RESOURCE
Church Tech Check
Here’s a hard truth: For many churches, giving during the Christmas season is crucial to their ministries’ work all year. With a large number of people attending Christmas Eve and Christmas service, the likelihood of receiving a Christmas offering from new and returning church members is high. But how can you transform one-time giving into tithing as a reliable source to further your church’s mission?
Since Christmas is the season of giving, there’s no better time to inspire your community to put generosity into action with post-Christmas tithes and offerings.
Benefits of Recurring Giving
How seriously is your church taking recurring giving? While many people give faithfully every month, there’s a difference between a regular donor and a recurring donor. The biggest difference? Your regular givers have to decide to give (and how much to give). Every. Single. Time.
Recurring giving is different. It’s consistent. It allows your congregation to give automatically each month. It’s convenient. And it’s practical. But don’t just take our word for it:
- Network for Good found that recurring givers donate 42% more annually.
- Causevox reported that monthly donors have a retention rate (the percentage of people who continue to give) of 90%, while the average giver only has a 46% retention rate.
- Classy showed that recurring givers make additional one-time gifts 75% more often than one-time donors.
One of the most significant benefits of recurring giving is that it provides a predictable revenue stream for your ministry, no matter the season. Recurring giving frees your church from sweating it out during the summer slump and other slower seasons.
You’ll see more donations and donors when your ministry embraces recurring giving. With those increased resources, you can spread great joy within your community. That means more discipleship, more events, more outreach, more people fed, more relationship-building, more ministering, and more blessings for those in need.
How to Drive Recurring Giving Post-Christmastide
How can you encourage more of your supporters to give regularly? We have some tips so you can encourage regular giving.
Even after Christmas, there is still time to encourage recurring giving! The entire month of December is filled with the spirit of generosity. As the month (and year) ends, donors often get increasingly generous during the holiday season, according to Nonprofits Source. Almost 33% of all charitable giving happens in December. And 10% of all annual donations come in the last three days of the year. So we promise it’s not too late! Now is the perfect time to inspire donors to establish recurring giving even after Christmas ends.
Talk About Giving
Few subjects make people squirm as much as money. But for church leaders, money is as much a spiritual as a financial issue. For church leaders, guiding people into a generous lifestyle is part of creating a healthy and growing church. And how you talk about generosity has a lasting impact on your congregation.
Most churches announce when it’s time to pass the offering plate each week. This normalizes physical giving, but it’s also an opportunity to normalize recurring giving. With a quick mention of a weekly or monthly gift, you’re providing another gentle nudge to encourage donors to establish recurring gifts.
Beyond the weekly reminders, you can plan a sermon series around generosity that dives deeper than just financial generosity. Your message could also cover being generous through volunteering, relationships, and hospitality.
Share Stories Of Impact
Are you showing or telling? You may spend time on Sundays telling people what the Bible says about giving and generosity and asking them to give to your mission. But along with those words, you need some action. When you show the impact of generosity, you’re helping your congregation see the importance of giving and how they can help make a difference.
It’s time to share how God is working through your church and how your ministry is advancing his kingdom by blessing others. Are you running a food pantry that helps feed hungry families? Did your church fill up gas tanks over the summer or collect coats for a local shelter? Does your church support missionaries at home or abroad?
Share the meaningful moments and callings close to your church’s heart. Then, when people see how their generosity affects their community, they’ll be inclined to give more.
Check out this video to see how Houston Northwest Church is using Pushpay to fulfill their mission!
