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
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
Four Things to Know This Week
1. ‘Almost Nobody is Tithing’ Grey Matter Finds, But Decline in Evangelical Giving Slows (Baptist Press)
2. ERLC Trustees Name Evan Lenow Next President (Baptist Press)
3. Tennessee Association Transforms Storage Shed Into Biblical Counseling Center (The Christian Index)
4. First-Person: This David Stokes the Fire of Ministers (KY Today, A Tribute to retired AMS David Stokes)
Thank you for reading. Please share it with pastors and other AMSs you believe would benefit.
To the praise of His glory,
Ray
P. S. I also host the “SBCAL Podcast with Ray Gentry” each Tuesday morning.
1. ‘Almost Nobody is Tithing’ Grey Matter Finds, But Decline in Evangelical Giving Slows (Baptist Press)
2. ERLC Trustees Name Evan Lenow Next President (Baptist Press)
3. Tennessee Association Transforms Storage Shed Into Biblical Counseling Center (The Christian Index)
4. First-Person: This David Stokes the Fire of Ministers (KY Today, A Tribute to retired AMS David Stokes)
Thank you for reading. Please share it with pastors and other AMSs you believe would benefit.
To the praise of His glory,
Ray
P. S. I also host the “SBCAL Podcast with Ray Gentry” each Tuesday morning.
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