Let’s call this an experiment. We want to change the giving habits at Faith Lutheran. Our church is usually in a budget shortfall by December of each year. This leads to some strain on the operations of the church. In recent years, we have taken to attention-grabbing commentaries (see 2011’s “3-Peat” and 2012’s “Weatherman” reports) to increase awareness of the church’s needs for funds at the end of the year. This all comes in December. And it all feels like a bit of a panic.
The congregation faithfully responds to these requests for funding, and for the past four years offerings have met the church’s needs.
But we’ve been thinking… What if we asked members of Faith Lutheran to give out of joyful celebration instead of financial panic?
This year we will offer 5 special giving opportunities. The first will start in a couple of weeks. You will see special Alleluia! offering envelopes around Easter.
We’re calling this new giving experiment High 5. It has several goals:
- Achieve a 5th straight year of meeting all our ministry commitments without borrowing
- Lessen the year-end “fiscal cliff” by spreading extra giving throughout the year, so we’re not giving in panic next December, but instead giving thankfully and joyously throughout the year
- Develop a “budget, plus” mindset that aims not just to meet, but exceed the annual church budget
- Show more clearly how offerings given to Faith Lutheran connect to its many ministries.
The first High 5 giving opportunity comes this month with the Alleluia! offering celebrating the joy and importance of Easter. Watch later this month for your chance to give Faith Lutheran a High 5 and celebrate the resurrection of our Lord through the Alleluia! offering.
