Most people want to make a difference. At some point they come to see their lives as something that must count toward something, or someone, other than themselves. For this reason, people spend endless time and energy to make difference at home, at church, at Girl Scouts, at school, at the homeless shelter, and in many other places. It is satisfying to know that our one individual life matters.
It stands to reason that people think of their giving in the same way. Too often churches don’t get this. They very much want their congregation to give to the budget because there are utilities, repairs, salaries, and a host of line-items that must be covered. Givers, however, don’t think about line-items. They wonder about the difference their dollar is making. The heating bill is a sidebar to the addiction group meeting in the air-conditioned room. The salary isn’t as relevant as the pastor leading fifteen women in the Wednesday morning bible study. Copies of sheet music are an afterthought compared to good music being played and sung on Sunday morning.
Whenever inviting a gift, whether Sunday morning or otherwise, leaders need to answer not the question of what the money is for, but why the money matters. This is key.
One of the tools for such a task is called a “Narrative Budget.” A narrative budget is not a finance tool; it is a story-telling tool that connects line-items to difference-making outcomes. It uses the line-item budget and transforms it into a story-of-the-ministry budget.
On September 3 and 18 our Foundation is hosting a webinar sharing how to build a narrative budget. We do this each year around budget building time, and many have found this a helpful time of learning. If you or your leaders are interested, we start at 7:00 eastern, 6:00 central. The webinar is free. You can register here.
Always remember that givers need the “why it makes a difference” in order to feel like their life, and their giving, count to God and themselves. Make it a habit to share that often. Not only will generosity increase, but your givers will find more joy in their giving.
For more information about budgeting, giving, and growing generosity, contact me here or call us toll free at 877-391-8811.
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Glenn Howell
Director of Development
Heartland Methodist Foundation