Surplus: The dollar amount you receive in undesignated giving to the General Fund by December 31 (or the end of your church fiscal year) above and beyond what the approved budget calls for.  Be careful your budget is not a bare-bones, “necessities only,” type of budget.  While it should not be artificially inflated or padded, neither should the budget be balanced on the backs of underpaid staff members.  Nor should it fail to include adequate insurance, savings for capital expenditures, and an “emergency fund.”  A good budget is not one that is simply “low enough we can meet it.” A good budget is fair, balanced, realistic, and contains an element of faith.  

Before you read any further, let me tell you this idea is tried and tested.  We did it at the church I pastored.  It was an exciting time and truly motivational, but we also learned how you handle the surplus is critical. 

Here’s the idea and a few tips for making it work for you.  First, construct a realistic, healthy budget that is a bit of a stretch.  Don’t utilize this idea in a budget year in which salaries have been slashed, missions is limping, and there is no safety net in place for the church.  (By the way, the recommended percent churches should have on hand in accessible funds for emergencies is a minimum of 20%.)  If you are not in that kind of position, then this idea is not for you.  If you are in a healthy place, then this idea can spur great excitement and challenge your people to even greater generosity in giving.

Second, go through all the right channels to get approval before you make any big announcements.  This idea really works best if you announce it about the same time you go for budget approval.  The second-best time is early in the fiscal year.  (About now, if you’re on a calendar-year budget cycle.)

Third, make an announcement and public commitment that whenever the church General Fund giving meets the total annual amount called for, then the church will give away every cent received that year after the total has been met.  For example, let’s assume your church operates on a calendar year and your annual budget is $260,000.  To meet budget requires $5000 every week on average.  However, most churches will be behind budget at December 1, so we’ll include that assumption. All along you have been reminding people of the commitment to give away whatever comes in over budget.  Now for most churches December is the best month for receipts.  And let’s say that by the second Sunday of December, you’ve had two great offerings, the budget deficit has been made up, and in fact, the annual budget of $260,000 has been met!  Then you get up in the pulpit the next Sunday and praise the Lord and thank the people.  You tell them that whatever they give to the Lord on the third and fourth Sundays of December and through the end of the year will be set aside in a special savings account to be given away as quickly as possible in the first quarter of the new year.

In our church this created an extreme excitement about giving!  People were not only faithful with their normal tithes and offerings, but they were also extra generous.  People want to give, but they want to give to a vision that is bigger than the utility bill. 

From my personal experience, I now recommend that a special team of advisors be formed—including some of your generous givers.  Let them solicit ideas from the congregation as to where the surplus should be given.  Then challenge them with the task of making a recommendation to the Board as to where to give the extra funds.  (If you want to know what we did, send an email to Linden@excel-ministries.com.  I’ll share some of the creative ideas our people had for impacting their community and the world with the gospel of Christ.)

Make decisions as quickly as possible so you can maintain momentum and excitement for giving.  When the decisions have been made, perhaps some recipients can be invited to church on various Sundays to receive the checks.  Incorporate testimonies from givers and recipients as to what this experience means to them.  Whatever you do, get ready to bless others with the surplus, be sure to celebrate, thank your faithful givers, and give glory to God!

(c) Linden D. Kirby. Excel Ministries, Inc. 2012. All rights reserved.

Increasing giving at your church is not simply a short-term consideration.  Too many churches are dependent week-to-week on what comes in through the Sunday offering.  There is no cushion, no savings, and no serious thought beyond the current budgetary need.  Every year the same people wring their hands over the same issues. 

Perhaps it is time to think down the road.  What are you doing this year to help your church be better financially prepared for the future?  How can you invest in long-range givers so that they learn ways to prudently prepare for their own futures and, at the same time, strengthen the future of the church they love? 

Has your church ever received a planned gift or bequest? If not, you can change that.  Teach your people long-term stewardship and you create for them the opportunity to make a Kingdom difference even after they’re gone.  At the same time you may create a stronger financial future for your church. 

No church can ever calculate future income from planned gifts and bequests.  However, by providing education and opportunities for planned giving now, you increase the likelihood that there will be times in the future when your church is blessed by unexpected legacy gifts.  

One church I know provided free Estate Planning services to their people for years.  Recently when a certain senior citizen graduated to glory, that church received estate gifts valued at a few hundred thousand dollars.  “Who would have thought,” the pastor commented, “that this quiet saint would have done so much for her church through her death.  She stood off to the side during her lifetime, and I’m sure many people never noticed her. But through her estate planning she left the church a huge gift and a blessing for generations.” 

Investigate ways you can provide biblical estate planning education to your people.  EXCEL has always recommended “Estate Planning for Christians” as a part of the Continuation plan for every church involved in one of our capital campaigns.  Now, that same seminar (and the free one-on-one confidential follow-ups) is available to all churches—even those not considering a capital campaign.  Your denomination may offer its own special planned giving seminar. Some Christian estate planning attorneys make free presentations. 

If you look down the road and don’t like where your church is headed, you can change direction today.  By inspiring and discipling long-term givers, you may transform their stewardship legacy and set your church on an entirely new course. 

(c) Linden D. Kirby, Excel Ministries, Inc. 2012. All rights reserved.

Let’s take the second reason first.  If you think kids in America don’t have much money, think again.  The average 8- to 17-year-old makes more than a dozen trips to the mall each month and each one spends about $3600 there a year.  Look at the stuff they have—phones, computers, iPads, etc.  Even if some of these things are gifts, their stuff indicates their standard of living is high. 

Where’s the money coming from?  Their jobs and their parents.  While it’s true that it’s been harder for teens to find jobs recently, still 18.6 million youths between the ages of 16 and 24 years were employed last summer.  And many of those that couldn’t find “real” jobs were doing things like babysitting.  And many more still received allowances. If mom and dad are providing for all their basic needs, then by definition all the money they have is discretionary.

What if young people were taught to give to God?  There’s no better time to start than now.  While it is primarily the parents’ responsibility to teach their children (“Teens and Stuff”), the church can help.

Take a quick look at the resources available. Crown Financial Ministries offers about a dozen resources for teaching stewardship.  It’s age-graded, too, starting at age three!  Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace resources also start at age three.  Plus they have some special stuff for Church Youth Groups, too.  Additionally, check out the resources available through your denomination.

The days of Sunday School offerings may be gone.  However, many churches do have special youth/teen/student worship services.  I wonder if we are teaching giving as worship or do we allow the kids just to be consumers?  In every EXCEL capital campaign we urge youth pastors to help teach their students about sacrifice.  It’s a vital part of the church’s calling. 

There is no better time than now to reach “the next generation” with the message of stewardship.  In doing so, you fulfill the biblical mandate to “make disciples . . . teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Mt. 28:19, 20). And in the process you create a new Christian steward who may enjoy the blessing of generosity for the rest of their life.  

(c) Linden D. Kirby.  Excel Ministries, Inc.  2012. All rights reserved.

Make a list of all your church information channels.  Here’s a sampling to start your thinking:

• Website
• Bulletin
• Worship Service Verbal Announcements
• Pre-Worship Service Slides
• Newsletter
• Pastor’s Blog
• Letters with Giving Statements
• Cards in Pews
• Budget
• Annual Report

Next, decide who the primary audience is for each channel.  The website is probably the most open and accessible to everyone.  (A notable exception is if you have a password-protected area for “members only.”)  What is your most exclusive communication channel?  You may be hard-pressed to figure it out.  In many churches everything is public, and that means nearly every communication piece is targeted to almost exactly the same audience.

I would suggest that every church needs a “members only” communication channel.  Using this channel, you can communicate sensitive information that only members care about and only members need to know.  This is the channel you should use to talk about budget shortfalls and other such sensitive “family” information.

The church budget is like a butterfly.  You chase it all year long, never knowing if you will catch it. Not until December 31 do you know for sure if you’ve been successful.  So why do churches put that information in the Sunday bulletin which is the first piece of printed information about your church that is handed to a first-time guest?  In many cases, the giving stats will show that the church is “behind budget” 52 weeks of the year.  Even if all bills are currently paid, and “those in the know” understand that “we always run behind budget until we receive December’s offerings,” it’s a dismal portrait to paint for a first-time guest. 

But please note: I am not saying that you don’t communicate relevant budget information.  I’m just saying that budget information, in my opinion, is not relevant for church guests.  It is extremely relevant (if reported well) for members, regular attenders, and givers.  And probably even for those in the “New Members” class. I don’t discuss my family budget (be it shortfalls or surpluses) except with family, and the church should treat its financial information with the same discretion.

Correctly targeted financial communication affects giving positively.  Good information dispersed to the right people helps them to give intelligently.  The same numbers given without explanation through a public communication channel can discourage giving.

Why not make this a topic of discussion among your leaders who have the authority to make communication decisions?  Decide how to target your church communications so that you are always communicating the right things to the right people.

© Linden D. Kirby. Excel Ministries, Inc.  2012. All rights reserved. 

“It” may be vision.  “It” may be the reason for a capital campaign.  “It” may be the life changes God is bringing through your church’s ministry.  Whatever “it” is, as the leader, you think everyone is getting “it.”  But there are many different learning styles, and some people don’t tune in unless the message is delivered in their preferred style.  Also, the average parishioner is not in church every week.  Therefore, you have to deliver important messages using various channels and deliberate repetition.

Most churches seem shy to communicate about financial matters.  I guess they are afraid of over-communication.  OK, I understand.  (And if the message is negative, perhaps there is such a thing as over-communication.)  However, the giving statement is a perfect opportunity to communicate with givers about all kind of stewardship matters.  That’s why I recommend that you consider increasing the frequency of sending giving statements to quarterly.

I know that if your Financial Secretary is a volunteer, then that may sound onerous to them.  Yes, there is a significant cost of time and postage involved, too.  But please consider it.  Here’s why.  Studies show that if you want to be top-of-mind with your message, the very least you must do is communicate quarterly.  (How often do you get mailings from Christian non-profits that you support?)

Of course, for a long time now your church has never sent a giving statement without a letter saying “THANKS!”  And you always use this letter as an opportunity to communicate your message of life change happening because of your church’s ministry, right?  People give to vision.  They don’t give to need.  And so every opportunity you can take to say thanks to your supporters is another opportunity to also communicate vision.  When people know that their giving is making a difference, they want to give more.

Use those personal testimonies that we encouraged in “Idea #3.”  Get them transcribed and edited.  Or simply extract a powerful quote.  It’s another way to leverage work you’ve already done, strategically repeat a good message, and deliver it again through another learning channel.

I like the giving statement because people expect you to talk about stewardship matters in that type of communication.  However, if you simply cannot move to a quarterly statement, then find another way to tell the good news.  Put testimonies in your newsletter.  Utilize your pastor’s blog. Put the stories onto your website. 

Whatever you do, get the word out.  God is alive!  The Spirit is moving in your church!  Jesus is in the life-transformation business!  Hearing those stories inspires faithful giving. 

(c) Linden D. Kirby. Excel Mnistries, Inc. 2012. All Rights Reserved.

You can honor and surprise your first-time givers by sending them a little personal note AND a longer, more official letter at the same time.  Here’s how.

Most churches I work with tell me they have strict confidentiality standards.  Usually this means, the pastor does not know how much anyone gives.  Typically, only a very few people ever have access to individual giving records.  In most cases, this means the Financial Secretary, their assistant, and maybe one Elder or staff person on a need-to-know basis.  So assuming such a standard, how can the pastor send a personal thank-you note to first-time givers?

Really, it’s simple.  Just get a box of nice thank-you notes—better yet, print up something with the church name and logo on them.  And write a personal note to “Dear Friend.”  You can say something like “Even though I don’t know your name, I want to say thank you for your gift to the Lord through ___ Church last Sunday.  Your giving means your heart is here with us (Mt. 6:21), and we praise God for you.  Together we can all grow closer to Jesus and even more effective in reaching our God-given vision of . . . .  Please let me know if I can serve you in any way.  God bless you!”  And, of course, you will personally sign it.

Along with your note, have the Financial Secretary enclose a personalized letter that they have also personally signed.  That letter should also thank the donor for giving and spell out relevant financial procedures so that the new giver knows what to expect.  In the letter you can:

1. Share a testimony of a changed life, so the giver knows how their gifts to your church are making a difference for Christ.
2. Explain any financial policies that they may want to know about. For example mention the confidentiality standard that has prevented the pastor from being able to address them by name.  Also, do you send out financial statements once a year or quarterly?
3. Tell them how to give through your church website.
4. Inform them of upcoming stewardship classes or seminars such as EXCEL's Dollars & $ense.
5. Provide them with a name and contact information to use if they ever have any questions about giving.
6. Give them a small gift, such as a book, that has potential to impact their stewardship development.  (Send a note through the "contact us" page and I'll send you my top three picks.)

With a little time and attention, you can make your first-time donors feel truly appreciated.  This little extra effort is so extremely rare, your donors will feel pleasantly surprised and specially honored.  And what effect might that have on their faithfulness in giving? 

(c) Linden D. Kirby. Excel Ministries, Inc. 2012.  All rights reserved.

Jesus talked about money.  His recorded parables talk about money two-thirds of the time.  I conclude that He thought His disciples needed to hear about money if they were to understand what it means to follow Him.  And although I have never personally counted, they say over 2000 verses in the Bible deal with money and possessions. 

Sometimes I wonder if church leaders have drunk the devil’s Kool-Aid on the subject of finances.  He would certainly like us to not talk about it much.  But Jesus said “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Mt. 6:21).  So if preachers want their people to have their hearts fully surrendered to God, then they have got to talk about stewardship of resources.  After salvation, everything else is stewardship!

If you preach on stewardship themes regularly and deliberately, you don’t need to read any further. But I continue to encounter pastors who tell me things like “I never preach on money.  I don’t have to.  Our people are such good givers, I don’t have to talk about stewardship.”  Hey, I’m glad your people are good givers.  But that means they got it from 1) their Bible and/or 2) their parents and/or 3) some other preacher.  Did you ever think about that?  Are you helping to develop the next generation of good givers?

Besides, no one is saying you should browbeat your parishioners.  Nobody likes a guilt trip about not giving.  That’s no fun for the preacher or the listeners.  But how teaching on the joys of generosity?  Now there’s a positive topic!

The Bible says “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7).  The words cheerful and giver can go together!  Ray Berryman, CEO for a national municipal services firm, says “My joy in giving comes from serving God in a way that I know He’s called me to and realizing that what I give is impacting people for Christ.  It’s exciting to know we’re part of evangelizing, discipling, helping, and feeding the needy.  It just feels wonderful and fulfilling.”*  Listen to all those positive, upbeat words. 

If you want to grow giving in your church, grow givers.  Use those testimonies we talked about in Idea #3.  Share boldly from God’s Word.  Don’t wait for a crisis.  Put it into your preaching plan to help people.  Do it with the same motive as the Apostle Paul: “Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account” (Phil. 4:17).  What pastor wouldn’t want that for his people?

*The Treasure Principle, Randy Alcorn, p. 18. 

(c) Linden D. Kirby, Excel Ministries, Inc.  2012.  All rights reserved.

And so it is that 50.2 million households in America are “hung over” with an average total tab of $15,799.*  How many of them are in your church? Do you think debt drags them down spiritually?  Do you think monthly credit card payments affect their freedom to give to the Lord’s work?

Proverbs 22:7 warns “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.” Jesus told us plainly “No one can serve two masters.  Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and Money” (Mt. 6:24).  So, someone carrying credit card debt has a loyalty dilemma.  When part of the paycheck is obligated to the lending company, then the creditor is not 100% free to give all to God.

Here’s the positive way to look at it:  The freer your people are from debt, the more responsive they can be toward God.  Help your people get out of debt and you will remove a major roadblock to their spiritual growth and maturity. 

Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University is hugely popular in evangelical churches right now.  Crown ministries has tons of practical biblical resources available for Christians of all age groups.  Here at EXCEL, we offer the Dollars & $ense™ seminar to help Christians find the freedom of living by the seven principles of Managing Money God’s Way.  (Check it out here.)  Whatever course you choose, do something this year to help your people get out of debt.  The sooner you do, the sooner they will break free from the bondage of debt.  The sooner they break free, the sooner they will know the full freedom that being debt-free brings.

*Ben Woolsey and Matt Schulz, www.creditcards.com

© Linden D. Kirby, Excel Ministries, Inc. 2012.  All rights reserved.

That’s what Paul meant when he remarked that he had been bragging to others about the Corinthian believers’ extraordinary zeal for giving.  He told them “your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action” (2 Cor. 9:2).  It’s the power of a positive example.

That can happen in your church, too.  There has been too much “hiding your light under a bushel” (Mt. 5:15 & 16).  So, let your light shine!  Find a few people who enjoy giving.  Look for those who have been consistent in their generosity.  Gather a group of people who have proven God’s faithfulness.  And help them develop brief testimonies of how God’s principles of stewardship have worked out practically in their lives.

Understandably, people don’t want to bring attention to themselves.  In fact, Jesus warns about trumpeting good deeds with a motive of self-promotion (Mt. 6:1-4).  However, a testimony well delivered isn’t about “me.” It’s a story about God and His faithfulness as it applies to one’s life.

Recently in a church that EXCEL served, an 80-year-old widow was asked to share her stewardship testimony.  She read 2 Kings 4:1-17, shared her own personal story of how God had provided for her over the last 25 years, and how confident she is that God will continue to meet all her needs.  In both morning worship services her brief message received ovations.  People spontaneously began to praise God for His wonderful provision for this child of His.  That’s the power of a personal testimony! 

In Not Your Parents’ Offering Plate, J. Clif Christopher says he would like to see that “at least one testimony is presented to the congregation each week.  The best place for this is worship and the backup would be in the newsletter” (p. 86). Realistically, I think that’s too frequent to be feasible—especially if your church is starting from ground zero. But how about once a month?  An important pointer for success is “Don’t let anyone feel they are alone.”  Be sure this is part of an on-going effort.  It would be embarrassing to your first presenters if they ended up being the only ones who took the risk of sharing and were left out on the limb alone.

My friend, Brian Fort, has a simple one-page tool to assist in planning these brief stewardship talks.  If you would like to have a free copy of this practical tool, just let me know by responding to this email, and we’ll send one out to you.

There’s nothing more effective than sharing Scripture at the offering time illustrated by a life that has been impacted by God’s stewardship truths.  It is a powerful tool to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Heb. 10:24).

© Linden D. Kirby, Excel Ministries, Inc. 2012. All rights reserved.

To most people–Protestants at least–I suppose that a worship service is composed of primarily two elements: singing and listening to a sermon.  In some circles, a celebration of communion is also an indispensable part of weekly worship.  While I cannot imagine a church worship service without some opportunity to give (“the offering”), as a matter of fact, in most services it is given less time and less emphasis than the announcements.  Indeed, the announcements are more sacrosanct than the offering.

I recognize this blog is being read by church leaders who are from two different camps.  Most churches do include a time for “the offering” during the normal order of worship.  Some may receive the offering before the message. Some place the offering at the end as a response to the Word of God.  However, there is another group of churches that do not receive an offering as part of the worship hour.  These churches typically have an offering box of some sort placed near the doors, and worshippers are encouraged to place their gift in the box on the way out.  Sometimes this is referred to as a “retiring” offering because it is given as one leaves, or retires from, the room.

A retiring offering may be appropriate as a way to give an extra gift for benevolence or a one-time special cause.  However, if that is the method used to receive the tithes and offerings of the church every Sunday, I fear it sends the message that giving is an afterthought. 

Psalm 96:8 says “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts” [emphasis mine].  A sacrifice, an offering, a gift to God has always been a part of worship.  The same pattern continues in the New Testament.  Paul instructed followers of Christ to set aside a sum of money “on the first day of the week” (1 Cor. 16:2).  If you elevate the offering in your worship services, you will teach people that giving to God is an indispensable part of worship.

   (c) Linden D. Kirby, Excel Ministries, Inc. 2012. All rights reserved.