Why People Give
I grew up in a church where money was rarely talked about. I say “rarely” instead of “never” just in case I happened to miss something the preacher might have said. I imagine there must have been some public teaching that warned people about serving money instead of God, but I can’t recall this message being linked to the idea that money was needed for church ministry. Instead, the silence taught me that giving was personal and private. An offering box sat at the back of the sanctuary, providing equal convenience to the discreet giver and the regular avoider. It also cemented the idea that money and the church were two separate topics.
People have different reasons for giving, but church leaders can greatly strengthen or hinder this potential. Part of this hinges on the words that come from the stage (here are 7 phrases to avoid saying), but another critical part is the giving philosophy that is established and demonstrated by church leaders. By philosophy, I’m referring to the core values that churches have about money and the methods they use to mobilize ministry.
Many pastors don’t see the importance of developing a giving philosophy, but my friend Mike Penninga, the former Senior Pastor of Kelowna Gospel Fellowship, has grown to understand how giving is connected to personal and corporate transformation. Mike has developed a giving philosophy that fits his understanding of Scripture and the reasons why people typically choose to give. His observations cause him to believe that people have four primary reasons for giving:
People give when they believe in the mission
Giving is fueled by the belief that a church is doing something that matters. A person becomes a likely donor when they make the connection between what a church is doing and what they personally care about.
The inverse of this statement is also true: people rarely give money to a cause they don’t believe in. For example, many people feel leery about giving cash to panhandlers. This uneasiness is mostly rooted in the question of how this money will be used. Will it provide food, shelter, or another essential need? Or will it fund a different expense that the giver would not support? It’s not enough for churches to have a mission statement; churches must demonstrate their mission and celebrate when it’s being accomplished. If your church’s mission is unknown, hard to remember, or under-emphasized, you’re making it difficult for people to give. (If you find yourself in this position, you can benefit from MinistryLift training on how to create an effective mission statement and how to develop a strategic plan to accomplish this mission).
People give when they trust the leadership
Trust has become a buzzword in recent years—not because it’s trendy, but because it’s transformational. David Horsager describes trust as the distinguishing mark between leaders who get results and those who don’t. Trust is formed when multiple character qualities are made evident over time—it can take years to build and moments to erode.
Trusting a church with money goes beyond trusting how the money will be used. It involves trusting the leaders who are making key decisions about the church’s trajectory and course. Carey Nieuwhof defines trust as confidence—it’s the belief in someone’s reliability (I recommend reading his piece called How to Tell Who You Can Truly Trust in Leadership).
How can you know if your congregation trusts your leadership team? I believe this question is highly dependent on how well they know your team. Do you provide ongoing ways for your leadership team to listen to the congregation? Does your leadership team have a track record of communicating well and admitting shortcomings when mistakes are made? Are your leaders widely respected individuals who show love and care to the rest of the community?
People give when they see good stewardship
What is “good” stewardship and what does it look like? Admittedly, it depends on the eye of the beholder and there are multiple ways that people “see” stewardship. Givers want the assurance that the money they’re contributing will be used wisely to accomplish the church’s mission. Unless they “see” this, they won’t know for sure if they’re making a good investment.
Church leaders should always have a ready answer for this question: “How does ‘x’ expense help us accomplish our mission?”
When it comes to good stewardship, your greatest allies are budgets and storytelling. Your budget tells people how your mission will be funded. The stories you share tell people how your mission is being accomplished. These two pieces work together like peanut-butter and jelly.
People give when they have convenient ways to give
The offering plate was once the primary way that donations were received. I visited a church many years ago that passed offering plates during their time of worship and then did it again because the first round didn’t provide enough. It was surprising to watch, but this was more than 15 years ago. The weekly offering was their only way to receive donations.
Mike told me that donations to his church through cash and cheques accounted for around one-third of their donations. That’s a far cry from passing around the plates again! The primary way that people were giving was through online banking, followed by pre-authorized debit, and online through PayPal.
Ministry giving has completely changed from a decade ago. If your church hasn’t adapted and found additional ways to receive donations, you will lose more and more donors who prefer alternate ways of sending money. There are pros and cons to each method that should be considered. So start there—consider additional ways that people can give.
What's next?
There are many helpful resources out there (this short book changed my thinking), but how these ideas apply to each church is different. You need to develop a giving philosophy that fits your setting and then connect it to a communications plan. If you’d like more information on how to strengthen your approach, I invite you to contact me to discuss how MinistryLift can provide you with a customized stewardship plan.
Keith Reed is the Director of MinistryLift at MB Seminary.