If you’ve listened to my Stewardship Seminar then you know that I’m a fan of quarterly giving statements. The IRS only requires that you send “Giving Statements” once a year (in January) to everyone who has given financially to your church but I recommend you do it four times a year.

Even if you can’t send giving statements four times a year, let me highly suggest that you do a mid-year giving statement. In fact, if you jump on it, you could probably get it mailed out this week or next.

We are currently putting the final touches on our mid-year giving statements which will be mailed out next week (I recommend you mail them as opposed to emailing them).  Here’s what we are including:

– An update letter and challenge from me.  You can download the rough draft of my Mid-Year Giving Statement Letter by clicking here. (Note: I offer this letter to you as an example only)

– A unique giving statement that shows what each family has given between Jan 1 and June 30, 2008 (our accounting software makes this pretty easy to print)

– An Auto-Debit from. You can download ours here. Feel free to complete it and send it back to us – I suggest you start at $500 per month!  OK, seriously, check with your bank before you ‘adopt’ our format.  Some banks are more friendly to auto-debit set-up than others.

– A small free gift. We only do a free gift with our mid-year giving letters.  I want the envelope to be ‘lumpy’ so people will open it.

– A postage paid giving envelope that people can use to send in their next tithe/offering.

We place all this in an oversize envelope and mail it at the non-profit rate (we will send our third quarter update via first class mail so we can get the new addresses form the Post Office for anyone that has moved).  Overall, this costs us pennies a piece but the return on it is incredible!

Here’s a few of the benefits of a mid-year giving statement:

– A great way to communicate vision

– A great way to challenge people during the summer slump

– A great way to shepherd your people by showing them what they have given

– A great way to keep your stewardship system tight

– A great way to lower end of the year edits to giving statements

– A great way to honor God by reporting to those who are supporting your church

Plus so much more.  I can promise you that your people will appreciate the statement if you do it well and make it attractive and professional.

So get started…even if you can’t get this out until early August, I still recommend you do it.  Let me know if you have any questions.

Nelson

P.S. Here are two additional Stewardship Resources for you:

1- The brand new podcast with Steve Stroope, author of Money Matters and Church and Senior Pastor of Lakepointe Church, click here to listen now.

2- My bestselling seminar on developing extravagant givers in your church, click here to learn more about The Stewardship Seminar

© Nelson Searcy. All Rights Reserved.

About Nelson Searcy

Nelson Searcy is an experienced church growth strategist, pastor, church planter and coach, consulting with churches around the world. As founder of Church Leader Insights and the Renegade Pastors Network, he has personally trained more than 3,500 church leaders in over 45 denominations through live events, seminars and monthly coaching. Nelson is also the Founding and Lead Pastor of The Journey Church, with locations across New York City and in Boca Raton, FL. Nelson and his church routinely appear on lists such as “The 50 Most Influential Churches” and “The 25 Most Innovative Leaders.” He is the author of over 100 church growth resources and 18+ books, including The Renegade Pastor: Abandoning Average in Your Life, Ministry and The Difference Maker: Using Your Everyday Life for Eternal Impact, and At the Cross with the People Who Were There. He and his wife, Kelley, have one son, Alexander.