Giving Even When You Receive

Posted on December 7, 2017
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Last week, I talked about how to encourage generosity at the end of the year by making ย growing generosity a part of your teaching ministry, and teachers need to be creative. We’ve talked about getting creative by making a Christmas Wish List for your church. Itโ€™s a way to engage the people directly with the…

Make a Christmas Wish List for Your Church

Posted on November 30, 2017
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We’ve talked a lot about increasing generosity at the end of the year. As weโ€™ve posted elsewhere, the end of the year brings challenges. Youโ€™ve got this yearโ€™s budget gaps, next yearโ€™s budget planning, end-of-the-year appeal lettersโ€”itโ€™s a lot. On top of that, Christmas is fast approaching. There are two temptations during seasons like this…

House Calls: A Pastor’s Guide to Talking to Donors

Posted on November 16, 2017
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It’s the time of year when church leaders start to see lots of redโ€”and it isn’t always early Christmas decorations! Many churches have deficits they need to close by year’s end. I have been there many (MANY) times. Sometimes, these gaps are relatively small. All you need is to remember to ‘double December’ and take…

Is Fundraising Really That Hard? #GivingTuesday

Posted on November 15, 2017
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In 2012, in response to the so-called consumer holidays “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday,” New York’s 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation partnered to create Giving Tuesday. This November 28, organizations, influencers, and individuals will reach out across their platforms to encourage people to give generously to worthy causes. As I wrote inย Giving…

Hack Next Year’s Budget

Posted on October 12, 2017
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It is that time of year again. Budget time! As pastors, leaders, vestries, and boards are wringing their hands about the close of this year, plans for next year are being drawn up. Over the years I developed a few โ€˜hacksโ€™ for church leaders. Iโ€™ve collected a few of these tips, tricks, and rules of…

Giving Up Excerpt in Christianity Today

Posted on October 10, 2017
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You can see the latest sneak peek at Giving Up: How Giving to God Renews Hearts, Changes Minds, and Empowers Ministry on CT Pastors. This excerpt reveals five big ideas that church leaders can use to jumpstart generosity in your church. Check out the whole book on Amazon.

Sneak Peek: An Excerpt from Giving Up

Posted on September 27, 2017
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Here’s another sneak peek at my new book, Giving Up: How Giving to God Renews Hearts, Changes Minds, and Empowers Ministry, available now. This excerpt is from the second chapter, titled “The Hidden Virtue of the Early Church.” I want to give the church corrective lenses to see that the ministry of Jesus, Paul, and the very…

Announcement: Giving Up is Coming Soon!

Posted on August 24, 2017
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Itโ€™s Ready After years of gathering ideas, studying Scripture, preaching โ€œThe Money Talkโ€, collecting three decades worth of wisdom…and months of writing and re-writing, the book is finished.  We took our final pass at it with our red pens and now it lives with the publisher and then onto the printer…and then I hope…to you!…

Launching LeaderWorks!

Posted on December 26, 2016
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I am so thankful that I am able, through LeaderWorks, to take over 3 decades worth of parish leadership experience, a few bits hard-won wisdom, and few more wounds, and share them with other churches and leaders. These first months have been a joy. LeaderWorks is up and running and I am thankful to have your support…

Almost Anonymous: Giving is Never Really Secret (Updated!!)

Posted on March 29, 2016
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Anonymous (not his real name) will remain unknown to everyone who reads this accountโ€ฆbut I can promise he is real and this story is true. A few years ago Anonymous was moved by a random email from a bishop within the ACNA.  This man was at a particularly prayerful and important time in his life. He was near…