Since this seems to be the time of the year for predictions I will make mine. It’s easy to make predictions as few remember what you predict. The other trick to making predictions is to only predict what you are fairly certain of. For instance I would never predict the exact jobless rate for 2010. I predicted that it would be around 8% this year. Obama and I were both wrong on that one. Still most of what I predicted for 2009 came to pass in one way or another. So, here goes for my 2010 predictions.

The economy will continue to rebound slowly in 2010. We will discover that the recession ended technically in the summer of 2009. However emotionally the impact of the recession will stay with us in part due to the high unemployment rate.

Unemployment will fall slowly at first and then pick up steam towards the end of the year. While I would hesitate to put a number on the unemployment rate most economists are projecting a slow but steady increase in hiring.

Banks will begin to loosen up the credit freeze sometime this spring. This is the one key factor that I am monitoring closely. Many churches want to move forward but are finding few lending institutions that will loan them money. This will change in the second quarter and pick up steam in the third and fourth quarters.

Consumer confidence will continue to gain. It will be harder and harder to keep from reporting the good news of a rebounding economy. As a result consumers will feel more comfortable and will start spending once again. While they might not return quickly to their patterns of the past count on human nature kicking in and spending to continue. Consumer confidence returning will mean that donor confidence will also return.

Giving to religion will stay steady and in fact increase in 2010. My personal feel is that we will see giving decline slightly in 2009. This is one reason I think it will go up in 2010. I think the first quarter will be the toughest on donations. We are advising our clients to have a firm plan of action in place for the first quarter. As the mood in the country improves you will see donations start to pick up.

2010 will look a lot like 2009. I think that in the end you will see the same issues that were issues in 2009 remain with us. Washington will continue to meddle and argue. The press will continue to be negative. Credit while loosening will be tighter than in the past. In the end we will survive! We will survive because the fundamentals of our economy have always been sound. We will survive because I believe God is not through with us yet.

For all of our faults this is still a great nation. We have more freedoms here than on any other place on earth. I feel that to whom much is given much is expected. We who have much should look to do much for the rest of the world. My prayer is that the church will rise up to be what God wants us to be.

That’s my take on 2010. As always we are here to help you. For this year I have adapted two verses that were my quiet time this morning. II Corinthians 4:1,2 “Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.”

One final word for 2009. Thank you for taking the time to read this blog. I do hope that my posts have helped move your ball down the field. I look forward to more in 2010.

To you and your family and your ministry, Happy New Year!

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

This past year much like last year we are hearing people talk about how much giving to churches is off. Never mind that last year we saw an increase in religious giving, albeit slight. The same prognosticators of doom are saying that this year will see dramatic declines in giving. Mostly they state that not from facts but from two observations. First, they have heard from a few churches that giving is down and they thus extrapolate that every churches giving must be down. Secondly, they assume that giving must be down since the economy is in the tank.

First, let’s look at some factual data not just the myths that are out there. Giving to religion did indeed go up last year rather than down. I will grant you that a 1% increase is not that big but given the recession any increase was welcome. Historically giving to religion is one of the most recession proof areas of charitable giving. Even when it has gone down during a recession, something that happened only twice, it was by a mere few percentage points. The fact is that giving to religion can weather the storms of recession better than perhaps any other sector of our economy. If your giving is down it might not be simply a result of this recession.

Secondly, spending during recessions continues. Despite what you read and hear in the press this was a recession not a depression. We do not have bread lines like in the 30′s but you would not know that from the negative reporting of our press and the hysteria of some politicians. All you need to do is look at the spending habits of Americans. Here are a couple sectors that I look at to determine the impact of a recession.

Movie ticket sales. According to Smart Money magazine 2009 looks to be a record year for the movie industry. Ticket sales have been flat but the increase in the amount we pay for tickets has pushed revenues to record highs. The new Avatar movie is racking in the bucks setting records despite the recession. Americans will find over $11 billion dollars despite the recession to give to Hollywood. How much of that money could have gone to your offering plate?

Not only are Americas finding money to buy tickets but they are shelling out several million more at the concession stand. Typically one quarter of a theaters revenue comes from concessions. The average spent has increased from $2.51 in 2004 to over $3 currently. All this could have been the money that missed your offering plate.

Video game sales. For the first time in years it appears that the video game industry might see a decline in revenue. Last year, the first full year of recession, Americans spent $21.3 BILLION dollars on games and systems. Before you feel sorry for the gaming industry consider that the biggest game of the year, Modern Warfare 2 set a single day sales record of $310 million in the U.S. and U.K. alone. The five day world wide sales was $550 million! Again, did any of that money escape from your offering plates?

On top of all this we Americans spend around $45 billion a year on pets! Candy is proven to be recession proof and Americans will spend billions this year on their sweet tooth. My point is that Americans, even during one of the worst recessions since 1980, still have money. Money that could go into your offering plate.

So, while it might be convenient to blame the economy on your short fall you need to look much deeper at the cause. IF your giving is down I suspect the following could be the reason…

Lack of compelling vision. Good vision trumps bad economy. Accomplish something for God and people will give to fund it. Show your ministry is making a difference and people will find ways to support it.

Failure to communicate. Tell your story! I find that most churches that struggle financially have not fully communicated not only their vision but their needs. Your people can not read your mind. It’s not about begging or being desperate, those will not work. It is about keeping donors informed so that they can make informed decisions.

Lack of planning. If you do not have a plan you are planning to fail. The sad truth is that few churches have any stewardship plan.

Weak emphasis on discipleship and stewardship. I have a friend that continually tells me how much giving to churches are down. His basis for that is his own churches demise. The truth is that he goes to a church that seldom if ever teaches or preaches about the Christians responsibility to be a faithful steward. If your church prides itself on never talking about money don’t be surprised if this recession is not knocking you around. You are not being spiritual when you fail to preach on money you are just being stupid. Jesus talked more about money than any other subject. If He talked about it so much so should you!

So, while it might make you feel better to blame the economy it might not be that simple. You might need to look inwardly to see if you were one of the leading causes of failure during this recession. If you do find that you failed in this area why not make a New Year’s resolution to correct that in 2010? It could save your ministry!

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

The following is from a chapter in my new book, “Stewardship Myths.”

The Ignorance Myth

The Ignorance Myth – The Myth: Pastors should not know what members give.
The Truth: Pastors need to know what members give.

“I don’t know what my members give and I don’t want to. It might affect the way I treat them.” Ever hear a pastor or staff members use those words? I hear this all the time. It sounds spiritual doesn’t it? In fact, while you might argue knowing or not knowing, using this tired old phrase just means you are immature as a leader. I mean if you can not handle whether someone is giving or not how will you handle dealing with the rest of the stuff in their lives? If I was a layperson and I heard you say the above I doubt I would trust you with any other detail of my life. Why would I?

Think about it another way. Pastors deal with all kinds of personal knowledge of their members from cheating on their spouses to cheating on their income tax. We compartmentalize that away and extend grace to them without letting it affect how we treat them. Why would knowing or not knowing what a person gave to your ministry change how you dealt with them? If you are mature enough to handle random counseling responsibilities you are mature enough to handle what your members give or don’t give.

The myth is that pastors should NOT know what their members give. The truth is pastors NEED to know what their members give. This myth keeps pastors in the dark and ultimately causes them to trust people they should not and often to make bad decisions.

Of all the myths and church legends that this book will deal with this myth carries more passion to it than any other. You will find strong opinions on both sides of the issues. Like all myths it is rooted not in biblical texts but assumptions and popular opinions.

What does the Bible say about this issue?

You might hear some quote Scripture as a basis for pastors remaining ignorant. Typically the passage that is given as a proof text is found in James chapter two which deals with showing favoritism. Yet that passage in no way deals with the pastor knowing or not knowing what members give. It addresses only favoritism, something maturity rules out.

Others sometimes point out that Jesus taught we were to give in secret. Indeed that is exactly correct yet again Jesus teaching was not addressing whether a pastor should know or not know. He was dealing with the motivation of giving. His teaching was that we should not give so that others would see and thus give us honor. His teachings on giving never deal with a pastor’s knowledge of giving. Indeed no passage deals with the topic one way or the other.

How the myth is perpetuated

It would be difficult to track where the standard of pastors being ignorant of giving first began. In part the blame can be laid at the feet of the laity of the church. Talk of giving in any shape, form or fashion is unpopular. The lay response to this topic more often than not is, “It’s none of your business!” When you understand how few give to the church it’s no wonder they worry that their sin might be found out. As a result there is incredible pressure from the laity to keep pastors in the dark.

It is not only lay people that perpetuate this myth. Pastors are as guilty as lay people for allowing it to continue. Many do not want the added burden of one more thing crowding their schedules or thoughts. Others see money as somehow unspiritual and thus not a part of their purview. Whatever the reasoning, the myth has been perpetuated year after year, generation of preacher after generation of preacher.

The impact of the myth

The impact of myth and pastors buying into it has resulted in the vast majority of pastors not knowing the giving patterns of their members. John and Sylvia Ronsvalle wrote a definitive book on church giving patterns called “Behind the Stained Glass Windows” On this issue they state, “Knowledge of giving may be a helpful spiritual tool, but it is not one readily available to most pastors.” They found that more than three-quarters of the pastors that they interviewed felt knowledge of what individual members gave would be helpful. However they also found that more than three quarters of those they interviewed agreed that church members did not want the pastor knowing. They concluded then that the majority of pastors were ignorant of the giving patterns of their members. George Barna in his book “How To Increase Giving to the Church,” found that almost half (44 percent) of the senior pastors did have access to the giving records of the church.

Clearly then the position of a pastor being ignorant of the members giving has deeply impacted the number of ministers who know. The real question is whether or not that is a good thing and conversely whether or not pastors should have unrestricted access to the giving activities of the churches they are tasked to shepherd.

Why pastors should know what their members give

First, because they are the spiritual leaders of the congregation and giving is a spiritual matter. In fact I would argue that it is often one of the leading indicators of where a person is spiritually. How can you effectively lead a church and not know what your members give?

Would you knowingly allow someone who you knew was a thief or had a habitual sin problem to hold a leadership position in your church? Of course the answer is no. Yet in fact we do just that by not holding a standard of giving in our churches. You unknowingly are allowing those that do not give, which God says is robbery, to serve in your ministry. By not giving on a regular basis they are practicing a habitual sin that should disqualify them from leadership. All this is happening right under your nose if you are ignorant of the giving of your members.

Let’s assume that the rationale for not knowing is correct. Suppose that it might affect how you deal with people. After all it is sensitive data. Knowing that some pretend to be leaders and yet don’t give could indeed affect how you felt about people and how you dealt with them.

So, who does handle this kind of information? Someone has to give account of giving at churches and ministries. Someone has to maintain the paper work. So, what do most churches do? They allow lay people to handle the information.

Following the thinking of those that don’t want to know giving on the basis that it might impact how they treat people, are they saying lay people would not be affected by this information? If my theory that it is a maturity issue is correct are we saying then that lay members are more mature than pastors? Of course we are not. The argument gets turned upon its head. As spiritual leaders tasked with handling scores of sensitive issues I think pastors can handle knowing the giving habits of members.

A personal example

As a young pastor I was like most of my peers in that I did not look at the giving of my members. I suppose that intellectually I knew not every one gave to the ministry. After about a decade of ministry I was finally convinced that the giving of my members was something I should know about. I asked the financial secretary to print out the giving records of the members of the church where I was the pastor. What a surprise I got!

I found scores of leaders who were not giving at all and many who were giving only a few hundred dollars. These were people that held high paying jobs, lived in fine homes and drove brand new cars. What really surprised me was the fact that the Treasurer of the church was not giving. Even though he was not giving to the church he had found it his duty to regularly criticize decisions and spending in the church.

After that initial look at the giving records of our church I knew that keeping a pulse on giving was essential. I never announced that I was looking at giving. None but a handful ever knew I checked the giving records of members. While it was not something I did clandestinely it was simply not something I made a huge public issue of. I would typically look at year’s end, mid year and right before we nominated members for leadership positions. I never treated anyone any differently after knowing their giving records. I did however never let anyone in a position of leadership that was not a giver.

A standard for leadership

I believe that not giving to a church or ministry excludes a person from leadership in that organization. Could you imagine the outrage members would feel if they suddenly found out the pastor was not giving to the church? What if they found out that staff members were not giving? Do you not think that they would demand either they start contributing financially or find employment some where else? Why is it that we have one standard for ministerial leaders but non for lay leaders? What is good for the goose should be good for the gander!

The church that I pastored established giving standards for all those in leadership positions. We regularly had our Sunday School teachers teaching stewardship lessons at least once a quarter. As such we felt it only appropriate that teachers be living out what they were teaching. Every year we asked our teachers to sign a covenant that in part stated their commitment to giving to the church. The first year we enacted the covenant we lost one family who felt the church had over stepped its bounds. Guess what? That family was not giving!

We also adapted a standard for all deacons of the church. To serve as a deacon you had to have a consistency in giving. Each year as deacons were nominated their giving record was checked. Those nominated who were not giving did not make it to the final ballot. No one ever knew the reasons why. In this manner we held leaders accountable and also in a way motivated existing leaders to continue faithful giving.

The failure to consistently give to the church did not mean you could not serve anywhere in the church. We had scores of people serving in various other places of ministry. We simply adapted the stance that leaders could not on the one hand preach giving and then on the other hand they themselves not give. Why should those not pulling their weight to financially support the ministry have a say in how that ministry is run?

Over the years I lost a few members over our standards. In every case that I can remember the member was not a consistent giver to the church. While we lost a few numbers we did not lose real dollars. I would rather have not lost any members but I came to recognize that some standards are worth losing members over. I would argue that in the end we gained much more than we lost.
How can you tell if someone is consistently giving?

You don’t have to have someone’s tax records to tell if they are giving or not. While you might not be able to establish whether they are giving a certain percentage or not you can see if they are giving. First, it’s fairly easy to find out what types of jobs they do and you can know a range of what typically those in that profession make. Then you can see where they live, what kind of cars they drive, etc. In the end it is not difficult to determine who is giving and who is not.

As we stated in chapter one, a few people give the majority of the money to your ministry. In the average church a person only has to give a few thousand dollars a year to make the top giving percentile of the church. When you see someone that has a good job, lives in a nice home and drives a new car giving only a few hundred dollars you can assume that they are not givers. Determining who is giving and who is not is easier than you might think.

Grace not law

Some might object that the standards we set were legalistic. Yet do we not set standards of behavior in other areas of the Christian walk? Why would we not set a standard in something as important as giving? Never did we make giving a sacrament that was required. We always gave understanding and grace to those that for whatever reason were struggling.

Please understand that I am not advocating you post the giving of members on the back bulletin board. Nor am I saying that it is wise to even individually confront members. Each pastor must decide for himself how best to handle the giving information of his members. My position is that as the spiritual leader of the church the pastor is not the last person who should know about giving but the first.

Pastors who know giving patterns raise more money

The second major reason in my mind that pastors need to know the giving patterns of their churches lies in the fact that they typically raise more money than those that do not know. George Barna speaking on the subject of pastoral access to giving stated, “I found that such access is most common in the churches that are most effective in stewardship activity.” He went on to say, “Why should a pastor risk the possibility of leading people unfairly because he is aware of how much money they give to the church? Because the pastor is generally one of the key strategists involved in the stewardship campaign and in the aggregate financial oversight of the church. Having a detailed understanding of the giving patterns within the church facilitates clearer strategic planning. Pastors use giving data as a means of assessing how to broach the topic of financial need within the church, and how to conceive fund-raising plans for church-wide implementation. You cannot make good decisions without good information.”

In my experience pastors that know the giving patterns of their members on average raise more money for ministry than those that are ignorant. Typically I begin discussing this issue early on in an engagement with a new church. While I recognize that some will never be comfortable knowing what members give I do believe that most pastors can handle knowing. Overcoming the Ignorance Myth is one of the hardest tasks we have in helping pastors raise the funds needed to fuel their dreams.
As we have seen when we looked at The Pareto Myth, a few people will give the majority of what is given. Wise leaders know who those people are and how to deal with them. Barna again weighs in by saying, “Effective fund-raising churches refuse to treat all people as equals – and people truly are not when it comes to giving. Most of these churches develop some kind of segmentation strategy in which they categorize the congregation into types of donors.”

While segmenting donors might be foreign to many pastors and church leaders we do this all the time in other areas of the church. I have a great voice for the congregation. You do not want me on the platform singing a solo. Am I offended that the music minister never asks me to sing a solo? Not in the least. There are other skills and gifts that I have but music is not one of them. The same can be said for many other areas of our Christian life. Churches naturally turn to those with the right skill set for each task needed. In doing so they do not show favoritism over others who do not have that gift or skill. Only the immature would take offense at not being asked to do what they are not skilled or equipped to do.

In the same manner recognizing that God has equipped some better than others in finances does not mean we do a disservice to those less equipped. You have to learn how to value and celebrate the widow’s mite the same as the large gift. Barna states, “People who earn relatively large sums of money or who have more disposable wealth have generally reached that place in life because of their unique understanding and perspectives related to money and wealth. Communicating effectively with them often requires that they be approached differently and handled differently.”

When ten percent or less of your donors contributes as much as fifty percent of what is given do you not see the necessity of successfully cultivating them to fully exercise their gifts? I can assure you that other ministries and non-profits recognize the value of those donors and will not hesitate to fish in your pond! An effective strategy of recognizing and communicating with major donors in a manner that does not violate either Scripture or the values of your church is essential to raising maximum dollars.

In conclusion

A word of caution needs to be given. Please understand that it is easy for me to write this from the safety of my study. You have to live with what you decide to do. Some hills simply are not worth dying upon. This could be one. Always we have to weigh counsel and advice through our situation. If you have lived by The Ignorance Myth for a long time I would be careful of the steps I took to extricate yourself from its trap. The last thing I want is to create problems in your ministry. My point is simply that as pastors you have the right to know and a need to know what members give.
Pastors who know what their members give do not violate any Scriptural principle, nor do they show favoritism. They simply have learned how to communicate with all levels of donors including those that can give larger amounts for ministry purposes. As for knowing and being somehow disappointed and favoring one member over another, get over that! Realize that the vast majority of those folks shaking your hand from Sunday to Sunday just gave NOTHING in the offering plate. Too many times in church life we allow the tail to wag the dog. Stop worrying about the few that might object with your knowledge of your donors. In my experience, those that howl the loudest are those that give the least. It’s high time we reject The Ignorance Myth for what it truly is, a fear of being discovered as a non supportive member of the Kingdom.

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

PS. To get a free copy of my book “Stewardship Myths” go to our website at www.TheCharisGroup.org and click the Free Book button.

I am visiting my parents in Tulsa, Oklahoma where their church has canceled services this morning due to snow. Last night as we watched the TV scroll church after church service that was canceled I remarked to my parents that the loss in offerings for those churches would be in the thousands of dollars. It is money lost not just for that Sunday but probably for good. People like my parents, life long tithers, will make sure their donation gets to their church. Many however will spend that offering before the snow melts. While it might be too snowy to get to church there is a new movie release that they just have to see! The situation made me think about my friend Pastor Jimmy Washington in Dayton, OH.

A couple of winters ago Dayton had several major snow storms over the weekend. My friends attendance on one day went from over 1,200 to just over 200. You can imagine what that can do to your offering. Jimmy called me the day after and asked what could be done. I immediately wrote him a letter that was sent to all members asking them to mail in their contribution that they were not able to give in the offering that snowy Sunday. That one letter netted enough money to make up the difference from his loss that Sunday. Now his church is poised and ready for the next snow with a letter to mail to his members asking for their support.

Think about it. While your members can not or will not show up on snowy days the US Mail service will show up to their mail box. Neither rain, sleet or snow will stop the US Mail. So, why not use that service to your benefit. If you have canceled church this morning due to snow or bad weather you can count that it will affect your offering. At a time when we are seeing many churches struggle you can ill afford to lose this last Sunday of potential offerings. Why not write a letter asking for their support to make up the difference?

In that letter include an envelope that they can insert their check. In fact I would provide them the stamp to mail it back to you. Encourage them to put it in the mail before the end of the year. Even if the roads don’t clear up in the next few days you can be sure that the mailman will deliver that letter. Smart churches plan for inclement weather. The smartest of those churches also plan for making up a short fall in offerings. What is your plan?

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

I maintain that we give more stuff away than any other stewardship firm. No one has yet to challenge that statement. From our website you can click on a button and get an entire capital campaign manual for free sent to you for simply filling out a form. You can also get my books free by clicking the free button book and filling out a form. On top of that you can access all my past monthly Stewardship Coach articles giving you tons of practical advice and help. All for free.

Many thought I was crazy to give away a campaign manual that has basically everything you need to do your own program. Rick Warren sells one for about a hundred bucks. Another firm makes you go to a one day workshop, pay about $2,500 and then gives you this thick manual. The reason we give away the program is that is not what we deliver. Oh, we can do programs but frankly so can you. It is not rocket science. Especially if you have ever been through a capital campaign you can do one yourself. That is if all you want is an off the shelf program. If you want strategic consultant and a long term stewardship partner then we are your firm. For that you have to pay! Though even then you have multiple options with us allowing you to get what you want and pay what you can afford.

I have been blessed to have written two books now. My goal is to write one a year. It is not an easy task since I do all the writing myself. I tried this past year to get the interest of a publisher but found that path blocked for someone like me. So once again I self published my latest book that I am again giving away for free. Sure, I would love to have a traditional publisher put out my works and pay me lots of money. Frankly in this down time an alternate source of revenue would have been nice. In the end it did not work out. Even if someone would have published my book we still would have given it away for free.

I believe that God has given me insights that can help the Christian world when it comes to raising funds. I have had the great honor to work in the largest church in North America to some of the smallest raising millions upon millions of dollars. It has given me some great insight into the stewardship process. I trust that if I continue to share that insight to as many people as possible two things will happen. First and foremost God will honor my investment in the lives of His servants and some how find a way to keep me doing what I am doing. Secondly, I think that when pastors look to bring on outside help they will remember the guy that gave so much for free and at least give me a shot at their business.

So, on this Christmas Eve I want to extend to you an offer for my free book, “Stewardship Myths: How to Avoid Losing Momentum, Time and Money.” Just go to our website at www.TheCharisGroup.org and hit the free book button. Fill the form out and send it in electronically. If you have a Kindle you can get all three of my works there for .99. Not exactly free but I have yet to figure out how to do that. Just type in my name and all three should appear. If you will write a review of my work on Amazon I will send you the dollar that downloading the book on Kindle costs you.

Finally let me say thank you for taking the time to read my stuff here. Many of you come every day and for that I am grateful. A few of you leave comments which I love. Others simply check it out from time to time but for even that I am thankful. I do hope these posts have been helpful to you.

I wish for you each a very Merry and Christ filled Christmas!

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

It is always dangerous to make predictions. Too often you end up with egg on your face. Make too many unrealized predictions and before long no one reads your blog. Hit the nail on the head and your following goes up. This morning I took a deep breath and opened up an article I wrote a year ago entitled, “What to Expect in 2009.” I must say I was for the most part right on the money. Hey, if politicians can brag about saving the economy why can’t I brag a bit?

Here are some of the statements I made this time last year…

The current recession will last throughout most if not all of 2009. Most feel we “technically” moved out of the recession sometime this summer so I hit that one on the head.

Unemployment will continue to rise hovering at or just beyond 8%. It is now just over 10% so I missed the exact number but was correct that it would increase.

The Stock Market will continue to be volatile. For the first quarter this was especially true. What I further wrote was that I expected by year’s end a recovery that would go above 9,000 points. I was right that the market would recover but I under estimated the rise as it is now above 10,000.

Interest rates will continue to be low. I was right on this call but wrong when I wrote that credit would thaw in the first quarter of 2009. It is still extremely tight and one of the key reasons this recovery is taking longer.

The housing industry will rebound late in 2009. I was right about this one though the rebound has been extremely slow. I wrote, “It will be until late 2009/early 2010 before we see a full recovery. Even then it will not be as it was and in many areas home values will take years to return to their pre-2008 levels.”

Consumer confidence will remain low until late in the year. This is largely true. Consumer confidence began to rebound in the fourth quarter but is still lower than desired. I contend that Consumer confidence impacts donor confidence and is a major reason why I keep an eye on it.

Politicians will continue to meddle in the affairs of the economy. Anyone could predict this. It is what politicians do, meddle!

The press will continue with negative reporting. Another easy prediction as the press is always negative. I think we should send all reporters to a Zig Ziglar conference.

The experts will be wrong. One thing I have learned is that the “experts” don’t have a clue. You can find just about any “expert” opinion you want on where we are and how we are doing.

We will recover! As a arm chair historian this one just made sense to call. We always recover because the fundamentals of our economy and the work ethic of our nation pulls us out of recessions. While the recovery might not be as fast as we would like we are recovering and will continue to do so.

I ended the article last year with these thoughts…

“What should you be doing to position yourself for a winning 2009?

1. Seize the opportunity. This present time is our greatest opportunity to offer help and hope since 9/11. While some ministries pull back you should be looking for ways to expand and increase your presence in the community where God has you. Americans are looking for leaders and sadly finding few. We have the answers that Americans are looking for.

2. Have a plan of action. Don’t just sit back and let your giving decline. Create a plan of action. I talk to pastors every week that have an evangelism plan, a discipleship plan, a missions plan but virtually no plan to fuel those dreams with stewardship. It is one reason that I wrote my new book, “Recession Proof Your Offerings.”

Whatever does occur in 2009 we can be assured as Christian that God is still on His throne and in charge. We have in the Scriptures all the answers that people need. I am again reminded of the businessman in Michigan that I talked to two years ago. Others in the church were telling me that with the economy in Michigan the way it was there were not sure if now was the right time to expand. This gentleman told me his business had had it worst two years but that he knew that in times like these people were needing answers. He said, “The way I figure it, we have to build this new sanctuary to get ready for those people who are looking for a place of hope.” Wouldn’t like that guy in your church? Be the kind of leader that attracts that kind of guy and you will have a church full. Remember what I always say…

Good vision trumps bad economy!”

So, as we wind down 2009 my question is not how did you do with your predictions but what did you do with the opportunities that God gave you and your ministry? What lessons did you learn that can help you in 2010? What is your plan for moving forward? If you don’t have one now is the time to start thinking about one. If you need help I hope you know that we can help you.

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

Our Christmas gift to you, free stuff! No one gives away more free stuff than we do. You can get our free campaign manual at our website. 75% of what most stewardship firms do for you is provide a manual. We give it away because its the easy part of a campaign. We are strategic consultants not program driven puppet masters.

My new book, “Stewardship Myths” is available now for free. You can also get last year’s book, “Recession Proof Your Offerings,” free if you act fast. We only have about 50 copies left. So, what are you waiting for?

The demise of charitable giving is all over the news. Everyone knows that this recession will impact charitable giving. The question is by how much. I continue to read gloom and doom reports about how bad it will be. Surprisingly some of it comes from those that are suppose to be experts in the field of giving. The assumption is that giving will be off by 10%. As Lee Corso says, “Not so fast my friend!”

Here are some reasons why I think the gloomy reports are over blown and excessive.

Historical factor. Historically giving during recessions stays fairly steady. In fact during most recessions giving actually increased. We have seen only a couple of recessions where giving actually declined. Even then the decline was in the low single digits nothing close to 10%. Americans are at heart charitable people. They find ways to continue to give to that which matters to them the most.

Religious giving leads all giving all the time! For those in the church we can take even greater heart that the church weathers the storms of recessions better than charities on the whole. People have more allegiance to their church than any other charitable institution. The mere fact that the church is weekly and almost daily on the minds of Christians gives it a tremendous leg up on other charities. Last year when giving to charities saw a slight decline giving to religion increased by 1%!

Bad news gets more attention than good news. No one really knows how charitable giving will ultimately do in 2009. I remember that last year I had people telling me that giving to churches was going to be off by 25%. Turns out it was up. Yet the press always looks for the bad story not the good story to tell. The old adage applies, “Blood leads.”

Don’t focus on the few look at the overall average. It is true that “some” will see declines. I don’t doubt that some churches will see a 10% decline or perhaps more. Any decline will be tough to handle. Yet when all the numbers come in, something that takes months, I think we will see a small over all percentage decline. Even 5% would be severe but it is much better than the 10% some are calling for.

So what do you do with this knowledge?

First, stop the panic! Donors do not respond to panic. Read yesterday’s post about how the church should respond. The bottom line is that we need to be about hope not dismay.

Secondly, come up with and communicate a plan of action. Those that are weathering this storm have a plan of action and they are working their plan. I know I sound like a broken record but it is true. You don’t have to see drastic declines if you will simply work a plan. Your donors will respond if they see that you have a serious plan of action.

Finally, keep doing that which matters! Donors give to that which makes a difference. So, keep up the work you have been doing and don’t be shy about telling your story. Remember, good vision trumps bad economy!

That is my take!

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

PS. My new book “Stewardship Myths” deals with just this issue and more. You can get a free copy by going to our website www.TheCharisGroup.org and clicking on the Free Book button.

I have wondered this past year where the church has been while our nation has been in the grips of the worst recession since the 1980′s? Daily we have been bombarded by negative messages that our economic society is about to collapse. It has been what I would call a perfect storm of negativity that has penetrated every aspect of our society including the church.

First the Democrats told us the economy was worse than they thought and of course blamed in upon the Bush Administration. Never mind that they had controlled Congress the last two years of his administration. It was all Bush’s fault. It’s an age old strategy to talk up a crisis and then insert your solution. To be fair did not the Bush Administration do the same thing with talk of weapons of mass destruction? For the first quarter of the year we watched expensive bill after expensive bill being rushed to passage all in the name of averting The Great Depression II. Never mind that it was a recession not a depression. It was a crisis they did not want to waste.

Then came the Republicans, who came to be viewed as the party against anything especially if it was going to benefit the Democrats. Americans heard them daily tell us how the new Administration was killing our future as well as our present. Frankly I doubt they want things to get better until after the mid term elections. An improving economy and employment returning takes away their big stick that they plan on pounding the Democrats with. They have become to be seen as the party that says no instead of a party with a plan.

Add to all this the popular talk show hosts. Glenn Beck has been preaching for months that the world as we know it is ending. He told us this past spring that we should stay out of the stock market even though others were saying the bottom had happened. I am glad I ignored him and moved my 401K back into stocks when the market hit 6800. It is in the solid 10,000′s now. You do the math. At any rate from the far left to the far right they are all the same, nothing builds ratings like crisis. So, they will always see not the silver lining but the cloud. In the end both the Olbermann’s and the Beck’s are a cloud upon our nation.

The press in general is negative. The old adage, Blood leads, fuels their thinking. As Brian Wesbury has pointed out they are seeing their circulation numbers dwindle. As a result they are losing money right and left and seeing their fellow publishers go out of business. So naturally their view of how things are going is negative. As a result any good news about our economy gets lost and unreported.

Then there are our wonderful banks. Bush bailed them out and what did they do with the money? They put it under their mattresses! They have the money, they simply are not letting go of it. In part I understand their hesitancy as they do not know from one day to the next what the Fed is going to require of them. So, holding onto all that cash makes their balance sheet look good. It might make them feel good but it certainly hurts churches wanting to expand.

So what should the church do? As a pastor asked me the other day, “How can we speak on the economy without it being political?” While it might be a slippery slope I do think it can be accomplished. So, how would I do it? Here are some thoughts…

Preach hope. I am not advocating that we pretend there are no problems. We simply have to set this all in context for our congregations. In the midst of all the negativity Americans need to hear that all is not lost. We might not be able to drive that BMW but we can know peace and happiness. Set the economy in context and help people adapt a responsible strategy for living. America is still the land of opportunity and we need to take advantage of this God given blessing.

Call all politicians to accountability. Both parties have failed the American public. At the end of the day we are tired of their rhetoric and their duplicity. How many times do we have to hear about their sweetheart deals for their spouses companies or their lavish travel before we call them all back home. The church can and should speak out on this issue. We should be calling out both parties for their failings. Doing so will gain us a hearing with Americans that are ready to vote for non of the above.

Provide programs of help. First I would implement a program to teach people how to be responsible with their finances. There are many good programs out there that you could use. Then I would find creative ways to help those hurting from this crisis. My friend Pastor Jimmy Washington started a program called Faith Works that helps unemployed people in his church learn how to write resumes’ and interview for employment. It is not enough to just say, “Be blessed.” We need to provide practical means of support.

While we are at it let’s find ways that those churches who are blessed financially can help those that are challenged. What a testimony it might be for a church in Dallas to adapt a church in Detroit to make sure their bills were met during this crisis.

Practice what you preach! Finally I would call all churches, including my own, to practice what we preached in terms of being financially responsible. I would develop a plan of action and communicate that to my members. How can we tell our members they ought to have a financial plan when the church does not have one? Sadly too many churches do not have a plan of action for these times that we live in.

We can view this time as a challenge or as an opportunity. Someone right now is working on a message that Americans will embrace. My hope is that it is the Church that gets their attention first. Let’s not waste this opportunity God has given us.

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

PS. You can get a copy of my free book “Stewardship Myths” by going to our website www.TheCharisGroup.org and clicking on the Free Book button.

“It’s those Texas Refs!” That was what I constantly heard from my Arkansas friends when I was a pastor in Arkansas. It seems that the reason their beloved Razorbacks could never break through and win in the old Southwestern Conference was due to the fact that they were the only non Texas school in the league. At least that was how they saw it. Someone had to be blamed, why not the Refs?

This past Sunday our president did essentially the same thing when in an interview he basically blamed “Fat-Cat” bankers with the economic problems of our country. Even my own father told me recently that it was all those million dollar bonuses that caused our economy to falter. It’s a popular view that dates at least as far back as The Great Depression. Blame all our economic woe’s on “the man.” Wall Street, greedy bankers and the like are what drove us to this recession. Politicians blame those and the party opposite them for all our problems. No one wants to think that they might have some responsibility for how things turn out.

It is just our human nature to look for someone to blame for the mess we are in. It’s a defense mechanism we use to deflect responsibility off from ourselves and on to someone or something. It’s usually easy to spot in others and nearly impossible to recognize in ourselves.

I wish I could say that pastors are immune to this but they are not. If only the Deacons would not have held me back. It was the Board that made those decisions. If I was in a better location or had a better building then things would be different. If, if, if. It’s what I call The Blame Game.

Lately I have been hearing a version of this from pastors about their giving. They also have used it about their plans for expansion. They blame is on the economy. Giving is off because of this economy. Don’t I understand that? No, actually I don’t. You see giving was officially reported by Giving USA to have gone up by 1% in 2008. I have clients who have seen their best days of contributions in the midst of this recession. They have understood that a compelling vision with a good plan can help a church recession proof their offerings.

As for blaming the economy on the lack of moving forward that too falls into The Blame Game category. I have a client that built their first building in the midst of the last great recession of the 1980′s and paid 18% interest on their loan. Amidst 10% plus unemployment and high interest rates they saw the need to build. Today they continue to thrive despite this present recession.

I’ll be the first to admit that it is tougher during a recession to move your church forward. Yet what are we saying about the ability of our God if we move to the sidelines and wait for sunnier days before we move forward? Have we forgotten that God has moved in worse times than these? Are we so devoid of faith that we can not see Him moving now?

It’s time we stop playing The Blame Game in church. The Blame Game is not working for Washington why would we think it would work for us?

Just sayin…

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

I suppose as you get older you get more reflective. What you once took for granted you now relish with delight. The joy of simply holding a small child’s hand, especially if that child happens to be your grandson is one joy. The delight of a wife that loves you even though you are not the same wrestler hunk that you were in high school. Ok, so I was not a hunk but I did wrestle! You get my drift.

On this birthday, my 53rd, I am thankful for so many things. The list is long and were I to begin to list those things which I am grateful for I would inevitably miss something or someone. So suffice it to say that I am grateful for all the blessings that God has given me.

My life calling and work is to help Christian leaders understand the importance of stewardship. It’s frustrating at times as so few see the importance of my field. Seminaries don’t teach it nor do colleges. Pastors are thrust into this world with heads filled with Greek, Church History and other such subjects. They then go to conferences where Mega Church pastors and others tell them how to supplement their formal education with whatever is hip and new in the church world. Just go to the next great conference, buy the next great church growth book and you are set.

Then reality sets in. You realize there is no magic formula for instant growth. Most pastors then spend their lives laboring in some small church trying to succeed. They measure their success on last Sunday’s attendance and often come up short. The standard set is not heavenly but earthly. None the less they strive to hit the mark that is expected of them. The only problem is that it is a false standard. It’s wood, hay and stubble.

I think we need new standards of success. Instead of the standard being more in attendance than last year or last week, we need to think more long term. The standard should be faithfulness to the life God has called us to whatever that might be. It’s the stewardship of life.

As we watch the daily headlines tell the story of person after person failing in what I call the stewardship of life I have determined to finish well. I have determined that I will value what really counts in life. First, a consistent relationship with Christ. Beyond numbers posted upon some denominational score card what else truly matters? So what if I help raise millions of dollars for churches but fail at serving my Lord? The true measure of spirituality is not how many large churches I work with but whether or not I am bearing fruit for Christ.

As a result of a consistent relationship with Christ I can then be the husband and father that my family needs me to be. Not just today but for the rest of my life. My wife of thirty three years needs to know and have confidence that I am faithfully committed to her for life. My kids need to know that I will always be there for them, their spouses and their kids. My stewardship is to do whatever it takes to leave a legacy behind of one who faithfully followed Christ.

We may fail in the short term. Life presses in upon us with heart ache and tragedy. The key is not whether you never fall but whether you continually get up and keep pressing towards the mark of our high calling. It’s the stewardship of life and it’s far more important than any other trophy that this world can give.

On my 53rd birthday that is my decision, to be a good steward of the life God has given me. After all it’s the only one I have.

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group