Annual Giving for Virtual Church
Caring for God’s people, especially in a time of crisis, requires Christian communities to respond proactively and challenge supporters to give in new ways if the church is to survive and serve. Virtual Church has arrived, and we better all get used to it.
Writing to the Corinthians, Paul asks “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift?” (1 Cor. 4:7).
Every church needs to be literate in electronic resources for communication and must make it as easy as possible for financial gifts to be made online. Keeping your members, informed, connected and inspired is the first step towards ensuring pledge payments are made, and appeals for additional financial gifts are successful. To share our stories, we all need user friendly tools that also include visuals. Social distancing should not mean social separation.
Technologies and platforms such as Zoom, You Tube and Facebook have meant that many churches are seeing attendance online equal to, or even more than what it was before the Covid-19 crisis. Holding your community together through a combination of electronic media resources alleviates a sense of isolation and will mobilize resources to stabilize your annual budget.
My own church connects shut-ins with grocery delivery services, and two blind parishioners now regularly join Sunday worship by phone via Zoom. For practical ideas about technologies to better connect your faith community, check out: page.techsoup.org/covid-19-resources
Retooling to attain your budgeted annual income requires prayer, practical solutions, and generosity from those who give. Strengthen your online giving options by using the easiest online tools that have the lowest fees. One good resource is www.givingtools.com
The future of the "new normal" church depends on how it adjusts to changing times. This article stresses how each church should be thinking of themselves as a start-up. Your mission may (or may not) be the same, but how you connect may have changed forever.
Maurice Seaton
Free Consultation
Core Capital Campaigns is giving back in gratitude for God’s generosity. We are offering a free one-hour phone or online consultation about any fundraising, stewardship or strategic planning topic. Please email or call one of us to set up an appointment:
