We MUST Stop Creating Selfish Christianity!
I’ve always loved this quote.
“You win them to what you win them with.”
— Aiden Wilson Tozer
It’s been repeated with slight deviations over and over again.
I believe this quote sums up much of our current Christianity problems.
In this NEW POST, we’ll evaluate the attractional church and what we are seeing today in its place. Both are doing the same things: Creating Christianity in the image of culture.
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Also, I’m working with churches and church leaders in 6 specific areas of ministry leadership. Two are:
1. Remodeling the Church Model: https://gavinadams.com/church-discipleship-model/
2. Fully Funding the Church: https://gavinadams.com/growing-generosity/
Check out the FREE RESORUCES on these pages and let me know if working together would help you.
Fixing, “The Church Just Wants My Money!”
“In just two months, 122 people gave to Centerpoint Church for the very first time, and we added 18 new recurring givers! Working with Gavin on our generosity system gave us a plan to grow giving and fully fund our church.”
– Bryant Golden, Senior Paster, Centerpoint Church, Tampa, FL
This is why I’m offering my new MASTERCLASS: The Giving Funnel that Funds Your Church – https://gavinadams.com/givingmasterclass/
This giving post may help your church, but if you’re looking for more, check out the Masterclass Experience.
NEW POST: Fixing, “The Church Just Want My Money?”
“The church just wants my money!”
How do you overcome that obstacle as a church leader?
Undo the past thirty, forty, or fifty years of Christianity? Too bad that’s not an option! One simple solution is to stop talking about money, which certainly would fix the problem. Of course, that could create many more. If you never taught or mentioned money, nobody would complain and nobody would give. Worse, nobody would begin to trust God with their financial life. Yet, when you talk about money, people both complain and leave.
It’s unfortunate the perception exists. But it is for legitimate reasons. We, as church leaders, have done a terrible job talking about money and stewarding what we’ve received…
Why A Lady at Church Told Me to “Get Out of Her Seat”
If you want to maximize year-end giving, join my FREE 30-MINUTE WEBINAR on November 9 at 3:00 p.m. EST. Register today. Even if you can’t make it, sign up so you’ll receive the replay and other free resources.
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On to today’s new post…
People are creatures of habit.
When I attend meetings, I like to sit in the same place. I remember walking into high school and college classrooms, taking a seat, and then sitting in that seat the entire semester. Every student sat in the same seat that we selected on day one.
This behavior extends well beyond church pews and classroom seats. Most everything in our life functions from patterns, rhythms, and habits. That’s a good thing. Our brain is wired for patterns, thus creating habits.
We can get back on track when a habit is interrupted, but a new pattern forms if the routine is interrupted long enough. New behaviors take over.
Perhaps this is why people aren’t coming back to church.
Before the pandemic, many church attendees, even those who were consistent and engaged, followed a pattern and rhythm more than the mission and vision.
How are you responding to the challenge?
The A.B.C. of Year-End Giving
How to Maximize Year-End Giving: My next FREE WEBINAR happens THIS WEDNESDAY at 3:00 p.m. EST! Don’t miss “How to Maximize Year-End Giving.” Learn more and REGISTER HERE: https://gavinadams.com/webinar-growing-generosity/
NEW POST:
If you’re a church leader (or non-profit leader), you know the importance of year-end giving.
The metrics prove the point:
* Nearly one-third (31%) of annual giving occurs in December,
* 12% of all giving happens in the last three days of the year, and
* December 31 is the biggest giving day of the year.
Any way you look at it, December dollars matter.
So start making a clear and compelling ask! Don’t cast vision without adding a call to action.
In this post, I give you 4 ways your can A.B.C. (Always Be Closing) your year-end giving.
People Don’t Give To JUST Vision
QUICK NOTE: My next FREE WEBINAR happens later this month. Don’t miss “How to Maximize Year-End Giving.” Learn more and REGISTER HERE: https://gavinadams.com/webinar-growing-generosity/
Now, on to our post…
Have you heard the phrase, “People give to vision”?
As a new lead pastor, I was told to leverage vision to generate giving. More, people told me that my congregation would serve to vision, invite to vision, and connect in groups from vision.
So I studied vision casting. I worked hard to become clear, compelling, and concise. And I assumed, from what I had always heard, that vision would be sufficient to engage our church.
Seventeen years later, I’ve come to believe this is true, but only partially true.
In this NEW POST, I tell you what to do beyond vision to inspire participation. AND, I’ll offer you 6 simple ways to celebrate wins to inspire engagement.
5 Ways the Current Financial Tension Can HELP Your Church
Are you feeling the financial pressure at your church?
Several things are culminating at once: 2023 Budget planning. The stock market reduction. And the fear of a recession, to name a few.
Most churches I know are looking ahead cautiously. And I get it.
Plenty of churches have already seen giving reduced. And they are simultaneously watching expenses rise. This is happening in our church and in the homes of our congregation.
Here’s what I’m wondering:
What if you leveraged this financial tension to grab their attention?
In this NEW POST, I give you five ways to use the financial tensions to help your congregation pay attention…
P.S.: I’m launching a new MASTERCLASS COHORT GROUP soon — “The Giving Funnel that Funds Your Church.” If you want more information, just shoot me a note!
And check out more resources here: https://gavinadams.com/growing-generosity/
Research Shows Half of Pastors Don’t Believe Their Preaching is “Strong”
You read that correctly.
This headline on Barna’s site caught my attention: “49% of U.S. pastors say the preaching at their church is ‘strong.”
Two quick observations before we address the content.
1. They asked pastors if they believed THEIR preaching was strong. I don’t know about you, but I’m the worst evaluator of myself. Asking pastors how they feel about their preaching seems like an odd sample.
2. More alarming, only 49% of pastors believe their preaching is strong! That’s the worst part. If we surveyed the congregations in their churches, I suspect that number wouldn’t be higher. Odds are 49% is an exaggerated metric of success.
The question is what can be done about this. How can pastors who feel they aren’t strong in the pulpit get stronger, and how can the pastors who wrongfully evaluate their strength improve?
The secret to preaching is found in the purpose of preaching…
Have You Ever Considered Why You Do Church the Way You Do Church?
How was church yesterday?
Let me ask you another question: Have you ever considered why you do church the way you do church?
Every church has a model, method, or strategy. Perhaps many haven’t defined or documented it, but a lack of documentation doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
Every organization has a method to the madness — even if it’s mostly madness. We all work from established frameworks and systems to meet our goals.
I can’t state this enough: Even if you don’t know your model, you have a model.
Your model is your how. Your mission and vision describe the what and why. It’s your model that prescribes how you hope to accomplish your mission and vision.
In this NEW POST, we’ll discuss ministry models and what questions you should ask to as you evaluate your current execution.
P.S.;
Check out more resources on Strategic Planning: https://gavinadams.com/strategic-planning/
Or you may want to look through the Irresistible Church Model content here: https://gavinadams.com/church-discipleship-model/
5 Things Better Than Making 5 Year Plans
When’s the last time someone asked you, “Where do you see yourself in five years?”
It seems like a ridiculous question in our world today.
Can you imagine answering this question in January or February of 2020?
We have no idea what the future will actually bring. We can’t control the opportunities and obstacles that lay ahead. But we can do something.
Rather than make five-year plans, I’d suggest making five-year preparations.
Prepare.
Guns, Babies, and Jesus. Why Christianity is Rapidly Losing Ground
The latest research shows that only 81% of people believe in God today.
In the 1950s and 60s, the answer was nearly 100%. Gallup has been researching this question for decades, and the percentage held relatively consistent for a long time. But things are changing — rapidly.
Why?
Looking more closely at the data, we get some good clues.
THIS NEW POST WILL MAKE SOME OF YOU ANGRY. I get it. I’m unsure if I am completely correct, but at a minimum, I think I’m partially correct.
Check your political ego at the door and let me know if you agree, disagree, or fall somewhere in between.
