A Word to the Wise: 10 Reasons Why Contributions May Be Declining (Bob Bickford)
 
Here are some of the most common ones—and they’re not what most people expect.
1. When Trust Drops, Giving Follows
2. When People Don’t See Impact, They Stop Investing
3. When People Feel Unseen, They Disengage
4. When Giving Feels Like Pressure, It Eventually Breaks
5. Sometimes People Aren’t Giving Because No One Is Leading Them To Give
​6. Some People Withhold Giving to Send a Message
7. Some People Are Quietly Struggling Financially
8. Some People Have Just Drifted
9. The Generous Generation is Passing Away
10. Attendance Patterns and Process
As much as we dislike this - it’s true. People are attending church less frequently. That means those who only give when they attend are likely missing regular giving.
If you don’t have multiple ways for congregants to give - you’re missing out.

So What Do You Do? 
If giving is declining, don’t start with a campaign. Start with clarity.
Rebuild Trust
Strengthen Care
Actually Lead on Giving
Pay Attention to Real Needs
Go After the Heart
If giving is down, resist the urge to fix it quickly.
Slow down long enough to ask better questions.
Listen. Observe. Diagnose.
​
www.bobbickford.com/blog/10-reasons-why-church-contributions-may-be-declining

A Word to the Wise 
 
If desecration is the pervasive problem of our day, then nothing less than consecration is the answer. We have imagined ourselves to be gods and have ironically reduced ourselves to mere dust. That is a moral problem. It cannot be solved simply by “reenchanting” our world by acknowledging that nature is mysterious or that there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in our consumerist philosophies of life. Consecration is not a feeling or an emotional response to something; it has a distinct dogmatic, cultic, and moral shape, with all three elements standing in nonnegotiable connection to each other. … Only a renovation of the heart, redirecting it toward God, is able to [answer our plight]. And that only takes place in the context of the church, where humanity by creed, cult, and code can once again realize what being made in the image of God truly means.

Carl Trueman, The Desecration of Man

A Word to the Wise 
 
“The world has yet to see what God will do…with the man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him.” D. L. Moody heard those words in London the summer of 1867, and they challenged him the rest of his life. He immediately said, “I will try to be that man.” 
The Life of Dwight L. Moody by W. R. Moody

A Word to the Wise by Mac Lake
 
While answers can solve problems. Questions develop leaders.
Great leaders resist the urge to fix—and choose to coach.
So here’s something you can try this week:
In one conversation, replace your answer with a question:

• “What do you think?”
• “What’s your next step?”
• “What did you learn?”

It might feel slower at first. But it’s actually how leaders grow faster.
Because when people think, process, and act for themselves, they begin to lead—not just follow. 
​
Mac Lake, 3.23.26, Most Leaders Talk Too Much, Try This Instead

A Word to the Wise: 
 
AI won’t replace people, but people who use AI will replace people who don’t use AI. 

Quote by an IBM researcher recounted by Wes Moss, Money Matters, WSB Radio, 2.22.26
 

A Word to the Wise: 
 
Five Discipleship Trends in Effective Churches Right Now
The return to midweek discipleship
Why marriage ministry must integrate with kids and students
Why affordable theological training is essential
How stewardship reflects spiritual maturity
Why groups—not worship—drive consistency
​
Sam Rainer, Church Answers, https://churchanswers.com/webinars/five-new-research-based-discipleship-trends-most-church-leaders-are-missing/
​

A Word to the Wise: 
 
Gallup identified four key expectations followers have of their leaders. They need leaders to provide hope, trust, compassion, and stability.
​
Aaron Earls, Lifeway Research, 3.7.25, What Do People Want Most From Their Leader? Hope
​

​A Word to the Wise: 
 
Elimination solves many problems. For one, you won't have to do the thing you eliminate. But also, you free up time, attention, and resources to do a better job on what remains. Before trying to be more productive, be more ruthless about what gets cut.
What can you eliminate this week?
​
James Clear, 2.19.26, 3-2-1 Thursday

​A Word to the Wise: Mac Lake
 
Across churches, businesses, and nonprofits, I've heard the same line: “We don’t have enough leaders.”
But leadership gaps aren’t solved by finding people. They’re solved by developing people.
And here’s the part I don’t want you to miss:
Leadership was never meant to stop with you. God didn’t shape your influence just for your success—He shaped it for someone else’s growth.
So let’s keep it simple this week with one action step.
Write down the names of two people God has already put around you who have potential. If no one comes to mind, pause and ask God to highlight them.
Then do these two simple things:

• Pray specifically for them by name. Their growth. Their courage. Their calling.
• Schedule a simple connection. A 30-minute conversation just to know them more deeply.

This reminds me of how Jesus started his public ministry that would later change the world. He simply said, “Follow me.”
Multiplication starts when you begin to see people differently—and then move toward them.
One more thing:
If you're not sure whether you’re truly multiplying leaders—or just hoping it happens—you can download the Multiplying Leader Assessment for free right here!
​
Mac Lake, 2.17.26, You Were Made to Multiply (Not Just Lead)

​A Word to the Wise: 
 
In many ways, church engagement is the thread that holds the Association together in a practical sense. It is the ongoing connection between pastors, congregations, and ministry partners that reminds us we are not laboring alone. The BMBA is not simply an organization with programs—it is a family of churches united in a shared mission and a shared gospel. We get to say things like, “Did you know that another church is going through this same challenge just across town and would love to help you?" 
​
Dr. Chris Crain, Birmingham Metro Baptist Association newsletter, 2.11.26