Wanted to put a date on your radar screen today and give you the chance to Save $20.00 on an upcoming church finance webinar.

You’re invited to Register Now for the “Improve the Financial Fitness of Your Church” Webinar – taking place on Tuesday, May 10th from 2:00 – 3:15pm (Eastern).

If you register before THIS FRIDAY, April 29 – you’ll get the Super Early Bird registration rate and Save $20.00!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – everyone needs a coach.

Steve Stroope has been one of my coaches over the past few years.  Steve is the Lead Pastor of Lakepointe Church in Rockwall, TX.  Among other things, Steve is an expert when it comes to church finances and building campaigns.

I’ve “twisted his arm” to get him to join me for this webinar and I know it will be helpful to you.

In this webinar, here’s what I’ll be asking Steve about:

* How to motivate new people to give
* How to preach on money (so that people listen and respond)
* How to get an accurate picture of your stewardship fitness
* How to cast vision so that people want to give (it’s easier than you think)
* How to use membership and small groups to cultivate givers
* How to cultivate key givers
* How to meet with key givers (and why you should start doing this asap)
* How to maximize the five different pockets of giving
* How to raise the stewardship level of your church year after year
* How to connect ‘regular’ stewardship with a capital campaign
. . .Plus the three key stewardship roles of the senior pastor

Like all of our Webinar Training Opportunities, the best part of all this is that you (and your finance team) can join Steve and me for this training from the comfort of your office or home on Tuesday.

For all the details and to Register Now, click the link below:

“IMPROVE THE FINANCIAL FITNESS
OF YOUR CHURCH” WEBINAR
with Steve Stroope & Nelson Searcy

Tuesday, May 10
2:00pm – 3:15pm (Eastern)
1:00pm – 2:15pm (Central)
12:00pm – 1:15pm (Mountain)
11:00am – 12:15pm (Pacific)

P.S. The Super Early Bird rate goes up after THIS FRIDAY, April 29 – Register Today!

I wanted to take a moment today to say THANK YOU to all of you who have invested in my new book The Generosity Ladder: Your Next Step to Financial Peace.  I just received word that it’s already sold over 36,000 copies – unbelievable!

This book is a great tool for you to use to help educate your people on the truth of Biblical giving, and I’ve been overwhelmed by the positive response it’s received.  Be sure to read below for a special opportunity to receive a huge savings on bulk copies.

But first, one of my mentors – Steve Stroope, Lead Pastor of Lake Pointe Church in Rockwall, Texas – recently taught a powerful message to his church about the generosity ladder.  He does a great job with the visual illustration – click below to watch the video:

I also just found out that Direct2Church.com is extending its special offer on bulk copies.

Click here to read more and to order bulk copies of The Generosity Ladder for your church at 50% Off!

Once again, thanks for your support and I hope this book helps you raise the level of stewardship (and discipleship) in your church.

As the seasons change, we all have a tendency to move on without pausing for a moment to celebrate what God has been up to.

Back in October, I led a series of webinars and gave away my free e-book about Planning and Conducting a Christmas Offering, and I’ve gotten lots of  great stories of how God has blessed many churches – but I haven’t shared any of those stories here on the blog this year.

Then just recently, I received an email from Bob Weber – Senior Pastor of Camden (AL) Baptist Church and a member of my Tele-Coaching Network – telling me about his church’s experience with the Christmas Offering.

With his permission, I wanted to share his email with you today:

Hi Nelson,

Just wanted to let you know that we had our One Day Christmas Offering yesterday at Camden Baptist Church.  Our Goal was $12,000.00 to be dedicated to Global Missions.

After implementing principles in the WORSHIP PLANNING, STEWARDSHIP Systems as well as those in the Christmas Offering Webinar, here is yesterday’s Recap:

$19,773.10 one Day Global Mission Offering!!!!  We received the offering and made the report on the spot, believing in faith that we had reached our goal….and we reached, and busted through our goal…talk about rejoicing, celebrating, worshipping!  By the way…our regular offering was at the 10K mark and an additional 3K was received for our Renovation Debt that has now been reduced to just $20,000.00 (down from $170,000.00 since January of 2010).

As a side note, we needed a new Sound System here, and in October, received $15K to make that happen.   The Lord is doing something here in a depressed economy that is beyond amazing.

I am geeked up today and so thankful to the Lord and to you for the transformation that has happened in me, my leadership and His church as a result of the coaching.  So glad that I jumped in on the next round!

God is doing something in this county seat town and I wanted to let you know.

Blessed,

Bob Weber
Camden Baptist Church
Camden, Alabama

That’s amazing Bob – Go God!  I’m praying for even bigger and better things in Camden this year.

What about you?  What are you doing to intentionally transform your leadership?

Do you have a plan to stretch yourself and grow your church over the next year?

Growing churches are led by growing leaders!

My brand new Senior Pastor Tele-Coaching Network begins in about one month – on Thursday, February 24 – and I want to invite you to apply.

This network is filling up fast, but there’s still room for you if you’re a good fit.

Read more and Apply Now here:

http://www.ChurchLeaderInsights.com/telecoaching

(Apply in less than 10 minutes using the NEW Online Application)

Can you spare an hour on Tuesday (January 18) from 2:00 – 3:00pm Eastern Time?

You’re invited to join me for the Top 3 Stewardship Mistakes Webinar.

The overwhelming majority of churches in America (and around the world) have been hit hard by this most recent economic downturn – how about yours?

Do you feel like your church’s finances are completely out of your control?

Don’t feel helpless any longer!

Join me on this one hour webinar (training over the phone and internet) and learn the Top 3 Stewardship Mistakes and how you can avoid them!

The ministry potential of a fully-resourced church is as big as its God-inspired vision. By making a few practical changes (discussed in this free webinar), you can better cooperate with God to expand your church’s impact!

In this 60-minute training you’ll learn:

• The one mistake most churches make with their follow up and how you can avoid it this Sunday.
• What you SHOULD and should NOT do with your offering envelope.
• Stewardship is discipleship – learn how the Pastor must lead the way!

Will you join me?

Space is Limited – Click Here to Register Now for FREE!

We had a great turnout for the series of Christmas Offering Webinars that I led a couple of weeks ago and many of you have been asking about what we’re doing at The Journey.

So, today I wanted to share some samples of the documents we’re using for our Christmas Offering at The Journey this year.

Here are the links to samples of:

• The Journey’s Special Offering Envelope Design
• The “Beyond the City” special offering logo
• The large-format envelope we’re using to send the info packet
• The letter and information packet we’re sending out

And if you haven’t already read my FREE “How to Plan & Conduct a Christmas Offering” E-book, here’s the link to download your copy now:

http://www.churchleaderinsights.com/christmas

‘Tis the season to conduct your church’s Christmas Offering, and just yesterday I wrapped up the last of this week’s “How to Plan and Conduct a Christmas Offering” Webinars.

Between the hundreds of you who joined me for the webinars this week and the thousands who have downloaded my freshly updated “How to Plan and Conduct a Christmas Offering” E-Book (FREE Download), I’ve gotten lots of great questions that I’ve been trying to answer this week.

Here’s another one:

You recommend focusing the Christmas Offering on three or four causes, but wouldn’t it be more impactful and effective if we focused on one single cause?

This is a common question (and a good one), but it’s actually more effective to have multiple causes.

What I like about raising funds for three items is that it connects with more people.

Let’s say you focus on missions – it’s possible that some folks would connect with that item while others wouldn’t (and thereby not give). But if you did missions and children’s ministry – well, now you get the missions folks and those with a heart for kids.  Three items – same principle.

I wouldn’t do more than three the first time out – definitely missions and then something that focuses on your city or region (Community Service/Feed the Poor maybe) and something internal (pave the parking lot, new sign, etc.).

Don’t spread yourself too thin AND don’t narrow your focus too tightly, and you can see a great result of funding for your church and spiritual growth in the people who call your church home!

P.S. If you’re ready to maximize your church’s stewardship efforts, check out my most comprehensive Stewardship resource, The Stewardship Intensive.

Today is the last of this week’s “How to Plan and Conduct a Christmas Offering” Webinars and I’m taking some time to answer another of your frequently asked questions about the Christmas Offering.

The next question goes something like this:

We just kicked off a new capital campaign – should we conduct a Christmas Offering or wait until next year?

If you just launched a brand new capital campaign, it might be best to wait until next year for a Christmas Offering.  There is so much involved in launching a campaign like that, that the Christmas Offering would be a lot for your people to handle.

Besides, one of the main purposes of conducting a Christmas Offering in the first place is to challenge your people to give sacrificially – your new capital campaign should be doing that already.

I will say this though: If you’re in a capital campaign (just not at the beginning of one), you can still run a successful Christmas Offering.  Just keep that in mind and set your Christmas Offering goal with the understanding that it won’t be quite as high.

P.S. If you’re ready to take your Stewardship System to the next level year-round (not just at Christmas time), check out The Stewardship Intensive.

P.P.S. This afternoon I’m leading the “How to Plan and Conduct a Christmas Offering” Webinar – from 4 – 5:15pm Eastern. If you hurry you might be able to squeeze in…  CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW!

I had a great crowd on the line with me yesterday for the first of this week’s “How to Plan and Conduct a Christmas Offering” Webinars and thousands of you have downloaded the updated Christmas Offering e-book that I released a couple of weeks ago.

In spite of my best efforts however, there are still a few questions that I wasn’t able to deal with fully.  This is the first of a series of posts to answer your Christmas Offering questions from the webinars and from your emails.

Question number one is:

If we really push a Christmas Offering, won’t that negatively impact our regular budget offering?

I hear this question all the time, and the answer is NO.

In most cases, if you carefully and prayerfully determine the causes you’re raising money for, there will not be a negative impact on your regular tithes and offerings.

Like so many yes or no questions in leadership, however, there is a “BUT.”

BUT you will have to clearly and repeatedly remind your people that the Christmas Offering is above and beyond their regular giving.

Remember, that’s one of the biggest reasons WHY you’re doing a Christmas Offering in the first place: to help your people grow by giving sacrificially.

Along these same lines -

I’ve noticed that the Christmas Offering is the first gift a lot of people ever give to our church, so as we follow up with them, thank them for their gift and help connect the dots between their giving and what God’s doing through our church, they often become our most extravagant givers…

So, no, the Christmas Offering doesn’t have to take away from your regular Tithes and Offerings (if presented properly).  Not to mention, in the long run it has the potential to bring in a bunch of new givers who will continue to give long after this special offering is past.

P.S. If you’re ready to take your Stewardship System to the next level year-round (not just at Christmas time), check out The Stewardship Intensive.

P.P.S. It’s not too late to join me for Tomorrow’s “How to Plan and Conduct a Christmas Offering” Webinar – it’s tomorrow (Thursday, October 14) from 4 – 5:15pm Eastern.  CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW!

I’m so excited about my new books – Maximize and The Generosity Ladder.

Together, they’re designed to help you lead a fully resourced church - in other words, to help you cooperate with God to see your people embrace the concept of God-honoring generosity and to reach your church’s ministry potential.

Maximize is geared toward toward church leaders, and it lays out a step-by-step Stewardship system that you can implement in your church to help people move from first time givers to extravagant giving.

The Generosity Ladder is written to laypeople, to help them realize God’s plan for their finances and to chart a course toward fully honoring God with their money.  I wrote it as a tool that you can use to help your people embrace solid biblical stewardship.

And today I wanted to give you a link where you can pick up BOTH BOOKS for ONLY $11:

www.Direct2Church.com/Maximize

That’s right, Direct2Church is offering both Maximize and Generosity Ladder together for the regular price of each one!

But hurry, I’m sure this offer won’t last long!

My prayer is that these books provide you with practical help to boldly tackle the topic of money in your church.

Here’s a leadership lesson for you and your team:

Whenever you are having something printed or outsourced for your church, ALWAYS get two quotes and three if possible… in writing, in comparable terms.

Remember, stewardship is more than just what you expect from your church members – You are responsible for every dollar spent.

Just a few days ago, one of my staff came to me to approve a specific item they wanted to have imprinted with our name on it.

I asked for comparable quotes and they said, “I only have this one, but it fits our budget.”

Within budget or not, one quote is a lonely quote.

Bottom line: after 15 minutes of calling and checking online, we saved over $1500 on the project… and we learned a few other valuable details that the first provider hadn’t told us.

And be careful of this myth:

- “There’s only one supplier” or “I can’t find it anywhere else”

In my experience this myth is very rarely (if ever) true, and often indicates a lack of effort from the one who speaks it.  The internet has revolutionized the search for comparable quotes on just about any service/product imaginable.

Final caution: the lowest quote doesn’t always mean the best.

It’s quality and price and turnaround time and relationship with the vendor….and I often pay a bit more for quality or speed or from a vendor I trust but when the payment is made, I know this:

With multiple quotes I’m never “wasting money” that could be better used in other God-honoring ways.

P.S. For more on improving your church’s Stewardship System, across the board, check out The Stewardship Seminar.