When communicating financial information to boards, committees, and the entire congregation, strive to do the following:
- Teach about generosity. When generosity is taught as a biblical mandate, rather than a means to reaching budget goals, it tends to increase, says Brian Kluth, publisher of State of the Plate tithing research.
- Make your giving concrete. During a special event or service, have your church present a check to a deserving ministry or missionary. This lets your church see the impact of their giving.
- Be visual. Many churches use tools like large paper thermometers to show the congregation how far they’ve gotten toward reaching a key goal. Kluth suggests noting in the bulletin how much of each dollar donated supports missions.
- Show where the missions dollars go. John Corby, director of Global Link for the Christian & Missionary Alliance, says, “I’ll try to show them, here’s what happens to your dollars in this country: so far 5,000 families have received aid and heard the gospel message because you gave; if you [give] this much more, these additional things could be accomplished.”