The Wall Street Journal on Monday November 28, 2011 had a special section on philanthropy that had a lead article that asked, “Should Philanthropies Operate Like Businesses?”  It caused me to think about the same question for churches.  Should a church operate like a business?  Probably all of our first response would be no.  A church is a spiritual entity first and foremost.  How can something that is spiritual in nature be confused with the secular or even attempt to be run like the secular?  Our tendency is to keep church and business separate.  Indeed for many Christians spiritual matters and all other matters are compartmentalized entirely.  Yet is that required of us as believers?  Is it wise?

I once interviewed a judge for a television show that I hosted.  During the interview this committed Christian said that his faith did not interfere with his rulings.  He stated that he kept his faith separate from his work.  How can a disciple of Jesus not be impacted by His teachings in everything that he does?  I must confess that I am one of those Christians that takes my faith into the voting booth with me come election day.  My faith determines not only how I live but how I vote and how I do business.  Faith in Christ cannot be compartmentalized to Sunday mornings.  Faith in Christ must impact our lives 24/7!

So, back to the question should churches operate like businesses?  I believe the answer is yes.  While that might surprise you or even anger you before you hit the delete button hear me out.  Here are my thoughts…

Business is not evil people are.  Forget about the Occupy Wall Street mobs.  They are clueless.  Politicians and the media looking for a scapegoat all too often blame business as being evil.  The truth is that it is not business that is evil it is SOME evil people that make SOME businesses evil.  Without a strong business our country would not be strong.  Think it through.  Without business your church would be out of business!  Business generates revenue that your members benefit from and in turn donate back to your ministry.  So, a smart pastor prays that business will thrive.  Don’t make the mistake of assuming that all business is evil.  It is not.  Therefore since business principles and practices are not evil then utilizing them in the church does not necessarily make them evil.

Business is a practical necessity and the Bible encourages good practices.  There is not one verse in all the Bible that forbids business.  In fact there are a host of passages that talk about business.  Life without business would fail.  Being a good business person simply makes good sense.  If it makes good sense for your laypeople to be business minded why would it not make sense for your church?  Having a good business mind about you as you run your church makes practical sense.

We are admonished to be good stewards and operating good business practices makes your church a better steward.  So, yes, I argue churches need to operate like a business.  Frankly I have seen too many instances of churches that ignored good business practices and got themselves into financial binds they could not get out of.  What testimony to the world is that?  The better your business acumen the better stewardship you show of the resources that God has entrusted to you.

All of the above points assume good business practices.  We too often only focus on the negative about business and forget the positives.  I am not saying that a church should over rule the spiritual with the business.  I am simply saying that the two need not always conflict.  For far too long the church has ignored good business practices and the result is that we have been less than effective as we could have been.

The Wall Street Journal article that I mentioned had two opposing views about whether philanthropy should be run like a business.  The pro-business piece ended by saying, “Dreams without plans remain dreams.  Dreams with plans become a reality.”  If I had asked should churches operate with plans of action would your view have changed?  Probably.  Tragically we live in a day when the word business has become almost a dirty word.  Don’t fall prey to this lie.  Good business is simply about good planning.  Good planning does indeed make dreams become a reality.  What are your dreams and what plans are in place to make your dreams become a reality?

Mark Brooks

Founder and President

The Charis Group

By now you should have already written your end of year appeal letter.  If you have not done so then this post is for you.  I want to share with you some tips on how to make your end of year appeal letter look like the big non-profits that employ professionals to write their appeal letters.

First, an example.  As I have stated before my wife donates to Smile Train  a charity that helps babies born with cleft palates in third world countries.  Yesterday we received their 2011 End of Year Appeal letter.  Here is what it contained.

• First the envelope was one step above their typical envelope and it clearly stated that it was the 2011 End of Year Appeal.  It was attractive and made me want to open it.
• The cover letter was one page and it trumpeted the successes of the year.  One paragraph summarized clearly what they wanted when it said, “Thanks to your support, we’ve achieved many of our goals for 2011, but – we’re still just a few thousand children short of reaching our goal to perform 123,000 free cleft repair surgeries this year.”
• The letter was short, positive and to the point.  It also thanked us for our past support.
• A P.S. was included at the bottom.  Studies show that people almost ALWAYS read a P. S.  This P.S. was unique in that it told of an enclosed note from a supporter, a 10 year old girl.
• At the very bottom of the letter it listed the following statement in bold, “To make an immediate gift, donate online at www.SmileTrain.org
• The enclosed letter was also one page and told the story of a 10 year old girl who started a Facebook page to support Smile Train.  The thought behind it was that if a 10 year old could help what could we do?
• Three glossy pictures of children showing before and after shots of their surgery with smiling faces.  This clearly showed what they do with real life samples.
• An envelope with a stamp upon it making it easy to send in a donation.

Since this week is Thanksgiving I thought I would write about one of the biggest mistakes churches make in raising funds, failing to thank their donors.  I am often amazed at how poor the average church is at simply expressing appreciation to donors who foot the bill for all the church does.

A few years back my wife who supports the non-profit organization Smile Train came into my office with a letter and asked if I wanted to see how non-profits treated their donors?  She held in her hand a nice card with a very simple note that thanked her for her support.  It included glossy pictures of children the group had helped as a result of her gifts.  While I cannot say that she continues to give because they showed gratitude for her gift it none the less did not hurt.  It caused me to question how we in the church show appreciation for our donors.

Too many churches simply take their donors for granted.  After all giving to the church is a requirement right?  Of course it is.  But what is wrong with saying thank you?  Everyone appreciates being appreciated.

So since this is Thanksgiving week here are some thoughts on giving your donors thanks and appreciation.

• Write a personal note to your most significant donors simply saying thank you.
• Consider sending a small book as a token of appreciation.  You might sign the copy with a word of thanks for their support.
• Make sure in all your giving statements to all donors you express thanks for their gift no matter how small it is.
• When significant gifts come in write a personalized note expressing thanks for what their gift means for accomplishing ministry.
• Periodically during the offering spend time telling what gifts to your church accomplish and thank those that give.

Hopefully this will give you some ideas of your own.  The goal of this post is to get you thinking about how you can express thanks to your donors.  So as you pause this week to give thanks for all God has done for you why not take some time to thank those who help fuel your ministry with their gifts?

Mark Brooks

Founder and President

The Charis Group

Sunday November 20th I will be attempting to run my 23rd marathon in my hometown of Tulsa OK.  The thing you learn about the marathon is that it takes a different pace and strategy than a shorter race like a mile or a 5K.  You can’t sprint out of the starting line and think that you can keep that pace up.  In fact finishing at your goal time is all about pace.

One reason I love to run marathons is the complexity of the race.  There are so many nuances to the race many of which are out of your control like the weather.  Yet if you are to be successful you have to meet each of those challenges and continue to move forward.

One of the greatest challenges is to know the right pace to finish the race.  A marathon’s pace is different from the mile.  Too often runners in the excitement of the start where all the crowds are surge out too fast.  The marathon is 26.2 miles long so you must pace yourself.

I find that one of the biggest mistakes churches and pastors make in capital campaigns is ignoring the difference between the effort required to garner commitments and the effort required to finish the campaign well.

One of the biggest mistakes that pastors make is thinking that when they get to the finish line of the commitment process they are finished.  The reality is that you have simply crossed one finish line only to be at the starting line of another race.

The effort that you have to put into getting your congregation to make commitments is much more intense than getting them to fulfill their commitments.  Yet if you do not put any effort into the follow up process you will not raise what has been committed.  The mistake that many make is thinking that the money from commitments will automatically come in.  The truth is that you have to keep the vision alive and fresh in donors minds for you to raise what was committed.

As I run this 23rd marathon I have a specific pace for each mile in mind.  I will have to keep my concentration and effort sharp for each and every mile.  Doing so will more easily allow me to hit my goal.  The same is true for the follow up period of a capital campaign.  It is a race so to speak just like the commitment process was.

Are you on pace to finish well?  Too many have little to no idea of where they are on the course as they near the finish line.  If you are too far off the pace it is doubtful that you will hit your goal.  In my 23rd marathon if I fail to keep pace I risk only a missed goal.  For a church failing to keep pace can mean thousands of dollars lost.  Can  you afford to fall off pace?

One of the things we do and do better than any other stewardship firm is help keep you on pace.  We can and will help you raise thousands of dollars with good follow up.  Do you know the difference between a mile and a marathon when it comes to capital campaigns?  We do.  You should contact us today.

Now I am off to the races!

Mark Brooks

Founder and President

The Charis Group

One of my competitors is holding a webinar in a few weeks on debt reduction campaigns.  I had to laugh at the teaser email that said, “many church leaders have been misled by capital campaign companies about church debt. They have been told that people will not give toward debt reduction campaigns. The fact is that they absolutely will!   As a matter of fact, 80% of churches partnered with us are focused on using their campaign to reduce and eliminate debt.”

Well, as a capital stewardship company that prides itself on telling the truth even when you don’t want to hear it here are some facts to consider.

Most capital campaigns across America are debt reduction campaigns as there are few building being erected.  You will find that the 80% number my competitor listed is true for all firms give or take a few percentage points.  It is not that one company is better than the other at running debt campaigns.  The truth is that fewer churches are building.  This is due to a lot of reasons but primarily the tightness of lending for projects.  So, most are putting off further building and focusing on eliminating debt.

Debt reduction campaigns do raise less than other campaigns.  Think about it.  Nearly 100% of all campaigns that are focused on debt are second or third or even fourth campaigns.  The reason they raise less is that for the most part you are going back to the same people asking them to dig deeper into their pockets.  Unless you have had explosive growth you are drilling in the same well over and over.  I can stretch for the first but the reality of back to back campaigns is that my gift will be less.

The Law of Diminishing Returns.  With the above in mind I developed what I call the Law of Diminishing returns.  Studies of successive campaigns show that the second and third campaigns nearly always raise less than the first IF debt is the only thing you are raising more for.  This is simply the facts.

You can raise significant dollars with a debt reduction campaign.  My point with this post is really not to blast a competitor.  In essence he is right.  However you need to simply be aware that you will raise less than that first campaign.  The fact that it is about debt exclusively AND the impact of this past recession WILL mean less is pledged.  So, have realistic expectations and then you will be much more pleased with the results.

Good vision trumps everything!  The key to raising funds for any project is to make it about vision not simply dollars or brick and mortar.  To be fair to my competitor he did say in the email the following, “successful church leaders do not make debt retirement campaigns about debt or interest. Successful church leaders understand that every dollar that goes to debt is a dollar not going towards ministry and life change.”

So, attend the webinar.  You will probably learn some things.  My competitor, though brand new to our industry is a smart guy.  Just have a realistic expectation of what can and cannot be raised in a debt reduction campaign.  Listen for the facts and wisely separate out the marketing baloney and you will be fine.

By the way we have recently run very successful campaigns for debt reduction.  The message is key and having a good partner to help you craft that message is crucial.  We would love to show you how we can raise you a bunch of money even if the campaign is about eliminating debt.

Mark Brooks

Founder and President

The Charis Group

You are losing hundreds if not thousands of dollars every year to other ministries simply because they know how to write effective appeal letters and emails.   Direct mail is one of the most under utilized means of producing funds that churches ignore costing them precious dollars every year.  Can you afford to let other ministries raid your membership for dollars that you desperately need for ministry through your church?  If you read and follow the advice in this post you will raise more money for your ministry.

You probably get appeal letters in the mail from various ministries and non-profits.  You might read some of them but if you are like most people you probably through them away.  The same might be true for emails that you get from various groups.  I have a recommendation for you that can help you craft your own letters and emails.  Do like I have done.  Start a file with every letter you get.  Most of those letters are written by professionals that know how to write an appeal that successfully generates dollars.  While you might not be willing to spend money for a professionally produced appeal letter or email you can learn from the pros.  This post will share with you some simple steps to make your appeal letters more effective.

First, make the commitment to use appeal letters and emails.  As I always say, there is a reason you get appeal letters and emails, they work!  While there is a lot of buzz about the impact of Social Media on fund raising the truth is that most donations come the old fashioned way, through snail mail.  This week your members are getting various appeals to donate from ministries across the country.  As I say to pastors all the time, someone is fishing in your pond.  It is time to get your lure into the water.

Write like you communicate.  I firmly believe we try and make writing too difficult.  My approach has always been to write like I communicate.  As preachers we know that the first few minutes of our sermon are crucial in terms of gaining the audiences attention.  The same is true for your letters.  How you start the letter is all important.  The first paragraph is key in whether your letter is going to be read or thrown in the trash.  So start with a compelling opening.  Write like you preach.

The key elements of an appeal letter.  I am a fan of one page appeals.  Four paragraphs can say all that you need to say.  Here is a basic outline of the paragraphs I would recommend writing…

Opening Paragraph – Start out by being positive.  Tell stories of how your church is making an impact.  List specific examples or personalized stories.  Sometimes I use bullet points to highlight specific victories.  End the paragraph with a sentence like, “All of this is possible because of donors like you.  Thank you for helping us make a difference in our region.”

Middle Paragraphs – State the need.  Don’t sound desperate but do list what you want and why.  Make clear what you are asking for and what you will do with donations that come in.  The best appeal letters have what I call a driver to them.  You need to communicate an impactful reason for the donation.  A poor appeal I often see  says, “Summer is a tough time on our budget and we are behind please help us catch up.”  Avoid negative or desperate appeals.

Closing Paragraphs – Sum it all up.  State when you want the gifts to come in.  Finish up by thanking them for their past support and their prayerful consideration of this request.

Include an envelope – Every letter you send out should contain an envelope.  Your goal is to make it as easy for them to respond as possible.  With your email appeals you should always embed in the email a link to your online giving portal.  Again the goal is to make it easy for them to respond.

Remember the Three C’s of Vision

I have written often on the importance of vision in raising funds. I always advise our clients about keeping their vision clear, concise and most of all compelling.  Those three C’s are good advice when it comes to writing any appeal letter or email.  The better you write a letter with these three principles in mind the more impactful the response will be.

That is it.  It is not hard to write.  Put some thought into the letters you write.  For heavens sake have someone check the spelling and grammar.  Using these simple directions can make your appeal letters much more effective.

One final piece of advice, get your end of year letter in the mail now!  Non-profits and other ministries are right now crafting their end of year appeal letter that many of your members will get.  Get your lure in the water!

Mark Brooks

Founder and President

The Charis Group

PS.  If this seems too difficult for you we write appeal letters for churches for a very small fee.  Email me today to find out how we can help make your appeal letters have a zip and zing AND raise you more money!

Most pastors never think about stewardship on a regular basis until something goes wrong.  They think about it when the church treasurer tells them there is not enough in the bank to meet the budget.  Typically by that point it is too late to think about stewardship.  Stewardship is one of the most overlooked areas of the church.

A few years ago one of the leading Christian leadership think tanks sent out a survey to hundreds of pastors.  They wanted to know what percent of their time was spent on various ministry related fields.  They asked what pastors did with their time.  They asked what challenges they faced.  They asked all kinds of questions except any questions about stewardship.  When I responded to the leaders of this think tank about the short comings of their survey you would have thought I had a third eye.  Stewardship?  Who worries about that?  Who even thinks about that?  You, if you are wise.

So why is it that we have ministers for everything but not a Minister of Stewardship?  There are probably a host of reasons.  For one thing most don’t see the need.  It is tragically not on the radar of most pastors.  Not until they reach a crisis.  For another it is simply too new a concept.  For some it might be that they cannot find the money to hire another staff member.  Whatever the reasons you simply don’t see Ministers of Stewardship.

So, here is a thought.  If you are unwilling to hire another minister why not use an outside source?  In my business I do that all the time.  The lady who manages my website does so only on a contract basis.  This site is important but it does not require full time help.  I engage my webmaster for the work I need when I need it.  Why would you not do the same when it comes to having a minister of stewardship?

Are there services out there like that?  Well I am glad you asked!  We offer that.  We have what we call Stewardship Enhancement Plans that are tailor made for every church.  The fees are adjusted for the size of your church.  It starts as low as $100 a month and goes up depending upon what you need and want and the size of your church.  We do everything from analyze your giving patterns to write your appeal letters.  We in effect become your Minister of Stewardship.  We can and will help you increase the amount of money that comes into your offering plate.

Shane Bishop the pastor at Christ Church tweeted the following the other day after our meeting, “Grateful to our financial coach Mark Brooks@StewardshipMan. Invaluable during these uncertain financial times…”

We have helped Christ Church see their giving go up in every year of the recession AND bring in capital campaign money.  We can do the same for you.  Contact us today to see how you can get your own financial coach.  You need a Minister of Stewardship and we can fill that bill for you!

Mark Brooks

Founder and President

The Charis Group

We often get asked, How much can we raise in a capital stewardship campaign?   While I understand the need to know it really is not the right question.  The right question is, how long will it take us to raise the amount you need?  The issue is not whether you can raise $1 million, $2 million or $20 million.  The issue is how long will it take you.  Another key issue is can you find a lending institution that will loan you the amount you need?

As Americans we have learned that consistent payments over time allows us to afford things we might not otherwise be able to afford.  Think about it.  How many of us pay cash for a new car?  It use to be that you got a twelve month loan.  Then it was twenty four months.  Now you can get a sixty month loan.  It is all in an effort to make a steep price tag affordable.  The same is true for a house.  Most of us who own our own homes have a thirty year mortgage.  Few Americans can plop down the full amount to buy a house.  With proper financing we can have a home AND not stress out other areas of our budget.

So, if we are use to this in our personal lives why is it that we fail to understand this when it comes to the life of our church?  Let me come back to the question of how much you can raise.  Here are some thoughts for you to consider.

First, start with your need and what it will cost you.  If you need 30,000 square feet of additional space to continue your ministry growth that is what you need.  While it might not be prudent to have gold plated faucets in the bathrooms you none the less need the space.  The cost is what it is.

Can you get financing for that amount?  This is a huge question and one that you need answered well before you talk to your congregations about your plans.  If you cannot acquire the funding for that facility you will need to either scale it back or raise more money to position yourself to better acquire financing.

Build a plan that will get you to where you need to be.  You need the building right?  It is not based upon whim or status.  You need the space to continue on with the ministry God has given you.  What you need is a plan of action.

When I worked with Joel Osteen at Lakewood in Houston they needed $100 million.  Joel had raised $12 million on his own.  The campaign we helped him got the total to $65 million.  He still needed another approach to get to the $100 million.  My point is that if the largest church in North America needs more than one campaign who are the rest of us to think we can raise what we need in one campaign.

Again, the question is not how much you can raise but how long it will take you.  Can you pay for your home?  Yes, but it might take you thirty years to do so.  Your church can raise the amount of money needed but it might take you ten years to do so.  That is the value of capital campaigns.  They allow you to build a plan whereby you can afford the facilities you need to continue the Kingdom growth God is sending your way.

We exist to help you achieve those dreams!

Mark Brooks

Founder and President

The Charis Group

Would you delay dental care for your children?  Admittedly about the least popular thing a parent can do is take their kid to the dentist.  Yet we do that for their own good.  Now however as a result of the economy more parents are putting off taking their kids to the dentist.  The results?  A recent report by the Center for Disease Control found that cavities, a completely preventable condition, are up by 15% in kids ages 2 through 5 in the last ten years.  One major reason why is that families stretched to make ends meet delay or put off dental care.  As a result of trying to save money parents are in actuality costing themselves more money.

Going to your dentist twice a year can and will help you maintain healthier teeth which in turn will save you money.  Twice a year visits plus daily brushing and flossing can save the average person thousands of dollars.  You can pay about $100 a visit to get your pearly whites cleaned or wait several years and pay thousands when you have to have that gum disease treated or cavities filled.  Keeping up with your dental hygiene is called preventative dentistry.  So while you think that email from your dentist is just about getting your money it really is about keeping you healthy AND wealthy.

What does this have to do with stewardship?  I find that many churches blow off talking to us simply because they don’t want to spend the money that our services charge.  Like a dentist we have plans for everything you can think of when it comes to stewardship.  We are not just a capital stewardship company.  We are a stewardship company that also does capital campaigns.  I once was at a conference and asked a church staff member if he needed to raise funds.  He laughed and said no as he tried to move beyond our booth.  I then asked, “Are you taking up an offering this weekend?”  He said of course.  ”Well then you are raising funds and I have a plan that will help,” I replied.  That plan, my new e-book “Elevator Pitch Your Offerings” sells for $49.95 for 52 stewardship messages.  Would you spend $50 if it could increase the amount of money that comes into your offering plate?  Many would not.

We put together yearly giving plans for churches.  The fee is based upon the size of the church.  Every church we have done this for has seen their offerings increase.  They pay us a small monthly fee and in return we help them raise thousands of dollars.  It’s a good investment but many churches will not even talk to us as they think it is too much money.  If I gave all my stuff away then they might be interested.

The same happens to us when it comes to capital stewardship campaigns.  My biggest competition is not another firm it is those churches that think they can do it themselves.  Churches that attempt to do their own campaign do so thinking they will save themselves money.  They always end up costing themselves thousands of dollars.  I often tell the story of the layman that told me his church decided to do their second campaign themselves thus saving about $50k.  They raised one million dollars less than when they used a stewardship firm.  Is that good stewardship?

In 1981 Fram ran a commercial with a guy talking about the need to change your oil and oil filter.  He was standing in front of a guy reworking an engine.  The point of the ad was that changing your oil while costing money would in the long run save you from having to have your engine rebuilt.  The last phrase went viral as it said, “You can pay me now, or pay me later.”

That is what I want to say to you today.  Putting off stewardship help is simply poor leadership.  In the end when crisis strikes you will ultimately pay more later on.  So, pay us now a bit and it will pay you later!

Mark Brooks

Founder and President

The Charis Group

One of the most boring moments of any churches worship service is the offering.  Think about it, when was the last time you even remember the offering as being meaningful let alone worshipful?  If you are a pastor my question to you is how much time did you spend this past week thinking about the offering?  I don’t mean worrying about whether there will be enough in the plate to make all the ends meet.  I mean did you think through how you wanted to position the offering, what to say, how to make it worshipful and impactful?  If you are like most pastors you did not give the offering a second thought.  Yet you might like many pastors complain about the result in Monday mornings staff meeting.

Sad to say but one of the most ho-hum parts of our worship services is the offering.  How is that we make something so crucial so boring and lifeless?  Could it be that one reason giving is in decline results from poor offering preparation?

The Lack of Offering Time Strategy

Do you have an offering time strategy?  Most churches don’t have an offering time strategy.   It is no wonder the offering plate is not overflowing. It is time we change that with an elevator approach to offerings.

Elevator Pitch Your Offerings

Not long ago I was watching Fox News when I saw a report on how to craft the perfect elevator pitch. It caught my interest. Around that time I began reading a book entitled, The Influential Fundraiser, and it talked about the importance of your elevator pitch.

The elevator pitch arrives from the idea that you are riding in an elevator when a big shot company executive enters in. You have maybe thirty seconds of time with him or her. What you say in those thirty seconds of riding the elevator will mean the difference of whether you get a full hearing later or are simply forgotten. The idea is to comprise the key information about you into a thirty second burst of energy that will “sell” your idea or you.

So, pretending I am on the elevator with you I might say, “Ah, Pastor Smith, you might have heard that giving to churches is off in this recession. In fact your church might be experiencing a decline in giving. When giving declines, ministry initiatives are threatened. Lives are impacted. Yet the churches we are partnering with have seen their giving go UP during this recession. We work with good churches and make them better. I would love to talk to you about how we can increase your giving.” That is better than simply, “Hi, my name is Mark and I would really like to talk to you about my company.”

My point is you need an elevator pitch as well. If you think about it every Sunday you have an elevator moment – we call it the offering. Most pastors say something at that point in the service. Some explain away how people are not required to give; we don’t want to offend the guests. Some almost beg for money to be given. Some use guilt or some other tactic. Once when I was working on Joel Osteen’s campaign I attended Lakewood one Sunday morning. He had his wife Victoria take up the offering. All pastors have some approach to the offering even if they have no stated approach – I call it the Lack of an Approach. Again, I think you get my drift.

Make the offering time a thought-out part of the service; much the same as the sermon and other aspects of worship. A well planned offering appeal will result in maximized donations. Spend some time weekly thinking about new and creative ways to elevator pitch your offering times. Work hard to make the offering special and I think you will find your offering plates will be fuller!

“Elevator Pitch Your Offerings” Can Help

This book is designed to give you at least one offering message a week.  You can copy the pages to take to the platform with you to make it easy. It may be that the messages I have written will only serve as an idea pool for your own messages. Whether you use every message in this book or use the book to spur on your own ideas, give your offerings some zip and zing. I believe that doing so will increase the amount of funds you receive. In the process the offering might just become something you and your donors look forward to instead of dreading.

You will find that the book is broken down into various categories. The first section simply contains messages that can be used at any time of the year. The second section has messages for special occasions and holidays.

Act now and save almost $50!

Very soon this book will be available on this site in an e-book format for $49.95.  Right now you can get it on Kindle for only $.99!  Simply go to http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0063IYYVY  If you write a review and email me I will give you for free my other new e-book, “Turbo Charge Your Letters.”  This is a $9.95 value that will give you directions and samples on how to craft and write appealing stewardship letters.

There is no reason that your offering needs to be dull and boring next week.  Get my new book today and I promise you that you will not have another ho-hum offering ever again!

Mark Brooks

Founder and President

The Charis Group