Fulfill Your Church’s Mission with Post-Christmas Recurring Giving
Updated November 7, 2023 |
Here’s a hard truth: For many churches, giving during the Christmas season is crucial to their ministries’ work all year. With a large number of people attending Christmas Eve and Christmas service, the likelihood of receiving a Christmas offering from new and returning church members is high. But how can you transform one-time giving into tithing as a reliable source to further your church’s mission?
Since Christmas is the season of giving, there’s no better time to inspire your community to put generosity into action with post-Christmas tithes and offerings.
Benefits of Recurring Giving
How seriously is your church taking recurring giving? While many people give faithfully every month, there’s a difference between a regular donor and a recurring donor. The biggest difference? Your regular givers have to decide to give (and how much to give). Every. Single. Time.
Recurring giving is different. It’s consistent. It allows your congregation to give automatically each month. It’s convenient. And it’s practical. But don’t just take our word for it:
- Network for Good found that recurring givers donate 42% more annually.
- Causevox reported that monthly donors have a retention rate (the percentage of people who continue to give) of 90%, while the average giver only has a 46% retention rate.
- Classy showed that recurring givers make additional one-time gifts 75% more often than one-time donors.
One of the most significant benefits of recurring giving is that it provides a predictable revenue stream for your ministry, no matter the season. Recurring giving frees your church from sweating it out during the summer slump and other slower seasons.
You’ll see more donations and donors when your ministry embraces recurring giving. With those increased resources, you can spread great joy within your community. That means more discipleship, more events, more outreach, more people fed, more relationship-building, more ministering, and more blessings for those in need.
How to Drive Recurring Giving Post-Christmastide
How can you encourage more of your supporters to give regularly? We have some tips so you can encourage regular giving.
Even after Christmas, there is still time to encourage recurring giving! The entire month of December is filled with the spirit of generosity. As the month (and year) ends, donors often get increasingly generous during the holiday season, according to Nonprofits Source. Almost 33% of all charitable giving happens in December. And 10% of all annual donations come in the last three days of the year. So we promise it’s not too late! Now is the perfect time to inspire donors to establish recurring giving even after Christmas ends.
Talk About Giving
Few subjects make people squirm as much as money. But for church leaders, money is as much a spiritual as a financial issue. For church leaders, guiding people into a generous lifestyle is part of creating a healthy and growing church. And how you talk about generosity has a lasting impact on your congregation.
Most churches announce when it’s time to pass the offering plate each week. This normalizes physical giving, but it’s also an opportunity to normalize recurring giving. With a quick mention of a weekly or monthly gift, you’re providing another gentle nudge to encourage donors to establish recurring gifts.
Beyond the weekly reminders, you can plan a sermon series around generosity that dives deeper than just financial generosity. Your message could also cover being generous through volunteering, relationships, and hospitality.
Share Stories Of Impact
Are you showing or telling? You may spend time on Sundays telling people what the Bible says about giving and generosity and asking them to give to your mission. But along with those words, you need some action. When you show the impact of generosity, you’re helping your congregation see the importance of giving and how they can help make a difference.
It’s time to share how God is working through your church and how your ministry is advancing his kingdom by blessing others. Are you running a food pantry that helps feed hungry families? Did your church fill up gas tanks over the summer or collect coats for a local shelter? Does your church support missionaries at home or abroad?
Share the meaningful moments and callings close to your church’s heart. Then, when people see how their generosity affects their community, they’ll be inclined to give more.
Check out this video to see how Houston Northwest Church is using Pushpay to fulfill their mission!
LEARN ABOUT PUSHPAY’S GIVING SOLUTION
Show How Easy Recurring Giving Can Be
Many churchgoers have spent decades placing their weekly donations on offering plates. It’s second nature to grab a check or cash, add it to the plate, and pass it further down the aisle.
Just because recurring giving is different doesn’t mean it has to be hard! With recurring giving, donors can set up their gift with a quick couple of clicks. Having demonstrations and tutorials for regular donors to set up recurring giving shows them exactly how to make the change. You can take a few minutes during your church service on Sunday to demonstrate, send an email with step-by-step directions, or share a video in a group chat.
Lean On Technology
When you’re trying to inspire recurring giving after Christmas has ended, it’s not just about your givers—it’s also about the tools you’re using. When your church makes recurring giving simple and easy, people give even more.
Churches can lean on technology in many ways to engage givers. One way is through online giving for churches that can be integrated with existing church software. Two popular features in Pushpay’s donor management software are:
- Recurring Suggestion. When you enable this feature, whenever someone gives to your church, they’ll get a simple, natural nudge to consider making their gift a recurring donation. Recurring Suggestion is one of the reasons why most churches that switch to Pushpay see a 76% growth in recurring givers in their first six months.
- Default to Recurring. Setting up a recurring schedule should be easy, and this feature defaults the user to a recurring gift. Users can select a one-time gift if they choose, but most don’t turn off recurring giving and let the automation donate for them consistently. Churches that turn on this feature have seen an average 6% increase in recurring donations.
Recognize and Thank Donors
Your donors make all the good work your ministry does possible. New or existing donors will fund anything you have in store for the new year. That’s why donor management is essential to influence continued church growth.
So, as you work to increase tithes after Christmas, you’ll want to thank the people who have supported you from January to November. It’s critical that you maintain a strong relationship with people who have already given to you. Learn effective donor relationship management strategies that can transform church members into cheerful givers.
Giving thanks and practicing gratitude makes all the difference. Don’t rely on a generic “thank you” on Sunday mornings to your audience. Instead, personalize your thank-you messages. That could look like a handwritten letter, a phone call, or a chat over coffee with the pastor. You know your donors best, so customize your communications and deepen those relationships.
Inspire Recurring Tithes & Offerings with ChurchStaq
We at Pushpay are here for you in the busyness of December and every month after! When you need support with launching recurring giving or showing gratitude to current recurring donors, we’re here to ensure the success of your mission. Schedule a call with one of our experts today to learn more about how we can help your church—especially about increasing recurring giving.
Sources:
https://www.networkforgood.com/resource/why-recurring-giving-matters/
https://www.causevox.com/blog/donor-retention/
https://www.classy.org/blog/recurring-donations-infographic/
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