completely obvious. Consider these five sure-fire ways to create a giving DECLINE in your church:

1.  Fund programs that don’t matter and aren’t making a difference. As pastor, my leadership heard me say often: “Everything is on the table. Just because it worked last year, doesn’t mean we’ll do it again this year. Conversely, just because it didn’t work last year, doesn’t mean we don’t try again this year.” It frustrated them until they learned to present ideas that had been well thought out and planned, beginning first with a reason for the investment and the expected return on investment. The result? Better programs. Stronger alignment with church vision. Greater ministry impact.

2.  Never communicate the ministry investments you’re making and the Kingdom impact of those investments (ministry ROI). People no longer give special preference to your church when deciding how to give to others. There are MILLIONS of organizations screaming for their attention (and their dollars). Communication increases interaction which builds trust. Without trust, people won’t generously support your church. With trust, they will STOP supporting others and INCREASE their support of your church. People want to know their dollar is making a difference. Don’t leave it up to them to figure it out.

3.  Limiting the giving options of your members. It’s not the role of the church to decide how a member will give to you. Make it difficult for them to give, and they WON’T. You should make as many channels available to them as possible.

4.  Choosing not to know what members give. You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Even if you don’t want to know names and specific amounts, you should have a list of your top givers. (By the way, you’re best givers are most likely your top influencers.) These are people who are most vested in seeing you and the ministry of the church succeed. You need to see and hear things from their perspective. Further, a significant increase or decrease in giving may be an overlooked ministry opportunity. Often people stop giving well BEFORE they leave the church.

5.  Believing the pastor is not responsible for church giving. Do you think the finance committee is going to take the fall for a decline in church giving? NO! They are going to look at you and say, “Fix this!” If you’re going to be responsible and held accountable, you should be sure to lead in this area, too.

Why aren’t these immediately obvious to every church leader? Because many have had too little exposure to the subject of money in ministry and are too close in proximity to have any sense of clarity on the subject. Contrast that to what I do every day working with church leaders to bridge the gap of experience and perspective.

The more we ignore the subject of church giving, the more likely we are to fund SOMEONE ELSE’S budget with money God intended to fund the work and ministry of your church.

This week I’ve asked several friends to write guest posts to help bring a fresh perspective to the blog.  Today’s post is from Michael Lukaszewski, lead pastor at Oak Leaf Church.  I met Michael before he launched his church and have had the privilege of getting to know him over the years and watching his church grow and impact hundreds of lives.  He is a phenomenal leader and I’m honored to share some of his insight and leadership with you today.

Over the past year, we’ve gotten much more intentional about the offering time in our weekend services. We believe giving is an act of worship, so that element deserves planning, creativity and passion…just like any other element in the service. Here are a few things we’re doing to make this time meaningful:

- A “where the money goes” segment. This might be a video from one of the church plants we support, or a simple explanation of what happens with the money.

- A life change story. These are great ways to remind people that they don’t just give to keep the lights on and the staff paid.

- A mini teaching moment. Unpack a memorable statement like “God can do more with 90% than I can do with 100%” or “to be blessed beyond your ability, you must give beyond your ability.” Read what Jesus said on money or explain a verse like Isaiah 32:8.

You have 52 weeks to cast a vision for giving; don’t let that moment slip by. Be intentional about planning your times of giving.

We’re going to talk about this, and lots of other practical things at Nuts and Bolts, a one-day conference for church planters and leaders. It’s Saturday, June 26 at Oak Leaf Church in Cartersville, GA. Just $10 a person, and 100% of that will support church planting efforts.