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Don’t Let The “Decreasing Giving” News Paralyze You In 2020 It should come as no surprise to pastors and ministry leaders that the traditional ways we track and predict things are going the way of the fax machine. And the articles and polls are coming out virtually every week right now: Giving is down in the church! Ugh. As if pastors don’t have enough to worry about. Here’s my take on this: Most of us were taught (or learned by experience) that attendance and giving records were a pretty decent indicator of how we could plan for financial fuel in the coming year. We used to be able to predict with near clairvoyant accuracy how much may come into the offering in the next 12 months. Well, we aren’t in Kansas anymore, Toto. Attendance is as inconsistent as the weather and giving is tilting downward. Most of the blogs and social media chatter is a grand speculation about the national drift toward disengagement with the church. Some blame it on our cell phones, some on the next generation, and still others will attribute it to a more macro trend: Post Christian America. It is cliché at this point to write about how money has always been a tricky subject for churches. And the church has a bit of a black eye in the view of many of our neighbors – and we deserve it to some extent. Humans run churches. And humans don’t tend to naturally do well with money (whether they have a lot of it or a little). No one seems to have the right amount. Even Jesus knew it would trip people up and slow their progress toward full dedication. But, for the most part in a mostly Christian context (America), people had a basic sense of obligation to support their local church. Until now. And it is less about the changing tax code than people think. Those of us as pastors who were afraid to talk about the topic or had no proactive approach to spiritually coaching people toward generous living could get away with this – money would show up in the plates. Until now. Passivity no longer works. Proactivity still does. Here is what I’ve learned working with hundreds of churches over the last few decades on a proactive approach to developing generosity in the church. Without a long explanation of how to press into this topic at your church, let me get you started on a few categories I tend to put under the microscope when diagnosing the upside potential at each church. There are five of them.
The churches that seem to do a great job of raising financial support and discipleship intensity at the same time have been thoughtful about these categories. THEOLOGY Many churches could use a tune up or review on what they believe about money’s role in the church and in the Christian life. With so much unhealthy regard for money in our hearts and culture, we need wisdom on this as much as any time in history.
DISCIPLESHIP The goal of the church is to create an environment for discipleship. As we lead people to follow the teachings of Jesus, our methodology should include teaching on living with open hands and not having financial resources be our master.
COMMUNICATION Ultimately, we shift a culture through the ways we communicate. What church leadership chooses to report and highlight in our use of money will speak to what we truly value and want from our church body. Many churches struggle with knowing what to say or how often to say it.
STRATEGY There are critical processes that “best practice” churches have in place when it comes to how to organize their time and resources. Churches that are proactive can build disciplines that enhance the congregation’s trust in leadership as well as create the best possible environment for good management of funds.
INTEGRATION Ultimately, the most effective leaders understand that beyond process and protocol, the work of the church is about building relationships that lead to spiritual growth. Each church, in keeping with their own style and belief, will need to figure out ways to nurture people in ways that build their faith and therefore their generosity.
When I mentioned diagnosing the “upside potential” of each church, I come at this analysis as a pastor. I am, without apology, trying to help churches receive more funding for mission. But I also believe that, done with an eye for spiritual formation, this helps with the discipleship of people in the church. I have seen both increase many times. So, that is why I encourage you to not give in to the trends. It is not time to cry “Uncle,” particularly if you haven’t gone through a discernment process using the five categories above (or something like it). Greg Gibbs is a Lead Navigator and head of the Resourcing Division at Auxano. He and his colleagues work around the country helping churches of all denominations become clear about their mission and ways that will help fund that mission. He is the author of Capital Campaign Playbook (Broadman and Holman, 2020) and has another book in the works on the topic addressed in this article. Greg is a 30-year ministry veteran. He spent time as a pastor and executive leader at Kensington Church, a multi-site church that has invested in over 70 church plants in the last 15 years. He is in his 19th year of consulting. 
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3 Realities of Year-End Giving in 2020 There are mixed reviews: For some churches, 2020 spelled disaster in terms of giving by the congregation. Still, others had stabilized or even increased giving. Regardless of whether the balance sheet is up or down at your church, the opportunity at the end of the year is still too good to pass up. And it is more than a money grab – this is the time of year to show gratitude to the congregation whether they give anything or not. People are thinking “year in review” in personal, professional and other ways – review what God has done through the church! At the same time, most churches could use a nice financial boost about now, so here is why a year-end giving challenge is as appropriate as ever, even in the strangest year of most of our lives: People tend to give way more in the last 45 days of the year. There is something about the giving spirit that kicks in this time of year. And as sensitive as we should be to economic conditions, not everyone lost their job. For those who are hurting financially, the church has a prime opportunity to serve them well. People will give when asked – and most Christians are not primarily motivated by the tax deduction. They are thankful to God, thankful to their church, and are often willing to give a special gift at the end of the year. Many churches will receive 30% of their annual giving in the last month of the year. There are some people that will give in the last 48 hours of the year! It is an opportunity to celebrate what God is doing. Aside from the spirit of giving that is amped up at year-end, there is also a vision casting opportunity served on a silver platter. A year-end giving challenge should be preceded by a review of God’s work through the church in the past 11 or 12 months. There is often a lot to celebrate – even in the global pandemic year. Ask God to reveal to you ways that the church was able to serve the community and the world in spite of the extra challenges. Senior leadership can offer gratitude to people for being on the mission and being faithful to God’s call on the church. Those same leaders can ask the congregation to consider a special financial gift to the church at Christmas time. Most organizations will ask – why not the church? By the last few weeks of November, a group of envelopes will start to accumulate on our kitchen counter. They are the appeals from the civic organizations, alma maters, and other faith-based non-profits that are willing to receive our December generosity as well. There is nothing wrong with that and many of us will make a decision to donate something. At the same time, the church serves a significant role in our lives and in our community and should be “in the mix” of those year-end requests. Here are some practices to consider:
A few other pointers:
Bonus Tip For a few households in every church, the special IRS provisions on tax deductions for charitable giving may make a big difference this year. For instance, deductions used to be limited to 60% of Adjusted Gross Income, but because of the CARES ACT in 2020, that is raised to 100%. If you have any questions, email resourcing@auxano.com and one of our team will help you with any of the ideas or suggestions in this article.
Redeeming The Pause Things to consider before we come back to whatever The leadership of Seabreeze Church in Huntington Beach, CA took the time this past summer to renovate their auditorium. Because, well...why not? Normally, it would cause a disruption that would be manageable, but inconvenient. But during the Big Pause of 2020 (doesn’t that sound better than “Global Pandemic”?) you can actually get some things done. I certainly do not mean to make light of the very difficult year that many people and organizations have had. We are mourning the loss of many things that made up our normal. And some are mourning much more than that. But in the parenthetical year we call 2020, I have heard of some very creative ways to not feel as though we are in the waiting room of dentist – not fun waiting for what may be ahead. Consider the following possibilities for the pre-2021 phase we are in right now. Strategy Brainstorming Who knows what lies ahead? But most of us cannot afford to sit and wait. We have to do our best to discern God’s direction for our church in the next chapter. This includes decisions about how best to serve and minister to our congregation and community out of the destabilization of this year. And for many, it may mean re-thinking the ways we disciple people using virtual technology. Still other churches can use the opportunity for long delayed changes since most congregations are not expecting their church to look the same going forward anyway. Clarity about our future may be difficult, but we must try to see the way forward. Adding Agility to our next phase will be the perfect combination: Be as clear as you can and as agile as you are able. Congregational Questionnaire One of the primary questions I hear these days is, “What do you think is going to happen when everyone is allowed to come back to church without restrictions?” Like all of us, I can only speculate. But I have fallen in love with a technique that is simple but powerful for much of the coaching I do with church leaders: Ask the congregation. If there was ever a time for a “check in” to see how people are doing spiritually and emotionally it is now. And from a moving ahead perspective, knowing how people are planning on engaging with the church will be critical as well. Will they be splitting time between physical and virtual worship and meetings? Will they still gather in their small group? Are intending to resource the ministry of the church with their time and money? If I were back in the role of senior pastor, this would be keeping me awake at night. So I say, “Just ask”. Re-Branding Again, this falls under the umbrella of “everything is changing, so why not this, too?” Some churches need a fresh coat of paint in the conceptual sense (some actually need a fresh coat of paint on the walls, too – but that’s the next paragraph). In the age in which we minister, branding is not a superficial part of reaching people. It is critical – particularly as churches aim to grow younger. It is not that young people need something Madison Avenue slick, they just need to know who we are, what we stand for, and what kind of culture they will be a part of. The opportunity we have right now in the “in between” can allow us the breathing room to do a thorough job of auditing our current branding (art work, website, logo, colors, language, and more) and decide if there is a better way to go forward. Capital Investment Churches, like Seabreeze (mentioned above), may choose to take advantage of the relative emptiness of campus, grounds and facilities to do capital improvement that otherwise would disturb the normal flow. If classrooms need updates, now is the time. If the sanctuary needs a sound system, now may be the time – and so on. As much as this may require funding that seems shaky for some congregations, members will recognize the prudence of taking advantage of this time period and will often help financially – not everyone has been rocked economically, and done respectfully, it is not wrong to ask for funds to spend on such upgrades. Probably the most common conversation these days, not surprisingly, is the need for extra investment in digital and virtual technology. This applies to churches that are playing catch up in this category, and the ones that have been using this method for a while but realize it will become a more important part of their strategy going forward. ** The fact is; God is not surprised about our situation. And I have been so impressed with the church leaders that I have talked with who are seeking God and asking for discernment about what to learn, do or experience during this crazy year. Many are discovering that they do not need to remain in neutral. It may just be one of those great opportunities by which we mark time – “Remember in 2020, when we took the opportunity to make lemonade out of lemons – God really used that time in the life of our church.” ** As of late November, the very good news from Seabreeze is that they chose to run a capital campaign for a new Youth Building and at this point have out-pledged their target of $3.5M by nearly one million dollars. When last counted, the amount was $4.4M and climbing.  Greg Gibbs is a coffee roaster, consultant and author and regularly tries to convince his wife that he is an Organizational Communication guru. After 30 years and raising four children together, she is still not quite convinced. Greg has spent decades in the church world, advising leadership on vision clarity, fundraising process, and communication effectiveness. He and his wife reside in the suburbs of Detroit.
IS MY CHURCH DOING OK DURING THE PANDEMIC? Creating and Distributing an Impact Report This Summer A fresh new approach to informing and inspiring congregations got its start less than a year ago, and just in time! The Impact Report Company is serving churches by creating colorful and branded infographic-style reports quickly and inexpensively – and there is no time like the present. Someone recently joked that everyone in 2015 got this question completely wrong: Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Among the many new challenges churches are facing in 2020 is the perception by members of the congregation that their church is in a bad or precarious position. This is true for some churches, for sure, depending on factors like size, demographics, and area of the country. But most churches are really stepping up to current challenges and thriving in ways they never thought they would. There are more than a handful of churches that are actually seeing their attendance increase (counting online participants) and their financial giving go up – at a time when many are presuming it is going the opposite direction. Still, members of the congregation, listening to the social media grapevine or the national news media, may be assuming their church is in a worst-case scenario. They just don’t know the actual state of their church. Whether your church is struggling or thriving, the point is this: People need to hear the state of the church from their leaders, or they will each invent their own narrative about what is “actually going on”. Inventing their own narrative is what humans do when there is a vacuum of information. Here are a few thoughts people are having these days whether they articulate them to their church leadership or not: “I wonder if our church made adjustments to weather the storm.” The normal communication dynamic of most local congregations is still very driven by a once per week meeting – no matter how much we have put into digital formats. In other words, normally whether I read the email that came from the church or not, I can at least catch up on Sunday. That changed over night. And with health, financial, and emotional concerns in the news and on the rise, people are wondering if their church is surviving or suffering. “I wonder if my church was like the others who were really able to help lots of people in need.” Many churches have stepped up during this pandemic in amazing ways. Because the church is an organization that attracts compassionate people, it was only a few days or weeks before churches began serving their communities. At the same time, they are so busy becoming activated, they struggle to have time to communicate that news. Some members don’t even know how much good their church is doing, and it really should be celebrated! “I suspect our church had to make significant cuts because of financial loss.” Churches regularly struggle with knowing how to communicate the financial status and health of the church under normal conditions. But under the conditions of 2020, the communication challenge just became steeper. It is wise for churches to tighten their belts during such a year, because not doing so would be insensitive and tone deaf to the context. But it is even better when church leaders inform the congregation that they are executing those adjustments as quickly and carefully as possible. But again, not all churches are experiencing loss. And not all churches are reducing staff. And not all churches are cutting programs. The puzzle for many in the congregation is they just don’t know what is happening. Best practice churches answer the question, “What exactly is my church doing during this crisis to adjust the sails?” and “Is our giving declining in some way that I should be aware of?” “I feel more motivated to get involved when I know what is going on.“ Transparency is still a winner for leaders of churches. The more people are made aware of what is going on (even challenges and disappointments), the more trust in leadership goes up. And when there are victories and great stories to be celebrated, trust is reinforced with the idea that “God is using our church in spite of the circumstances.” When leaders are not silent about the state of the church, but inviting the congregation to understand the realities, the partnership that people feel with the church and its leadership increases. Members of the congregation who are prayer warriors like to know what to pray about. Members who did not lose their jobs and have discretionary income may want to know how they can help financially. Still others will be motivated to step up their involvement with a church that is responding so well during the pandemic and serving their community. It would be rare to hear a church member say, “I am not really sure what is happening, so I want to increase my involvement all the more!” The summer of 2020 is a prime opportunity to start or refresh creative ways to lead churches by getting everyone up to speed on challenges and opportunities that will inspire more engagement, no matter what the future holds.
Post-COVID Capital Campaigns The Shifting Dynamics The reality of 2021 church life in America is that we are trying desperately to look ahead through a foggy windshield. Most church leaders would have never claimed to be clairvoyant prior to pandemic, but the need for God’s help in planning for the future seems to be especially acute. We used to have a sense for what the coming year would bring, or at least were excited about the plans we had spelled out for our congregation. Now, we are all, as Will Mancini says, “start up churches” again. The whiteboard in our office is likely blank – or has a lot of question marks above our plans for expansion. Capital Campaigns are not going away – but they are changing. And, rarely does a church leader have plans that require little to no financial fuel. That is just a reality in modern church life. So, what can we make of the curious mixture of needing a clear picture of the future, understanding how money dynamics in the church may change, and the fact that we still may need an infusion of cash? Here are a few quick thoughts for your consideration: Campaigns Were Already Changing Pre-Covid Our parents and grandparents undoubtedly participated in a church capital campaign that was a “standard issue” campaign. Most initiatives like this prior to 2008 were formulaic – and that is not a bad thing. A 3-Year Pledge campaign for a building or building expansion was a very effective way for churches to advance their ministry. Yet, the generations that experienced this as normative are dying off, and the culture shifts have accelerated (making 3 years seem like an eternity). The result: the upcoming generations are less likely to give to buildings, give to church in general, and to pledge anything for a 3 year stretch. If church leaders are using an old operating system to understand what capital campaigns raise and in what time period, it is time for an upgrade. Our Campaigns May Need to Be Short & Specific Agility is the name of the game. Church leaders should be less apt to do anything that seems like a 20-year initiative. Not that those projects should not happen – they should just be rare. What should be happening more often is quick bursts of capital to infuse a thoughtful initiative that helps the church pivot to a new opportunity or adjust to a new reality. We used to think of capital campaigns as multi-million dollar building expansions (and those will still happen). But what if we expanded the definition to include a 6-month initiative to upgrade the technology we need to be as virtual or digital as our church deems appropriate (for our theology and church culture)? What if we did a “Generosity” Sunday or Month to fund a new initiative in our community at which our congregation could also volunteer? The changing times demand for a malleable definition of “capital campaign”. Our Understanding Of Our Congregation Needs An Update At Auxano, we have learned that church leaders tend to presume they know where their congregation stands concerning the times in which we live. And, to some extent, senior leaders are insulated from the frustrations as well as dreams of the members of their church. Add to that the notion that we all change and grow – that is the point of being person of faith. What has them excited about the future? What is frustrating about their own experience both inside and outside the church these days? What are they positively inclined to support when it comes to the church and its future plans? Are people experiencing financial hardship or are the adjusting and doing fine or even better? We cannot afford to presume. Leadership in the church going forward will need to more often and more effectively have a regularly updated “pulse” on how to serve the people well and minister to a radically different world. Top-down initiatives are a thing of the past. And this includes capital campaign projects. Leaders will still lead, but their ability and willingness to listen will be crucial to any future plans. So many of us that care about the church are experiencing a complex mixture of feelings of uncertainty as well as hope. Uncertainty seems to come from the idea that church can no longer be “business as usual” for a number of reasons. And hope comes from the idea that the church has more opportunity than ever before to love lost and hurting people. The good news is that people are still wiling to invest in projects and ministries that make sense and seem appropriate for the times in which we live. Even the younger generations, who we sometimes criticize as not being as generous as their predecessors are giving to initiatives that are doing God’s work inside and outside the church. As we adjust to the shifting dynamics of funding our ministry, we will capitalize on the opportunities that lie ahead.  Greg Gibbs is a coffee roaster, consultant and author and regularly tries to convince his wife that he is an Organizational Communication guru. After 30 years and raising four children together, she is still not quite convinced. Greg has spent decades in the church world, advising leadership on vision clarity, fundraising process, and communication effectiveness. He and his wife reside in the suburbs of Detroit.
 How to Have a Proactive Stance in an Uncertain Future Be wary of anyone who gives a confident prediction of what the future holds. We know the Church will prevail – our faith, our history, and our Lord remind us of that. I actually think the days on the “other side” of this current chapter will be exciting and bright. But the cultural and economic fruit basket is upset, and likely our ministries will never be the same. Perhaps this worldwide experience will bring a recalibration for the Church that is long overdue. If we knew what our churches would look like by 2021, we could start planning accordingly and pull out the timelines and action plans. The tricky part is that we cannot know the future – that’s God’s job. However, responsible leaders cannot sit idly waiting for shoes to drop. We need to have some kind of proactive discussion. We need to at least have considered a handful of scenarios that may occur in order to be proactive. Whatever happens over the coming months, we will have done the best to lead our congregations with clarity and spiritual wisdom. Public Gatherings For the foreseeable future, we will not be assembling in groups of more than 10. There are a number of ways to strategize accordingly – the primary ones are to hold virtual gatherings or to break down congregations into platoons of less than 10 – or some combination of these two ideas. And, of course, there are practical and technological concerns that each church will need to figure out for their own context. A helpful way to think through a few scenarios (and their implications on our congregation) is to think about three potential times we may shift from the “safe at home” posture to the “back to church” new normal: Option A - September Option B - Christmas Services Option C - January QUESTIONS TO ASK:
Financial Stability There is no doubt that both the lack of gathering, as well as the economic tumult, will impact the giving patterns of our congregations. Depending on the socioeconomic make-up of a congregation, this is a serious threat to stability, akin to the 2008-2010 recession. But every congregation, including big-budget ones and ones that receive a majority of giving via digital means, will need to recognize they will be receiving less income for the next 6-12 months. A helpful way to have a proactive discussion about this is to create some scenarios that enable a more data-driven discussion. Leaders could consider the implications of at least three financial scenarios happening between now and September establishing a new “line” for financial support: Scenario 1 - 10% reduction in giving Scenario 2 - 20% reduction in giving Scenario 3 - 30% reduction in giving QUESTIONS TO ASK:
Organizational Communication At times of instability or uncertainty, the task of communicating with clarity is of paramount importance. In congregations, we usually have the occasion of a weekly gathering. That is not available to us right now. The tendency is to under-communicate because we have nothing accurate to say. It is true - everything is a guess right now, so there are no magic bullets and no perfect leadership choices. But as we know, lack of communication allows people to create their own narrative about what is happening with their church. Often those narratives are incomplete at best, and demoralizing or toxic at worst. Church leaders don’t need to be clairvoyant about the future, but clear about their concern for the congregation and the proactivity with which they are making decisions. This is best executed following the law of Concentric Circles of Communication where the Senior Pastor starts with communicating with Elders, Deacons, Senior Staff, or anyone who is at the middle of the organizational dynamic (or the top of the chart). Then in successive communications, the circles will widen to volunteer leadership, volunteers, and then the congregation. This builds ownership, understanding, and ambassadors along the way. A helpful way to craft communication at this time is to think about drafting a one-page narrative about:
QUESTIONS TO ASK:
Financial Contingency Plans No one really wants to talk about the more drastic scenarios that may befall our churches. But someone must. Again, the key to our discussions is proactivity, not doomsday negativism. With that in mind, a helpful discussion may be around some more specific aspects of financial strategy that are not the macro-level question mentioned above (about losses of 10%, 20% or 30%). Here are some recommendations for immediate action:
The above considerations are meant to be practical suggestions for church leaders. Please understand that our spiritual posture is the most important and primary suggestion – to pray for discernment and lead with faith. People in our world need to see humble confidence in the eyes of the leaders of the church. And besides, we are utterly dependent on God, so organizational tidbits are nothing compared to the spiritual power from above. May we all listen to God and hear what we may need to know for the future of our churches.
Will Churches Rent Schools Again? I pastored a church that met in a high school until we built our first facility. I am not alone – it seems like since the 90s, the mutually beneficial relationship of churches needing a place to meet and school districts that could use extra funding has been on the rise. Until now. More than a handful of churches are faced with a tricky re-entry into congregational life this fall. My friends at Portable Church Industries (a group that has serviced and supplied thousands of these churches for 25 years) estimate that there are 16,000 portable churches in America today – approximately 75% of them in schools. There will be a significant question mark over the return of churches into schools across America. Of course, answers about the future are speculative, and every situation is different. But it is not irrational to wonder if school administrators will want to “deep clean” their auditoriums, hallways, bathrooms and classrooms every Sunday afternoon. Nor is it crazy to think that they might consider giving up some rent money to protect from the liability that a student would be infected and the community would blame “the church people.” I am a risk taker by nature, but I know what I would do if I were an administrator – play it safe. But the team at PCI is not sure they agree that the stiff arm to churches will last too far into 2021 if things keep gradually improving. The revenue that these schools have enjoyed will be difficult to turn away in the long run. The PCI staff is adjusting their ability to serve portable churches in whatever way they can, as movie theatres will increasingly vie for the church rental revenue as well. No matter how it plays out, I believe I am safe in estimating that there are thousands of portable churches for which this fall may present a challenge. I am also guessing that almost one hundred percent of them have already thought about this if not started thoughtful scenario planning with their landlords. Geography is a Big Factor After reviewing this concept with a handful of pastors, I was reminded by my friend Drew (who serves in NYC) that urban churches are facing a considerably different re-entry discussion that the rest of the country. He says, “There is really no re-opening conversation in NYC because of the density and dynamics of the city. I’m wondering if it is the same in other centers like Detroit and Chicago.” I also have friends and family around the country that were not hit as hard with COVID-19 or simply have a different (and more relaxed) posture toward separation, stay-at-home, re-entry, use of masks, and more. My children in L.A. look at friends in some of these “lesser impacted” parts of the country and wonder if they even chose to participate in the pandemic – from the L.A. perspective, some states were too slow to respond and are too quick to return to normal. All of this diversity in each circumstance (and the fact there is no such thing as a general or national norm) sparks a handful of questions about the opportunities presented to our churches these days. And, it makes me wonder about a way to have a fruitful conversation about the post-pandemic church. First, a reminder about the church historically, then some questions, and finally some possibilities for the way forward. Gathered and Scattered The church has had its ways of being both gathered and scattered. The gathered church is what most people think of – a big room with lots of people elbow to elbow worshipping, hearing teaching, and being together to celebrate their traditions surrounding their commitment to Jesus Christ. The scattered church can be defined as any time we are not together – when we are the disciples of Jesus at work, at play, in our homes and communities. And sometimes the scattered church is a necessity because of oppression (as true today in parts of the world as it has been since the first century). What we will add to church history is “the time we could not meet because of a global pandemic in 2020.” Learning So Far in 2020 What the last few months have taught us is that the Church has both weakness and strength in the scattered form. And this is important to explore – especially for churches that have the agility to choose not to return to a building. This applies to so many churches that were on their way to “someday” having a building and now may want to stop and reconsider. I can hear our home church brothers and sisters saying, “Welcome to the party – jump in, the water is warm!” But now, we have had the unexpected opportunity to test what is a middle ground between home church and formal building-centric gatherings of the Church. The truth is, there is a lot of ground in the middle. Let’s look at some of the early learning:
Questions for Late 2020 and Beyond I am not mad at nominal Christians – we all should feel the sting of that moniker at times in our lives. The point is that we have this “audit” of the depth of our own commitment of Christ and His Church happening right now. And I am not down on buildings – I believe they will still be useful, helpful and needed as a tool to do a lot of mission and ministry. People will still benefit from gathering with larger groups than 10 or 20 for all of the reasons we know. But the first half of 2020 showed us hidden strengths and weaknesses that we may not have uncovered otherwise. Think of the questions this stirs up:
Possibilities for the Way Forward In some ways the possibilities for the smaller, start up or no-facility-yet church are endless. There may be some larger and more established churches with big buildings to maintain that have a twinge of jealousy right now. The younger or smaller have an options and agility advantage right now. As many have said, every church is a start up now, whether they recognize it or not. But to not be paralyzed by too many possible options, consider a few ways to look at both return and re-form options:
The fact is, grids like the one above are imperfect and simply conversation guides. You and your church leadership will likely come up with something that is “in between” these four options, a combination of a few of them, or completely outside the box in terms of the post-pandemic version of your ministry. Many of us pastors will have to dust off our ecclesiology textbooks from seminary and do some deep discernment and prayer about what it really means to gather as a church (in ways that we have not had to do for a long time). My friend David who pastors a Presbyterian church in Ohio reminds me, “The gathering of God’s people is so critically important.” And I agree. But he and I also agree that the way this plays out will be tricky for a while. I join with the church at large with an optimism and excitement about what this disturbance may cause for the sake of God’s Kingdom in the very near future.
Giving Boost - Part 2 A Financial Surge for the Post Pandemic Church There are certain things that can be very helpful to fueling a church’s mission regardless of what the new normal looks like: Good Information Good Analysis Good Platforms Good Reporting These are best-practice tools for any church at any time. We have made some friends over the years of being in ministry – experts in other categories that help us all lead our churches well. These are the organizations led by men and women who set up congregations for the development of generosity and better ways to accomplish their mission as they make disciples and serve their communities. We are dreaming and imagining with churches about a new and robust way to lead in times that require agility and savvy spiritual leadership. These are new concepts for many churches, but partners with helpful systems that are available to churches immediately. We picked them because of their value – their fees are not back-breaking for churches of any size. So we think it is helpful to introduce them to as many leaders as we can. We are encouraging churches that are committed to the long-term development of generous disciples to imagine having:
GOOD INFORMATION ACTION STEP: Do fresh research on your community We hear about big data and have a level of skepticism about how the information is being used. That’s fair. Not every kind of new technology should be embraced wholesale. But a group of Christian tech experts has come up with a cost-effective way for churches to get fresh and up-to-date information about the people inside and outside the church. In this manner, leaders are not flying blind as they navigate the uncharted waters of the future. Kingdom Analytics helps churches collect critical data to provide reconnaissance for strategic decision-making like:
Specific data on a church can be culled from the church database (not names or private information). Add to that the aggregated data that comes from sources available from the US Census and other market research groups, Kingdom Analytics can provide enormous help to the new paths we may have to forge in the future. GOOD ANALYSIS ACTION STEP: Disciple people with the help of analysis The territory ahead of us is unlike the journey most of us prepared for when we entered the ministry. And yet, there are tools available to us on that journey that was also not available until recent years. One of the groups that have done a respectful and thoughtful job of dealing with the giving data that resides in every church’s management software is MortarStone. Without ever compromising data security or feeling too “creepy,” this group of Christian men and women are committed to doing everything they can to help the church understand and properly utilize data gathered from the giving patterns of their congregation. MortarStone creates easy-to-understand dashboards of real-time information that helps church leaders, including information about:
With snapshots of real-time data about giving practices of the congregation, discipleship strategies can be developed to address underdeveloped givers as well as the most mature and faithful contributors. They even have a robust methodology for helping churches cultivate non-cash and asset gifts from church members now (and not just in their estate plans). The friendship with the Auxano Resourcing team allows these two groups to weave seamless support and coaching around church leadership teams. First, they safely and securely analyze data (MortarStone) and then use that analysis to develop discipleship pathways and systems for increased generosity in each congregation (Auxano). GOOD PLATFORMS ACTION STEP: Clear digital giving obstacles As mentioned before, just because a church has a website or a digital giving platform does not mean that it is effective. Many churches, understandably, do not have website design experts nor can they afford them. And many or most churches have a way to give electronically but have not been proactive in explaining and promoting it as a “legitimate” way to give tithes and offerings. 2020 gave us an immediate audit of our systems of engaging people in the virtual and digital world. Some of us passed the test fairly well. But many have had the weaknesses of their platforms exposed. The overnight digital renaissance of the church has shined a light on the gaps in our approach. The good news is there are groups like LifeWay Generosity who have developed both platforms for digital giving and also the tools to help church leaders deploy them most effectively. And, for church leaders who are dizzied by the many options for a digital giving platform, LifeWay’s stands out because of its extremely low cost, easy to use, and high-value system. They were not the first to arrive on the scene of giving platforms, but they have grown exponentially, signing up thousands of churches for their platform in just a week or two following the stay at home orders of 2020. Through their platform churches can receive funds via:
Users have access to generosity and stewardship coaching from the LifeWay Generosity staff (e.g., videos, blogs, etc.) as well as experts from other organizations around the country who regularly appear as guests. Again, it is not about whether or not a church has a digital giving platform, it is whether church leaders have cleared the obstacles to use that platform so that it becomes normalized in the life of the church. GOOD REPORTING ACTION STEP: Celebrate your impact One of the questions we get asked constantly as generosity and stewardship coaches is, “What should I report to the congregation, if anything, about the giving numbers?” This always leads us into a much longer conversation about what should be reported and in what manner. Churches have traditionally reported only giving and attendance because that is what most churches measure. But with an increased desire on the part of many in our congregations (particularly the next generation and younger members) for more reporting on impact than just numbers, new ways of reporting have sprung up. The Impact Report Company (TIRC) was established in 2019 to allow churches to have a partner to consult on and create infographic-style one-page reports on a regular basis to encourage and inspire the members of their church. This group will urge churches to aim to do these colorful and custom reports once per quarter. They also coach leaders by having them dip their toes into the Impact Reporting world by not tackling too many measurements at once. The early phase of reporting allows for a soft entry. It includes the categories that are most likely to be already counted like attendance, giving, groups, leadership and mission with the idea that down the road churches can get as creative as they want or need to be. The benefit of these “Impact Reports” is based on a few important assertions:
 Giving Boost - Part 1 A Financial Surge for the Post Pandemic Church Back when my knees could handle it, I completed a few marathons. It was a time of great joy and accomplishment as these were done with five other guys with whom I trained and shared a lot of time. I miss those days. My knees don’t. What I learned from long-distance running was the idea that you cannot be ready overnight for the enormous strain of 26.2 miles on one’s body. I knew that intellectually but learned it in real-time – when the many months leading up to a marathon meant disciplining my body in every possible way to overcome the unexpected obstacles that are inevitable on race day. When we needed our bodies to perform under stress, we could count on them. Another lesson I have learned by hanging out with church leaders is that you cannot mount a last-minute training and expect great generosity from the congregation. It would be like waiting for the last day before the marathon to train. Developing generous disciples is definitely a long-play – a marathon of sorts. Over time and with encouragement, people will grow as we point the way. And generous churches are ready for any challenge. It reminds me of a guy I sat next to on an airplane one day that told me, “I want to be in the kind of physical shape that if someone asked me to run a half marathon tomorrow, I could do it.” Wow. The circumstances of 2020 have revealed to many of us that we needed to start the training a while ago and did not – or did not to the degree that we wish we would have. Overnight, we expected our church “bodies” to be ready for a race that is throwing unexpected challenges our way – financially and in many other categories. We were not as ready as we would have hoped. So, is there hope for churches who are facing a big financial challenge? Yes - there is definitely some encouraging news. First, people have been overall supportive and gracious – people seem to be sensitive to the fact that everyone, including their church, is in an uncertain situation. For churches with congregations deeply hurt by job loss, there is only so much people can do. But many congregations have stepped up in amazing ways. Still, there is a difference between an immediate rally of support by church members in the first 60 to 90 days of the pandemic and the long-term generosity development in our congregations. The following is a two-part discussion. The first section highlights what actions to consider for a short-term boost of financial fuel for the church facing the challenges of early 2020. The second is a more long-term strategic look at the features of a church creating an environment of cultivating generosity through discipleship. The second section is more about sustained generosity – a marathon mentality will last beyond the pandemic timeframe and into the “new normal” and beyond. RALLY OF SUPPORT IN THE SHORT RUN Churches that have seen their financial support as relatively stable during this time have exhibited a few characteristic actions that encourage support in the immediate future. Consider these concepts and the suggestions that follow for how to turn them into action right now for your church. Model Trust in God’s Provision The congregation needs to look into the eyes of church leaders and see peace in God. Leaders should be authentic in their own fear and uncertainty about the future, but also reassuring in their ultimate trust in God to do whatever He wishes in and through the church – even if it will undergo change. This is time to reach out first to offer hope and care, not to reach out with palms open for a contribution. God will take care of us as we take care of those in need. Celebrate the Church’s Mission God is still at work. And many of our churches are seeing beautiful ways that members have come together in support of each other and the community. As people are feeling the inevitable instability of the time, it is reassuring for them to know that the church is on mission – beyond simply staying afloat or paying the bills, the church is activated to help. Explain this and celebrate it. Have a Digital Giving Strategy A rough statistic being circulated pre-COVID was that though 75% of churches in America had a digital giving platform of some kind, only 25% of church donations were made this way. This means that overnight churches were faced with the challenge of not just having the capability, but training and encouraging people to use it. Take the time to explain to reticent members how it is safe and helpful to use online bill pay, credit or debit cards, electronic funds transfer, text to give and whatever channels you have – open up all the valves. And adjust or re-work your church’s giving website if the usability of it is lackluster. Now is the time. NOTE: Churches should also consider a “return envelope” strategy, particularly if there are a lot of older members who would use the self-addressed envelope to mail a check back to the church. Frankly, many older people understand and use digital banking and other technologies so don’t presume they need the old-fashioned way. But sending out envelopes to the church members is fairly inexpensive for a surprisingly great return. Listen to the Faithful for the Pulse Connecting with the most faithful givers in the church is a very effective way to get the pulse of what is happening in the congregation in terms of economic and income shifts. Some of the giving households at the top of the list are accustomed to direct and open conversations about money and will welcome a discussion. It is important for church leaders to connect with these households and express care for their family and curiosity about how this year has impacted their situation. Then ask them for advice or ideas on what the church may need to consider going forward. This is a sure-fire way for mutual encouragement. When the pastors we coach decide to reach out, they are always glad they did. Explain Contingency Plans and Expense Reduction This is the opportunity for the church to model proactivity. Healthy leaders will explain how the church has reduced expenses right away and is considering other “waves” of reduction that can be executed when and if necessary. Honesty is still the best policy. When church leaders explain the possible future scenarios that face the congregation with integrity and truth, it reduces the tendency for people to “invent their own narrative” about how the church is doing or what may be next. When trust in leadership builds, giving tends to increase. Be Proactive in Your Courage to Ask Do not be afraid to be direct in your request to individuals and the congregation in the wake of the stay at home phase. As a pastor, you will do it graciously. But do it courageously. People do not have to give. But they do need to know that it is needed and part of a healthy Jesus follower’s way of living. Not everyone has lost their job or lost income. Be empathetic with the possible nervousness people may have, but be calm and clear about reminding people about their opportunity to make an impact. We have already seen evidence that those with steady income will step up in recognition of their fellow church members who are without. What can pastors and church leaders do right away to utilize these best-practice concepts? 1) Conduct a teaching series on the generous life – the good news is you can use both the teachings of Jesus and the example of so many acts of generosity during the pandemic – there were so many! The teaching can be one part celebration, one part inspiration, and one part challenge. Ask small groups and Sunday School classes to process what they have learned so far in 2020 that should become the new normal in living the abundant life Jesus promoted. 2) Do more “State of the Church” updates than you normally would. In uncertain times, we want to minimize the guessing that people must do about the church, its solvency, its plans for the near future, and the long term. Often, church leaders will do this once per year. The way our lives have been destabilized in 2020 demands this kind of conversation with the congregation more often. Plus, for many churches, there is very good news about how God has used them during the time of crisis to serve each other and the community. Develop a way to regularly explain:
3) Create a re-entry team to help design the new normal even if this team only needs to meet a handful of times to explore the concepts in this article, ask members of the congregation to help navigate the uncharted waters of the future. Have them discuss ways to re-engage the congregation with the mission and get people back in connection with each other. Utilize the team to help gather feedback from the congregation – including formal and informal surveying of people to find out needs, concerns, and learning from the first half of 2020 that may impact the future of the congregation. This can be an exciting time for the church! SUSTAINED GENEROSITY IN THE LONG RUN Auxano Resourcing is a team of professionals who specialize in coaching churches to develop systems to grow generous disciples. Now we are back to talking about training for the marathon. From here forward, consider putting practices into place in your church that will produce a church body with generosity muscles that are trained and ready for the long-haul. Auxano has worked with churches all over the country to help them create pathways for people to practice and learn how to be giving in many different ways. Each church crafts its way of communicating these pathways to growth through their own context, theology and style – and the results are breathtaking. Not only do church leaders see increases in financial fuel for the mission (many churches see increases of 20% or more), but see members of the congregation grabbing a hold of that mission with new levels of intensity. Not surprisingly, Jesus was right – your heart follows your money and vice versa. Many leaders are already having conversations and attending webinars about being ready for the “new normal” phase over the second half of 2020. We will likely have a 2.0, 3.0, and other iterations of whatever is new and normal. And most of us are simply trying to discern as best we can – no one really knows how things will look. Greg Gibbs is a coffee roaster, consultant and author and regularly tries to convince his wife that he is an Organizational Communication guru. After 30 years and raising four children together, she is still not quite convinced. Greg has spent decades in the church world, advising leadership on vision clarity, fundraising process, and communication effectiveness. He and his wife reside in the suburbs of Detroit.
 What Just Happened to Our Fall 2020 Capital Campaign? We have been in a handful of conversations in the last few weeks with church leaders in the planning stages for a capital campaign. Shortly after they got a worship service online and began to stabilize the financial realities, the next looming question became the decision of go-no-go with the campaign slated for sometime before this Christmas. Not surprisingly, the decision is different in each context. But unavoidably, the current situation effects economics, people’s income, and the sense of fear or faith that people will exhibit during such a time. In short, these are all factors to consider in any capital campaign – they become especially poignant in 2020. The responses in the early part of this year seem to be running along a continuum. The one side is to call-off or Cancel. The other side is to Go Ahead. And likely most churches will be somewhere in between the two extremes. We will call those modes: Table, Re-Assess, and Shift. CANCEL In some situations, the economics just do not justify a capital campaign this year or in the near future. These are often situations where the nature of the crisis has sidelined many members of the congregation in terms of their income or job stability. Think Detroit in 2009 – where so many people literally left the state because jobs vanished overnight. For other churches, the pandemic era has made it clear that the direction their church was headed missionally may not be as appropriate as it felt or the changing landscape of how ministry will work going forward. It seems that every church will need to think differently about buildings and their use – especially when so many people are creatively and effectively designing ways to minister outside the building this year. TABLE To table something means that it is not over or canceled, but rather in a mode of being set aside for a later date. In other words, there are “bigger fish to fry” than the capital campaign for some churches because of the ways in which the pandemic has brought other things to the top of the priority list. A church may have the posture of, “Yes, we need this capital improvement, but it is probably not the top priority at this point. We will put it back on the table as soon as we are able, but let’s just not even try to make this happen right now.” As discouraging as this may be to some church leaders, it is perhaps the wisest thing to do in a certain context. In essence, a church may table a campaign if they know it will need to come around again (and cannot be canceled), but just don’t want to spend the organizational energy on it now. RE-ASSESS At this point, churches will need to re-assess for one of two major reasons: financial realities or vision fuzziness. Churches cannot operate under assumptions about the financial impact on their congregation. First of all, it is pastorally insensitive. Second, it is not helpful to have a utopian view of people’s ability or willingness to give extra contributions. Honest conversations need to be conducted, especially with the 20% that make up 80% of the giving. Also, the shifting sands may have revealed some fuzziness about your future as a church. What are we really called to do as a group of Jesus-following people on mission? What do we need to consider about the way we gather, commune or serve? Does our current capital campaign take into account (or get impacted by) any of these new ways we may need to execute our mission? SHIFT Because church campaigns happen, in all but very rare circumstances, at either two times of the year, some churches are just shifting by a few months. Campaigns are either between Labor Day and Christmas, or between New Year’s Day and Easter (depending on where it falls). For instance, if a church was planning on a fall 2020 campaign, it can be shifted fairly easily to a first quarter campaign next year. This delays the public phase of the campaign by only three or four months but allows for more distance between now (a state of uncertainty) to early 2021 (a state of more “new normal” even if we are not totally out of the woods). The work that needs to be done to organize for an effective and discipleship-based campaign can still happen this year so that efforts are not wasted. The public phase will just be executed after Christmas. GO AHEAD There are still quite a few churches that are in a “go ahead” mode. This includes churches that have a financial stability that is less threatened because of the work category of much of the congregation or the region of the country that is less affected by this economic instability. Other churches have urgency to their project that dictates they move ahead (e.g., “The school will no longer rent to us; we need a permanent facility.”). These churches understand that there may be some sort of impact to the overall total raised but see the timing as the highest priority as opposed to a “home run” campaign. This requires a discernment that still necessitates a check-in with members of the congregation – particularly high capacity donors that can significantly impact the total one way or the other. CUSTOMIZATION I recently talked with a Christian foundation in Atlanta that is choosing to have a nuanced version of the above options of Delay/Go Ahead. Their situation demands (for a number of reasons) that they move ahead on the timeline that they originally planned to raise capital. Their focus on church planting and developing future leaders is as urgent as ever. At the same time, they recognize that the ground is shifting this year almost by the day, but certainly every few weeks. The mode we collectively chose to move in was a go ahead with caution and with “pause” options. They are in a multi-phase journey of articulating vision, assessing donor buy-in, designing marketing and media, private conversations with major donors, and the public phase. In each step along the way (or each wave of effort and execution), we have committed to do a check-in to make sure we are still comfortable with moving to the next wave. If not, we will push “pause” until new information will cause us to act differently. The above continuum is not meant to presume that anyone has an unambiguous place in the five categories. But it may give your leadership team something to discuss and then pray about, seeking discernment from God and wise counsel.
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