Year-End Giving

At the close of every year churches experience an increase in giving to their ministry budgets. There are several reasons for the increase including persons completing or catching up on their pledges, persons who are led by God to give an extra gift to the ministries of the church, and persons who traditionally wait to year-end to give from the blessings God has shared with them. All of these gifts are faithful responses to God’s extravagant generosity.

This year, as we face uncertain economic times, it is important to remind people of the vital ministries that your church is carrying out in the world and to encourage them to once more share their gifts with the church.
Below are a few ideas for you to include in your Year-End Newsletter or as a note on your website. We want to help you continue to live out the vision that the Holy Spirit has placed before your church by helping create a renewed stewardship culture.

Newsletter/Website Quips

Intentional Giving
Thank you for your love and commitment to (Church Name). Thanks to you, (Church Name) has provided vital ministries to our community and to the world in the name of Jesus Christ. In the past few weeks we have watched the financial landscape of our world change dramatically. As you become more intentional about your spending, we encourage you to be even more intentional about your giving. Join us in sharing the blessings God has given us with our church as the year comes to a close.

Lifestyle Giving
People give to the church in many ways. Some persons pledge and give weekly or monthly; some give graciously to special projects, and others graciously share the gifts that God has given them at the close of each year. All of these are ways of being faithful lifestyle-givers. Thank you for continuing to grow our ministry through your gifts.

Holiday Giving
Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany are special seasons of giving. This year we challenge you to prayerfully consider a special year-end gift to the ministries of (Church Name). These gifts will allow us to continue to provide faithful ministries within our church, to the community and the world.

Fulfilling Our Commitment
Wall Street and Main Street have suffered this year as financial markets have fluctuated. History has proven that Church Street is the one place that people have continued to fulfill their financial commitment. Giving to charitable organizations in general, and churches in particular, has gone up in times of national or global economic crisis. We ask that you join us in fulfilling our commitment to mission and ministry at (Church Name) by sharing your year-end gift.

Written by Dr. Rick Owen