Give exact figures for how much money is needed if you are collecting donations for a specific cause. Share what your need is when doing the announcements before a service begins. Put information somewhere it can be found in print by congregants. A weekly printed bulletin, online at the church’s website, or on the church’s social media pages are great places to share this information.
Spend a few weeks every year teaching about the Bible and money. Use scripture to illuminate what the Bible teaches about material belongings. Giving is something that benefits both the church and its members. The Bible teaches that “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” (Proverbs 11:25). [3] X Research source
Offer support groups for people to talk about personal budgeting, tithing, getting out of debt, and saving for the future. [5] X Research source Offer financial peace workshops where you will work with congregants to tackle their budget, debt, spending habits, and future planning to help them take responsibility for what has been given to them. Remember that as you talk about the church’s finances and stewardship, you also have a responsibility to lead your congregants in their financial decisions. [6] X Research source
This will also help keep the leadership staff accountable to be good stewards of the church’s finances. Transparency removes the temptation to abuse power and enables everyone to operate in the open. Have a biannual or quarterly meeting that is open to the congregants where the finances of the church, as well as potential expenses and goals, are clearly laid out.
Itemize how donations were used line-by-line to account for given funds. You most likely know the cost of everything that was purchased (food items, plane tickets, a contractor) and can share this information with your congregation. If the donations you collected went towards a certain event, create a slideshow or video to share during a service to highlight the event.
Is there a general fund into which excess donations would go? If so, provide a balance of the input and output of that fund to your congregation. Were you able to do something additional or extra special because of the excess donations? Share with your congregation what that was.
Have a stack of envelopes available near where the weekly bulletins are stacked. If you have pews, put a few envelopes in front of each seat on a weekly basis. You can purchase envelopes specifically for church giving at church supply stores or online. Have a secure box for envelopes to be deposited into. Make sure this box locks and that when it is emptied there are two people who deal with the donations together. This eliminates temptation to take donations and ensures funds are managed properly. [11] X Research source
Link to your donation site from your church’s main website. You may be able to use services like PayPal or even go directly through your Facebook page. This also give members of your church the ability to print records of their charitable giving throughout the year.
Ideas for a special giving opportunity are supporting a missions organization you believe in, raising money for a neighborhood need (like planting a community garden), or hosting a holiday packing party to distribute goods to the underserved in your community. Ask your congregation or leadership team for ideas, too. You may be surprised to find out what people are passionate about or have connections to already. Perhaps you want to sponsor meals for children in need for 3 months through an organization in your community—share with your congregation how much money is needed to meet this goal. Pick a deadline for raising the funds. Create a visual tracker to show how much progress is being made toward that goal. Make this goal community-oriented and visual, so that everyone is aware of it and can participate.
