Recurring giving is so important. It's the money that your church can count on to budget, and when you see a gradual uptick in both the amount of recurring givers & the average recurring donation size, it allows you to do what God has called you to do even sooner.
We asked some local pastors what they have done to Grow their recurring giving over the years and here is some of what was shared:
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Teach People to Start Somewhere
The hardest part of change is starting. It is no different with your givers who want to tithe. The givers journey usually starts small & only grows from there. Set up recurring giving at 1%, after a few months challenge them to go up and so on. If becoming like Jesus is a process, so is the journey towards being a generous giver. -
Communicate the Importance of Consistency
Share with your church the Biblical reasons for financial generosity, but take one step further and consider sharing the practical reasons why setting up a recurring gift is best for the church - it helps you budget as you look ahead and plan to reach more people for Christ. Maybe they already give, but get them to setup a recurring donation & they will be even more generous. Man, people simply don't set up recurring giving because they don't realize it's important to you. -
Don't Skirt the Issue, Teach the Bible
Don't be timid in asking, as with all fundraising, be bold, be direct and don't apologize. We teach Biblical generosity in our churches. Remind your believers that our generosity is simply our natural response to an understanding of the generosity of our good God. When people remind themselves of the overwhelming generosity of our God, their natural response will be the give back to the One who gave us more than we deserve. -
Tell Success Stories
When you talk about giving in your services, show a video while the offering buckets are being passed. Share testimonies of faithful givers who have been blessed. Also share videos showing where your givers' money is going - helping feed and shelter the homeless in your community, building clean wells in foreign countries, or rescuing women and children from human trafficking. When people clearly see what their generosity goes to, they are more likely to not only give, but give in abundance!
Growing your recurring giving is not a set formula, or else every church would have higher numbers. But, these are some practical and helpful reminders for you and your team as you continue to do what God has called you to do.
The 4 Steps to Unleash Generosity Overview
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Step 1: Getting Buy-In From Your Team
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Step 3: Launching Your Custom Church App
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Step 4: Launch Weekend & Beyond