The Apostle Paul, perhaps the greatest church planter of all time, urges the Corinthian Church to excel in the grace of giving (2 Corinthians 8 & 9). Giving is important to the healthy growth of a church.

Many of us find that counterintuitive. We are afraid that asking people to give might drive some people away. But that’s not what Ed Stetzer found in a 2007 study of church plant survivability. He found that having a proactive stewardship development plan increases the likelihood of a church plant surviving by over 178 percent.

Before you discount that as being only about having the money to keep on going, consider two other things Stetzer found in that same study.

• Being intentional about financial stewardship is one of the ten factors correlated with higher church plant attendance. In other words, while a proactive stewardship development plan risks potentially driving someone away, the positive impact is greater than the potential risk.
  
• A proactive stewardship development plan is also correlated with more baptisms. Stetzer argues that this is a basic aspect of the Christian life that needs to be nurtured rather than neglected. When it is nurtured, it tends to produce a higher expectation church that sees more professions of faith.

Given that having a proactive stewardship development plan is important both Biblically and practically, what is the best way to teach stewardship?  Ruben Swint, ministry partner of The Columbia Partnership (http://www.thecolumbiapartnership.org/), suggests that younger generations respond better when you emphasize the concept of generosity, “generosity is a companion word to stewardship.”

Swint writes, “If you are planting a new congregation or your congregation is less that 20 years old, then begin to emphasize generosity. Generosity is a term that you do not need to hide from your visitors either. They are used to the term from popular culture. In fact, your church may be more appealing if it is seen as being a generous group of believers.”
Swint notes what II Corinthians 8:7 – 9:15 tells us about generosity:

• Generosity is excelling in the grace of giving.
• Generosity is not an obligation, command or duty.
• Generosity measures the sincerity of a person’s love.
• Christ was rich, yet He became poor for our sakes.
• Christ is the example of God’s generosity to us.
• Be generous with an attitude of enthusiasm, not reluctance.
• Generosity is good for us.

“If generosity is a word or action that has value for the Christian life, how can one grow generosity in their congregation?” Swint gives the following suggestions:

• Engage in a Bible study on generosity.
• Receive an offering and give it all away.
• Preach on God’s generosity and that we are made in God’s image.
• Train and empower a generosity team or task force.
• Plan an act or event of generosity for your community.
• Make generosity the guiding principle of budget planning.
• Remind, remind, and remind members of what they still have.

How does generosity relate to a proactive stewardship development plan? What do you think, or what has been your experience?

Our church planters depend on the prayers and encouragement of God’s people. OUTREACH NORTH AMERICA provides this monthly prayer letter to inform you of some of their specific needs and praises so you will know better how to pray for them. Thank you for your prayers and the interest you show by your phone and e-mail responses. Your prayers truly encourage your church planters. (See the bottom of this e-mail for a summary of all the mission churches included in this update.)

Fill out the form below to receive our monthly prayer email from our mission congregations

Photo Credit – pritam

Here are my notes from the Technology and Social Networking track at the January GCA Church Planting Conference in Orlando.  The presenters were:  Tim Brister and Drew Goodmanson.  Tim is a pastor who has developed an integrated web and social networking strategy.  Drew is a pastor and also CEO of Monk Development, an internet strategy and development company.

A first question to ask:  Are church websites effective tools for evangelism?

Unfortunately, a 2009 study on ‘The State of the Church Online: Websites & Mission’ involving numerous church websites & strategies, the answer is – At the present time, church websites are not an effective tool of evangelism. This is based on the study of collective analytics of church websites, online surveys, and offline interviews.

Less than 1% (0.17%) of non-Christians were influenced to attend church because of a church website.  Only 6% of churches have a gospel presentation on their website.  For the churches that have a gospel presentation on their website, those presentations receive only a tiny fraction of the total hits on the site.

If you are trying to reach non-Christians with the gospel, you may be better off creating a separate website or blog for the community other than the church website.  For example, a church in British Columbia, Canada, developed a website to link together people in the community interested in hiking.  The hiking website was the bridge to non-Christians in the community.  Other churches developed blogs to target topics for which non-Christians are searching for help on the internet, such as:  serious illness, death, depression, loneliness, marital issues, transitions, etc.

So that leads to the question:  Why have a church website?

Church websites are effective at helping Christians find churches, and then helping new people in the church connect with the church.

Church websites have attracted 17% of Christians to their present church.

The people visiting church websites the most are new visitors to the church.  Of the new visitors to the churches, 30% found the church through the web.  A total of 77% said that the church’s website was at least somewhat important in their decision to actually attend the church.  One interviewee said, “A church’s website has to be our first filter to find a church.”

What are new visitors (less than 3 months) seeking on the church website:

• Learning about the church
• Reading about beliefs
• Listening to sermons
• Trying to connect with the church
• Finding events/times
• Finding ways to serve.

For 82%, the church website was at least somewhat important in facilitating participation in the church community.  For 45%, the church website was at least somewhat important for their ongoing discipleship and spiritual growth.

For beginners in the church (3 – 6 months) 100% had visited the church website.  What are beginners seeking on the church website:

• Learning more about the church
• Listening to sermons
• Reading pastor’s or church’s blog
• Trying to connect deeper in the church
• Finding events/times
• Looking up or contacting church staff.

A question I have to ask:  Is there any good news regarding how a church website can help in evangelism?

The answer is “yes.”  Beginners in the church tend to use the church website in telling their friends, business colleagues, and others about the church.  Therefore, 73% said that the church website was at least somewhat important in sharing their faith with others.

The final question:  what is the take away from this information?

You need to identify your audience and what you are trying to provide them as you are designing the website.  There are four possible audiences – how do you address them?

Our church planters depend on the prayers and encouragement of God’s people. OUTREACH NORTH AMERICA provides this monthly prayer letter to inform you of some of their specific needs and praises so you will know better how to pray for them. Thank you for your prayers and the interest you show by your phone and e-mail responses. Your prayers truly encourage your church planters. (See the bottom of this e-mail for a summary of all the mission churches included in this update.)

Fill out the form below to receive our monthly prayer email from our mission congregations

Photo Credit – pritam

Our church planters depend on the prayers and encouragement of God’s people. OUTREACH NORTH AMERICA provides this monthly prayer letter to inform you of some of their specific needs and praises so you will know better how to pray for them. Thank you for your prayers and the interest you show by your phone and e-mail responses. Your prayers truly encourage your church planters. (See the bottom of this e-mail for a summary of all the mission churches included in this update.)

Fill out the form below to receive our monthly prayer email from our mission congregations

Photo Credit – pritam

CLICK HERE to download the Winter 2010 edition of OUTREACH.

Mike Milton
Seminar 1
Seminar 2
Seminar 3

R. J. Gore
Seminar 1
Seminar 2
Seminar 3

Zack Eswine
Seminar 1
Seminar 2

CLICK HERE

CLICK HERE to download the Fall 2009 edition of OUTREACH.

Tasking Outreach North America is the agency of Synod charged with the responsibility for denominational strategies for evangelism, multi-ethnic ministries, church vitality, new church development, and ARP expansion in the US and Canada.

Values God’s glory, prayer, evangelism, responsibility, balance, relationships, and communication.

Goals 2005-2010

Vision Transforming North America’s heart, transforming our denomination’s heart, transforming our congregation’s heart, and transforming our hearts.

For More information, contact Ken Priddy, out Director of Church Renewal.
PO Box 4911, Richmond, VA23220
Office 804-306-7942 cell 804-550-0768
kenpriddy.com@gmail.com, www.kenpriddy.com