It’s part of the natural rhythm of the year: giving tends to increase during the Christmas season. At Life.Church, we don’t take this for granted. We’re intentional about being humble and being good stewards of our resources, and that includes how we approach our tithing and giving communication at the end of the year.
Here are a few tips that have helped us communicate effectively about year-end giving:
- Consistency matters. The end of the year is an opportunity to focus on what we’ve been saying about giving all year long. We believe in giving God our first and our best and that He will bless the rest. We’re never legalistic or confrontational, and we don’t just practice irrational generosity occasionally. As long as our message and attitude toward giving never changes, the end of the year can be a time to drive home this core value. If you have a core value on the topic of giving or generosity, don’t just save it for giving pushes—make it part of your regular communication. Being consistent is the same as being authentic; it lets your attenders know they can trust your values when it comes to giving.
- Celebrate what God has done. One of the best ways to encourage cheerful givers is to communicate that their giving makes a real difference. Tithing makes it possible to do things like serve meals to the homeless, sponsor missionaries, open new campuses, and ultimately change lives. Leveraging the stories you’ve captured throughout the year is an effective way to show the tangible impacts of generosity. Take some time to do a slideshow, make a video, or talk from stage about the individual lives that have been changed because of your attenders’ generosity. Giving is ultimately an act of obedience. Showing a direct connection between giving and changed lives creates a powerful “because of you” narrative. It’s incredibly moving to see what God can do through our gifts.
- Lean into the tax benefit. Deductions for charitable donations are another reason giving trends upward at the end of the year. Giving is most importantly about the heart, of course, but the tax benefits do make it a win-win. At a time when many are considering an end-of-year gift, it’s important to communicate honestly and effectively why there’s no better place for it than the local church. Highlight how your ministry is uniquely positioned to transform your community.
- Speak to the right audience. Many of the people coming to your church in November and December are people who have been coming consistently during the year. If your communication is consistent, they’ll have heard your church’s heart toward giving all year long. Knowing we’ll have many people at our Christmas services who don’t often attend church, we’re intentional about keeping the focus on the most important message of all—the gift of Christ. For that reason, we don’t talk about end-of-year giving during our Christmas services.
Whether it’s the beginning, middle, or end of the year, we practice irrational generosity as a church and believe that giving is an integral part of being a fully devoted follower of Christ. Consistently encouraging faithful giving and, in turn, practicing faithful stewardship is part of the foundation of a God-honoring ministry.
Bonus tip: The end of the year means that New Year’s resolutions are right around the corner. The December through January window is a good time to emphasize signing up for recurring online giving or automatic drafts in order to encourage disciplined and intentional generosity.
