NOW is the time to add a Christmas Offering this year. This gives you an unmatched opportunity to fully fund your missions efforts for 2020 AND encourage the spiritual growth of your people.
But first — what is a Christmas Offering?
A Christmas offering is, by definition, a special offering given during a set period of time around Christmas that encourages people to give over and above their regular tithes and offerings.
Here are some key questions you need to ask now as you prepare:
1. Pray: Should I do a Christmas offering or not?
Understand that this is not just a “fundraising opportunity.” It’s not just about raising money. It goes much deeper; giving is linked to spiritual growth.
Couple that with the fact that Christmas is a time when many people let their spiritual growth slide. They easily get caught up in the season’s consumerism mentality. But by establishing and promoting a Christmas Offering, you can encourage them to spend on Kingdom purposes. People grow when they give sacrificially.
2. Team: Who will be on my team for Christmas Offering success?
Your team will develop the plan, study the process and help promote it to the church. But remember that you will have to lead this team as the lead pastor. The key is to ensure that your team gives their full support to the Christmas Offering and that they are committed to giving sacrificially.
[bctt tweet=”People grow when they give sacrificially.” username=”nelsonsearcy”]3. Focus: What will be our three or four focus areas?
People give to vision. Is there a cause they can get behind? Be clear on what that is to raise the value of the Christmas Offering and gain support for it.
I suggest that you choose two to three focus areas when you start. Possible causes include:
- International Missions
- Local Missions
- Evangelism
- Outreach to Needy
- Benevolence Fund
- Children’s Ministry
- Youth Ministry
- Senior’s Ministry
- Partner Church Plant
- New Location
Touch the hearts of your people. They are thinking about giving at Christmas — why not challenge them to give a gift to Jesus.
4. Learn: Secure the updated version of the Christmas Offering resource
It’s not too late to conduct an effective Christmas Offering but you must get started now. Ideally, it’s best to decide and begin the Christmas Offering process by early November; however, it is possible to start as late as early December. The earlier you start, the greater the impact. But even if you start late, there’s still time for significant Kingdom impact.
[bctt tweet=”Touch the hearts of your people. They are thinking about giving at Christmas — why not challenge them to give a gift to Jesus.” username=”nelsonsearcy”]Ready to plan your Christmas offering and raise two to five times your weekly offering?
Incorporate these lessons and those from my Revised & Updated resource, How to Plan and Conduct an Effective Christmas Offering.
Over 90% of my coaching alumni do a Christmas Offering and raise on average one “extra month” of giving at the end of the year — imagine an extra month’s worth of giving to support missions, expansion and Kingdom initiatives! This one resource will pay for itself 16 times to 300 times depending on the goal that you set.
Your partner in ministry,
Nelson
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