It appears whenever someone writes about any trend in the local church the slant is always negative. The sky seems to always be falling. If you read or listen to many people surveying the church there appears to be no hope at all. Unchurched individuals can’t stand us. We should just baton down the hatches and wait for Jesus to come back.
Wrong.
There are a lot of incredible God-stories being told currently. Things are not falling apart. Things are falling into place… especially in the area of giving.
As a member of INJOY Stewardship Solutions, I spend each day helping churches with leadership development, building and enhancing their cultures of generosity, and with capital campaigns. The following are 7 Current Giving Trends In The Local Church I currently see:
- Participation in capital campaigns is very high. The economy is robust and people are willing to invest their resources in causes which result in life change.
- Non- pledge participation is skyrocketing. We live in a commitment-averse society and this is reflected in initial commitments. However, when you combine non-pledge and pledged giving, participation is very high.
- Banks are finally lending again which is giving churches options for the first time in years. Do not be fooled, churches are a good investment. Churches generate revenue for their cities and local economy.
- People still give more to life change and ministry impact than brick and mortar. I am often ask about which particular projects are people most likely to give to. I remind people that those in your church give to vision, not projects.
- The spiritual journey is still the key. God raises funds when He moves in the hearts of people. The more you incorporate prayer into your capital campaigns and weekly offerings, the better your results will be.
- Most churches have at least two project elements (ex. new building and debt retirement). Once again, banks are lending funds and churches have a window of opportunity to move forward in a significant way. They are addressing multiple items at one time.
- Millennial engagement is becoming key as they are quickly becoming an extremely generous generation. However, you must have a worthwhile cause for them to give to. If you do, they will respond accordingly. If not, they will give to other causes. But they will give one way or another. The question becomes will they give to you?
Once again, there are incredible things happening in the Kingdom currently. I am honored to share some of those stories.
Along these line, here is a second opportunity to check out 7 Promises God Gives People Who Tithe. This post hit a nerve when it came out in January.
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