Today’s blog comes to us from my friend and stewardship mentor Steve Stroope as an excerpt from his book, Money Matters in Church: A Practical Guide for Leaders. Steve is lead pastor of the multi-campus Lake Pointe Church near Dallas, Texas. Under his leadership, the congregation has grown from 57 members in 1980 to a current attendance of more than … Read More
8 Ways to Avoid the Summer Slump – and Increase Your Stewardship – Part 2
There are many proven things you can do to avoid a “summer slump” in stewardship. Today we continue with Part 2 of my 8 ways to not just glide through the summer – but GROW. (To read Part 1, click here.) 5. Preach on giving. Biggest felt need during the summer – breaking free from debt. We’ll do a debt-free Sunday right in the … Read More
8 Ways to Avoid the Summer Slump – and Increase Your Stewardship – Part 1
Summer is fast approaching and you have two options in your approach – plan in the summer or beg in the fall. The prevailing myth is that you can’t avoid the so-called “summer slump.” But I challenge you today – be careful about buying into those average ways of thinking. You CAN flatten that summer dip – and make sure … Read More
New Year’s Half Off Sale – Ends Friday!
As we wrap up this year today, I want you to kick-start 2015 with maximum energy and impact! My first resolution is to help you do exactly that by equipping you with the resources you need – so I’m giving you dozens of my most powerful training resources for up to 50% off in the BIG NEW YEAR’S HALF OFF SALE! There are over … Read More
NOW is the time – Planning an Effective Christmas Offering
If the latest Target commercial (and their store shelves for that matter) is any leading indicator – we’re officially in the holiday season! So are you prepared? I’m not talking about making your Christmas lists or even decorating for Christmas services. The real question is whether you’ve started preparing for your Christmas offering. Now, I know what you may be thinking: People’s … Read More
Call Out Your Congregation – Let’s Do a Tithe Challenge
By now someone in your church has been called out to take the Ice Bucket Challenge. But what if you could challenge your congregation spiritually? While it doesn’t involve dumping icy cold water on people, it does require your church to get out of their comfort zone and further impact the Kingdom. Challenge your people to tithe – just for 90 days … Read More
Christmas in November– Preparing for Your Christmas Offering NOW!
As the old carol says about Christmas, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” But when does that “time of the year” actually begin? Have you noticed the way retailers have started putting out Christmas displays as early as September? Every year, the push toward Christmas seems to come earlier and earlier. By October, children are making their Christmas … Read More
How the Tithe Challenge Helps Your Congregation Grow Spiritually
The number one reason to do a Tithe Challenge is to grow the people in your church. The Tithe Challenge is really about discipleship. Perhaps the most profound equation I’ve ever heard regarding stewardship in a local church is that stewardship equals discipleship. I first heard Randy Alcorn say it. but since then I’ve heard others mention this concept — it … Read More
Why Should Your Church do a Tithe Challenge?
I think this is a worthy question, “Why do a tithe challenge?” I could give you a list of probably 20 reasons, but here are my top five reasons: 1) It grows the people in your church. It disciples the people in your church. It grows them closer to God. It grows them more like Christ. The tithe challenge, even though … Read More
What is a Tithe Challenge?
Early on as pastor at The Journey in New York City, I tackled a message series on stewardship. During the second message, we decided to hit hard on the importance of bringing the full tithe to God. I just shot right to the heart of the issue and let everyone know they should be tithing– this was our first tithe … Read More