PRE-CONFERENCE E-BOOKSUPPLIER SPOTLIGHTS

A look at the products, services, companies & educational offerings you’ll want to check out at NACBA 2014

VISIT THEM ALL AT:National Association of Church Business Administration

58th Annual NACBA National ConferenceGaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center | Orlando, FL

July 14–18, 2014 | nacba.net/2014

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ELEXIO: CONNECT. ENGAGE. GROW. 4Elexio provides the only church software that fully integrates church management, website CMS, check-in, giving and a mobile app into one system. Our intuitive solutions help churches effectively manage membership, contributions, events and much more.

At Elexio, we’re a team of current and former ministry leaders; so, we understand church processes and what it takes to effectively connect, engage and grow.

THE EVOLUTION OF CHURCH MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE 6 By John ConnellEven today, a significant number of churches regard church management software (ChMS) as a staff-centric solution. So, they miss the greatest purpose of the solution: helping their people to build the Kingdom. This is just one of many reasons that their results fall short of churches’ expectations. Here, we examine several others.

MMBB: RIGHT FOR YOUR CHURCH — IN EVERY WAY 8As with any worthwhile goal, financial well-being and retirement planning is seldom achieved without careful thought and preparation. Charting the journey toward a successful retirement calls for the right partners, the right plans, the right resources and the right expertise. For faith-based organizations, it calls for MMBB Financial Services.

RETIREMENT PLANNING FOR LARGE CHURCHES 10By Rev. Dr. William H. Foster, Jr.You know that creating an attractive benefits package shows your staff that you care about them, in the here-and-now and in the future. You also know that a benefits package can reduce costly turnover and help retain employees — and recruit new ones. So, it begs the question: What’s the best package your church can offer?

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PUSHPAY MAKES GIVING ABOUT THE MOMENT, NOT THE PROCESS 12The team at eChurch is bringing Pushpay — the first genuine 10-second mobile giving solution, with stellar web and kiosk options to match — to churches all across America and is excited to be attending the NACBA conference this year. Our heart is to partner with your church and see how Pushpay can nurture spontaneous generosity, which will resource your ministry and the Kingdom.

THINK BIGGER FOR SMALL-PROJECT FUNDRAISING 14Not every church fundraising initiative is a multimillion-dollar effort; often, smaller amounts are sought to fund outreach trips, new ministries and more. Regardless of the monetary goal, enlisting next-generation giving tools — those which make it easy for people to give to any mission — can bolster support and engagement.

RSI IS RETHINKING STEWARDSHIP 16You won’t want to miss out on this year’s workshop presented by RSI Stewardship at NACBA 2014. We’ve brought in one of our favorite ministry partners, Kem Meyer, to join RSI Executive Vice President Bill McMillan in discussing the top “10 Things People Want Before They Will Give to Your Church.”

REFRAMING THE DEBT-REDUCTION CAMPAIGN 18 By Joel MikellBy their very nature, debt campaigns bring attention to something that happened in the past. The reality is, most churches carrying debt are doing so from a past ministry need which resulted in expansion, renovation or some other ministry-focused project. The real challenge in raising funds for debt reduction or debt retirement is connecting the debt campaign to future ministry opportunities.

Editor’s Note: National Association of Church Business Administration (NACBA) was not involved in the production of this E-Book. It is solely a publication of Church Executive Magazine and its parent company, Power Trade Media LLC.

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A

QQ: Would you agree that many churches don’t take full advantage of the capabilities their management software and systems can offer? Explain.

A: Many churches use their management software for a few basic functions but don’t realize the deeper purpose for these solutions. A rich church management software (CMS) like the Elexio Database should equip churches to care for visitors, members and volunteers and manage the assimilation, connection and discipleship processes. Effectively using a church management solution means engaging the church community, which will ultimately lead to church growth.

Q: Are there underused or lesser-known tools inherent to your management system or software in the areas of contributions and assimilation?

A: Elexio provides churches with a variety of giving options that can lead to increased and more consistent

contributions — and save staff valuable time. Elexio’s Database solution can integrate with a church website to enable online giving using a credit or debit card or bank account information and access giving history and print statements. People can also set up recurring giving

so contributions are automatically withdrawn at a set frequency. Through Elexio’s Mobile App, they can give any time anywhere right from their smartphones and select a specific fund for their contributions. Giving kiosks also make it easy for the church community to quickly make contributions that automatically show up in the Database. If the church community still writes a lot of checks, Elexio offers check scanners to cut down the amount of time staff spends on data entry each week. And rather than adding another vendor to the process, Elexio now provides financial processing services — at competitive rates with integrated reconciliation reports that equate to better stewardship of church funds.

Elexio also simplifies the assimilation process through a variety of tools. Churches can customize automated follow-ups based on a person’s attendance stage from first-time visitor through the natural levels of attendee involvement. Church staff can use the free mobile app to access

information about individuals and update their records from the convenience of a smartphone. Attendees can find connection opportunities and register for a small group through the church’s integrated website, mobile app, or even a kiosk. They can also sign up for service opportunities while staff uses connection status, ministry participation, and volunteer tracking to gauge the spiritual growth and discipleship of the church community.

Q: How can a large-church leader ensure he or she is making a solid investment in software or a management system?

A: Church leaders should do plenty of research to ensure they choose the right management solutions for their ministry needs. They need to consider the resources — everything from people to hardware — they’ll need to effectively use the CMS. Although budget might be important, the cost of a good church management system shouldn’t be the only deciding factor.

Churches typically want a checklist of features, but their first question should be, Can it support our ministry goals? Then come some other important questions: Is it easy for staff to use, yet powerful? Can the system grow with the church? Is the company well-established? Can they offer the support and implementation coaching the church needs? Do they stay current with frequent updates? Do their values align with the church’s mission?

What truly sets Elexio apart is that all our solutions are completely integrated, which means one-time data entry for staff and more time connecting with people. n

SPECIAL ADVERTIS ING SECTION

Connect. Engage. Grow.Elexio provides the only church software that fully integrates church management, website CMS, check-in, giving and a mobile app into one system. Our intuitive solutions help churches effectively manage membership, contributions, events and much more. At Elexio, we’re a team of current and former ministry leaders; so, we understand church processes and what it takes to effectively connect, engage and grow.

Expert Advice! Keep an eye out for all Elexio’s best insights in our two part series — “ChMS: A Live Roundtable” — in our Sept / Oct 2014 and Nov / Dec 2014 issues of Church Executive!

Connect. Engage. Grow.

6 | CHURCH EXECUTIVE | PRE-CONFERENCE E-BOOK | 2014

Even today, a significant number of churches regard church management software (ChMS) as a staff-centric solution. So, they miss the greatest purpose of the solution: helping their people to build the Kingdom. This is just one of many reasons that their results fall short of churches’ expectations.

Several other mistakes cause some churches to get less than they were hoping for from their ChMS:

Expecting technology to substitute for good processes. Without established processes and defined goals for ministry, no solution will be a success.

Not allocating sufficient resources — personnel and finances — to get the right solution. Regardless of your congregation’s size, it’s imperative that you have a “data champion” — a staff person thoroughly invested in the success of the solution. You will also need the financial means to make it a priority. Its purpose, after all, is to help your people to grow as disciples.

Thinking the financial investment is the end. Actually, it’s just the beginning. And while we’re talking about investment, make sure you don’t overlook the work involved in transitioning into new ChMS. Most churches are coming from some type of platform already, and it’s likely that the new solution is different from the way they used to do ChMS. Transitioning promises to be a challenging process, but if you have chosen the right solution, it’s worth the effort.

Allowing a single area of focus to overshadow the needs of the church. It’s easy to allow one church department — say, the finance team — to have the dominant voice. But, this can lead to unintended consequences such as resentment, or even refusal to use the solution. Make sure that the final decision is one that everyone can (and will) support.

Picking a solution without evaluating the provider. Don’t be so mesmerized by the software that you fail to consider factors such as the provider’s tenure in the industry, approval rating by your peers, continual focus

THE EVOLUTION OF church management softwareFrom data to disciple-making, this critical ministry tool has come a long way.

BY JOHN CONNELL

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP: ELEXIO

2014 | PRE-CONFERENCE E-BOOK | CHURCH EXECUTIVE | 7

on product evolution, and best-in-class support. These could mean as much to your ongoing satisfaction as the solution itself.

What’s the mission of the software provider? Ask yourself: Is the company Kingdom-minded? If

there’s any question about this, then its primary purpose could be something other than — something less than — the spiritual development of its constituency. Unless the company’s vision is to build the Kingdom, you risk investing in a solution that fails to encompass the full scope of today’s ministry priorities.

So, what should you look for? Simply, you should look for a solution and a provider that most closely meets your needs. Notice we aren’t saying, “Look for an exact match,” as that’s not realistic.

There’s always the temptation to look at several top solutions, compare a plethora of amazing features, and then combine them into a single list of must-haves. Then, when decision time comes, you demand them that one company provides them all. Such an approach will leave you dissatisfied no matter which provider you choose. The fact is that there’s no perfect provider out there.

A better approach is to weigh the pros and cons and make the best-fitting choice, making sure you’ve decided what your non-negotiables will be.

Another question to ask: Is the provider committed to future development? Will you have opportunity to suggest needed enhancements? What’s its method of processing those suggestions? This could make your decision that much easier. n

John Connell can periodically be found contributing to his company blog and various articles throughout the church community. Professionally, he directs the path of Elizabethtown, PA-based Elexio’s sales and marketing departments, while personally staying involved with the local church as a governing board member of the Lancaster Alliance Church in Lancaster, PA. With a sincere passion to see people know Christ, he works to bring relevant experience to the continual design of Elexio’s software.

8 | CHURCH EXECUTIVE | PRE-CONFERENCE E-BOOK | 2014

Charting the journey toward a successful retirement calls for the right partners, the right plans, the right resources and the right expertise.

For faith-based organizations, it calls for MMBB Financial Services.

The right partnerWhy is MMBB Financial Services the right partner?

We’re both a ministry and a financial organization with a deep understanding of the unique needs of the faith-based community. Many of our team members have worked as

pastors or are deeply involved in their local ministries.

A partnership with MMBB Financial Services will allow you to tailor an affordable benefit package

for your staff that improves your ability to retain and recruit the staff your church needs to achieve its ministry.

The right plansMMBB Financial Services offers two basic plans that can

be tailored to meet your budget and the needs of your staff. 1) The Comprehensive Plan blends retirement

benefits in the form of a 403(b) plan with disability coverage and life insurance under one umbrella. It features: • Monthly premiums that are paid by the employer • Premiums calculated based on an employee’s annual salary typically in the range of 10 percent to 20 percent • Options for employees to arrange for additional retirement contributions to be deducted from their salary on a tax deferred basis

2) The Retirement Only Plan allows you to create a combined employer / employee contribution plan. We part-ner with you to custom design a plan that might include a matching component that increases your staff’s incentive to contribute, a vesting plan that supports staff retention, and

classes of employees so you can offer different benefit pack-ages based on criteria you choose.

The right resourcesMMBB Financial Services takes the burden out of

offering a retirement plan to your employees. Our plan offers a single point of contact for plan administration and investments. Your employees will enjoy financial planning services to help them make the most of their contributions. Our service team understands the unique needs of churches and is available to support you, the employer, and your employees whenever you have a question. Web-based resources enhance this personalized service with educational modules and account management.

Our investment options occupy the sweet spot between access to a full range of investment options and a streamlined menu of funds that has been constructed to make investing simple, yet easily customizable. Rather than presenting our members with a dizzying array of funds, MMBB Financial Services offers nine choices that the cover the range of asset classes, risk and return.

The right expertise At MMBB, our Senior Benefits Consultants combine

knowledge of the church market with expertise in employee benefits and financial planning. A Senior Benefits Consultant works with the ministry to customize a communications and education plan for staff members — and to explain the benefits for which they are eligible.

In addition to Senior Benefits Consultants, Senior Benefits Specialists are available by phone and email to answer any further questions. A number of our staff are Certified Financial Planner™ professionals.

From our management team to our benefits consultants, we surround your organization with professionals dedicated serving. They combine expertise in finance and business with a passion for our committee work as a ministry — wherever you are on your journey.

Visit MMBB at Booth #93, where we will be happy to answer your questions and offer a free benefits review. n

SPECIAL ADVERTIS ING SECTION

Make sure to visit with MMBB Financial Services at booth #93

Right for your church — in every way

As with any worthwhile goal, financial well-being and retirement planning is seldom achieved without careful thought and preparation.

A COMFORTABLE RETIREMENTIS SOMETHING

EVERYONE SHOULD SINK INTO.

REAL PLANNING, REAL SOLUTIONS. THAT’S OUR CALLING.

We hear it all the time. “We’re a ministry, not a business. We just don’t have the money to off er fi nancial benefi ts.” But the truth is, aff ordable fi nancial benefi ts are not out of reach.

MMBB Financial Services thoroughly understands the needs of faith-based organizations. And as benefi ts consultants, we will tailor an aff ordable plan so that everyone in your organization will enjoy retirement, disability and life insurance benefi ts that are sensible and secure.

To fi nd out more, visit us at MMBB.org/aff ordablebenefi ts. Or call 1-800-986-6222. We may just have some very good news for you and your employees.

“OUR EMPLOYEESABSOLUTELY DESERVE FINANCIAL BENEFITS.I wish we could afford them.”

10 | CHURCH EXECUTIVE | PRE-CONFERENCE E-BOOK | 2014

As church executives, it’s our privilege and duty to recognize the value of staff members. While compensation plays a large role in this recognition, providing additional benefits — such as retirement savings plans and insurance (disability, life insurance and health) — can enhance your staff’s loyalty and drive.

I also understand that tight budgets often make us unable to offer all these benefits.

You know that creating an attractive benefits package shows your staff that you care about them, in the here-and-now and also in the future.

You also know a benefits package can reduce turnover and help retain employees — and recruit new ones.

So, it begs the question: What’s the best package your church can offer?

Making the case for retirement plans

In our current economy, retirement benefits are critical. Today, the average adult is living longer, and therefore needs to save more than ever for retirement. While not offering a retirement plan might seem like a quick fix to save money, it’s really not.

For federal tax purposes, retirement plan contributions aren’t considered income. This means that, unlike a cash salary, your staff receives all the money you contribute to their retirement account as compensation. Your staff doesn’t pay taxes on the invested amount — along with any investment growth — until the money is withdrawn during retirement.

And, if your plan is operated by a qualified church-based organization, your ordained staff continues to enjoy the benefits of the housing allowance.

You’re onboard. Now what?Once you’ve decided to offer a retirement savings

plan — a 403(b) plan, for most churches — you’ll have decisions to make about how to structure it. Will the church make a contribution based on a percentage of each employee’s salary? Will it use a matching plan to encourage employees to save? There are many ways to structure a plan; a financial administrator can help you meet your specific objectives.

When researching your options, keep an open mind. Churches that are part of a denomination might have a denominational benefits plan that can provide for most of or all the benefits you choose to offer. Sometimes, these benefits are offered as a package; the savings can be substantial when you purchase the package compared to shopping for each benefit, separately, from multiple providers.

When shopping for benefits, also consider the complexity that managing them adds to your church staff or lay committees. Some key questions need to be answered: • How many vendors do you want to work with? • Will you have a single point of contact, or will a retirement plan require you to engage a third-party administrator to manage the plan and a separate company to provide and manage the investments? • How complex is the process of enrolling and terminating employees in the plan?

At face value, a plan might offer excellent benefits at an affordable price. But, if it requires you to add the equivalent of a half-time position to manage them, you might be better off paying a little more to a provider that offers more management and depth of customer service.

Retirement plans are the most common benefit offered to church staff. They’re directly linked to the quality of people the church can attract, as well as to how long the staff stays with the church.

And, while church salaries are often lower than comparable secular employment, offering a generous and comprehensive benefits package is a cost-effective way to bridge the gap and hire the best staff. n

Rev. Dr. William H. Foster, Jr., serves as national outreach manager for MMBB Financial Services in Olympia Fields, IL. He has more than 20 years of pastoral experience and 30 years of financial experience. Foster also serves as senior pastor at Providence Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago.

BY REV. DR. WILLIAM H. FOSTER, JR.

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP: MMBB

2014 | NACBA PRE-CONFERENCE E-BOOK | CHURCH EXECUTIVE | 11

12 | CHURCH EXECUTIVE | PRE-CONFERENCE E-BOOK | 2014

We know that the majority of people who sit in church on a Sunday morning don’t give regularly, or at all. Our goal is to make the simple act of giving as easy as possible — and we’ve designed a beautifully simple platform to engage your church.

We serve hundreds of churches across America, including many of the largest and fastest-growing.

The team at eChurch is bringing Pushpay to churches and is excited to be attending the NACBA conference this year. Our heart is to partner with your church and see how Pushpay can nurture spontaneous generosity, which will resource your ministry and the Kingdom.

If a mobile transaction takes longer than 30 seconds, up to 85 percent of people pull the plug! But, if a mobile gift can be made in 10 seconds, generosity increases. We provide a simple giving solution at each touch point of your ministry, making the administrator’s life easier and the user experience better.

Pushpay is the first genuine 10-second mobile

giving solution, with stellar web and kiosk options to match. This giving platform is designed to increase giving across your ministry.

Pushpay’s technology — combined with the heart and passion of our team — will help encourage generosity in your church. We recognize that each ministry is unique and provide a custom-fit implementation plan to help further the vision of your church.

In addition, we make importing information into your church database easy. Automatic integration with Church Community Builder, Fellowship One and Elvanto makes life simple for your administrative team. Anytime someone gives via Pushpay, the data is updated to their profile in real time.

Visit us at the Pushpay booths #533 & #632 — side-by-side. And, plan to attend our workshop at 8:30 a.m. on Friday morning: “3 Ways Mobile Giving Is Bad for Your Church,” led by CEO and co-founder of Pushpay Chris Heaslip. He will be joined by special guest Pastor Joshua Reeve, business administrator at The Cause Community Church in Brea, CA, which has doubled online transactions, engaged new givers and transformed giving using the Pushpay platform. n

SPECIAL ADVERTIS ING SECTION

Keep an eye on ChurchExecutive.com for a brand-new Pushpay e-book — Simplifying Giving: To engage and encourage new giving, you’ve got to make it simple — which goes live on July 14, 2014! It will cover:

• The state of church giving — and how to overcome barriers to giving • Expert advice for accommodating the next generation of generosity • Real-life examples of improved generosity with this innovative giving platform.

And, in September 2014, the Pushpay team will present an insightful web

seminar on removing barriers to giving!

makes giving about the moment, not the process

There’s a lot of reasons to stop by and visit with Pushpay at booths #533 & #632!

We’d love to talk to you about how we can help transform giving in your church.

Pre-register at our booth to go in the drawing to win a flat-screen TV.

Attend our workshop at 8:30 a.m. on Friday morning: “3 Ways Mobile Giving Is Bad for Your Church.” Pushpay CEO and Co-founder Chris Heaslip will be joined by special guest Pastor Joshua Reeve, business administrator at The Cause Community Church in Brea, CA, which has doubled online transactions, engaged new givers and transformed giving using the Pushpay platform.

Pushpay has revolutionized the way we operate ... It’s easy, it’s efficient, and it’s one-of-a-kind. You need to get Pushpay.

— Pastor Matthew Barnett, Co-founder, Angelus Temple & The Dream Center

TO ENGAGE AND ENCOURAGE NEW GIVING, YOU’VE GOT TO MAKE IT SIMPLE.

Simplifying Giving

Sponsored by

IMPLEMENTING PUSHPAY IN YOUR CHURCH WILL:1) Engage many first-time givers, including millenials2) Increase overall giving3) Increase the regularity of giving4) Significantly reduce administration costs

www.echurchgiving.comBringing Pushpay to Churches

Pushpay provides a digital giving solution that is designed to draw people into a 10-second mobile giving experience. Once people have our mobile app, they can give whenever they feel moved in a fast, simple and secure way. Increased generosity from both new and existing givers is leading to dramatic increases in the budgets of our church partners and allowing them to better fund their ministry.

*The benefi ts outlined in option B are based on feedback from an actual church partner. While results di� er from church to church, some church partners are reporting even greater benefi ts. We work with churches of di� erent sizes from all over America, so whatever your church size we have pricing plans to suit your needs. To learn more about what Pushpay can do for your church, speak to the team at eChurch.

WHAT COULD $250PROVIDE FOR A CHURCH

OF 1,000 PEOPLE?

P/MONTH

makes giving about the moment, not the process

14 | CHURCH EXECUTIVE | PRE-CONFERENCE E-BOOK | 2014

small-project fundraisingTHINK BIGGER FORIt makes sense to enlist next-generation giving tools for projects of all sizes.

Not every church fundraising initiative is a multimillion-dollar effort; often, smaller amounts are sought to fund outreach trips, new ministries and more. Regardless of the monetary goal, enlisting next-generation giving tools — those which make it easy for people to give to any mission — can bolster support and engagement.

Although tech-driven (and, therefore, possibly intimidating), incorporating these new-school tools is far less complex than it seems, according to mobile-giving experts.

Among them are Pushpay Co-Founder Eliot Crowther and Chief Marketing Officer Fraser Clark. Both acknowledge how far giving tools have come, technologically, in the church. “But now they need to be revised and simplified,” Crowther adds.

To be truly effective, a next-generation tool must be three things, he says: digital, very simple and — perhaps most important — ministry-wide. “The clarity and simplicity of message needs to be front and center,” Crowther advises. “That means the giving option needs to be consistent, no matter where, how, or to what ministry or effort a person is giving.”

True to form, Crowther and his team have designed their platform so that the same giving page can be made accessible on the church’s website, via its giving kiosks, and even on members’ cellphones. This is possible because after someone gives for the first time — no matter how — they’re invited by text message to download an app that will let them give (literally) in seconds using their phone from that point on.

This level of simplicity and immediacy is essential to combat a huge abandonment rate for online giving: Research shows that if mobile giving takes longer than 30 seconds, 85 percent of people will abandon the transaction. “People find some tools too complicated, and they walk away,” Crowther explains. “Churches tend to put up barriers to giving. If someone has a desire to give, he or she should be able to exercise that act of obedience right away.”

To this point, Crowther says he has received feedback from clients that revolves around giving outside of the traditional Sunday service. “Churches are reporting acts of generosity showing up in their accounts at seemingly random times,” he explains.

“Through further investigation, these gifts could be tracked to activity on the mobile app around prayer meetings, home groups and other church activities that aren’t necessarily on a Sunday or in the church building.”

Generosity at workClark offers up a local church as an example of

how the moment of generosity can be accommodated with next-generation giving. “Easter Camp is often such an influential time in a young person’s life,” he explains. “The church’s youth group had a large proportion of kids coming from ‘unchurched’ homes. [These kids] were finding it hard to raise money from parents who didn’t necessarily want to commit a few hundred dollars for a ‘church camp.’”

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP: PUSHPAY

“The clarity and simplicity of message needs to be front and

center. That means the giving option needs to be consistent, no matter

where, how, or to what ministry or effort a person is giving.”

— Eliot Crowther, Co-Founder, Pushpay

2014 | PRE-CONFERENCE E-BOOK | CHURCH EXECUTIVE | 15

The giving page for ONEchapel features a drop-down “menu” of giving options. Crowther says this is an example of a church which has “really transported itself to the next level of giving.”

Using the company’s platform, it’s amazingly simple respond to this need and to add “Youth Camp Sponsorship” into the dropdown giving menu. Then, when an appeal was made, church members were just 10 seconds away from supporting the cause.

Meanwhile, at Crowther’s church, the Pushpay platform aides giving to a yearly campaign that encourages above-and-beyond giving.

One recognizable client — The Angelus Temple and The Dream Center in downtown Los Angeles, pastored by Matthew Barnett — is a truly special case. At The

Dream Center facility, people are often moved to give at 11 o’clock at night, after a prayer session at The Dream Center’s new prayer chapel. “If God moves them to give, they need the ability to act then and there on their generosity impulse versus enforcing a rigid traditional giving model,” Clark explains. “Matthew Barnett has found that the ability for his congregation to give immediately, by phone, has been essential in their fundraising efforts.”

Make it easy — to give and to receiveEven today, not every church has embraced next-

generation giving tools. “Church leaders don’t know whether or not they’ll need an IT degree to make it work. They don’t know all the moving parts,” Crowther explains. “But, among Pushpay’s church-based users, the majority have found that implementing simple, digital, ministry-wide giving options is even easier than what they have been doing.”

Of course, nothing makes a case like results. To this end, Crowther says a simple plug-and-play strategy — when implemented with his company’s best practices — has delivered increases in some churches’ annual budgets ranging from 10 percent to 15 percent, and beyond.

“And that’s from a general budget perspective,” Clark points out. “When the technology is made available to support a specific ministry or outreach, the impact can be — and usually is — significantly more. If a church makes an impassioned plea for support of a specific project or fundraiser, the immediacy of that giving becomes essential to accommodate.” n

— Reporting by RaeAnn Slaybaugh

The team at eChurch echurchgiving.com has been bringing Pushpay to churches across America, partnering to ensure simple engagement and adoption of the digital giving process.

Don’t miss your opportunity to hear them at RSI Stewardship’s workshop, “10 Things People Need Before They Will Give to Your Church,” at either:

1p.m. – 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday, July 15 1 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15

And if that wasn’t enough…Come meet some of RSI’s team at their booth while picking up some

free resources, such as 7 Reasons You Need a Compelling Vision BEFORE You Launch a Capital Campaign and 25 Fear Busting Tips to Help You Talk About Money in Church (also written by Kem Meyer and Bill McMillan).

We’re also providing homemade Smore’s for those of you with a little sweet tooth!

So, come on by and discover how RSI is rethinking stewardship. You might be surprised… n

SPECIAL ADVERTIS ING SECTION

Make sure to visit with RSI Stewardship at booths #401 & #500!

You won’t want to miss out on this year’s workshop

presented by RSI Stewardship at NACBA 2014. We’ve

brought in one of our favorite ministry partners, Kem

Meyer, to join RSI Executive Vice President Bill McMillan

in discussing the top “10 Things People Want

Before They Will Give to Your Church.”

Meyer is the communications director at Granger Community Church in Granger, IN, and the author of Less Clutter. Less Noise. Her honest approach to ministry is both practical and inspirational. She is an expert in breaking through clutter and finding a direct route to hearts and minds.

McMillan has served the church for more than 20 years as both a pastor and a pastoral counselor before joining RSI. He has led thriving stewardship campaigns in churches of many sizes and denominations, raising millions of dollars for local ministry. Meyer and McMillan make for a great dynamic duo!

16 | CHURCH EXECUTIVE | NACBA PRE-CONFERENCE E-BOOK | 2014

RSI Stewardship presents:

10 Things People Needbefore theyGive

Tuesday, July 15 1:00-2:45p

Kem Meyer

Wednesday, July 16

Bill McMillan

Don’t miss this incredible workshop!

Featuring:

Communications Director at Granger Community Church Author of Less Clutter. Less Noise.

Executive Vice Present at RSI Stewardship Co-Author of The Ministry of Giving

rsistewardship.com1.800.527.6824

18 | CHURCH EXECUTIVE | PRE-CONFERENCE E-BOOK | 2014

A few years ago, something I read in an article really caught my attention: “Donors don’t give to pay down debt.” I agree; asking people to give because the church has debt rarely — if ever — inspires sacrificial giving.

However, having been personally connected to dozens of debt campaigns which raised in excess of $170 million, it’s clear that people will give sacrificially to address the issues and restrictions caused by debt.

By their very nature, debt campaigns bring attention to something that happened in the past. The reality is, most churches carrying debt are doing so from a past ministry need which resulted in expansion, renovation or some other ministry-focused project. The real challenge in raising funds for debt reduction or debt retirement is connecting the debt campaign to future ministry opportunities.

Timing is keyTo decide whether or not it’s time for a debt campaign,

a church leader is well-served by asking five questions: 1) Has our debt had a negative impact in any way on

our ability to meet current operational needs?2) Has our church been forced to cut back or restrict

ministry resources to service the debt?3) Has the debt had a negative impact in any way on

our ability or willingness to start new, relevant ministries?4) Could the money currently being spent to service a

debt obligation be re-appropriated to new ministries — ones that could inspire and encourage our church, and possibly attract new families?

5) Is there a mixed message being sent with respect

to the manner in which our church is responding to debt, and how the membership is challenged to view and manage personal debt?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then addressing the debt is imperative.

More common than you might thinkIn the past two years, about 80 percent of the

campaigns our firm has conducted have involved debt, either as the primary focus or a significant one. Prior to

2008, these represented closer to 30 percent of our firm’s work.

We believe the reason for this drastic increase is twofold. First, many of our church clients simply didn’t have a choice. High mortgage payments — paid through the general budget — often created a giving deficit and took away any margin. As

overall church giving plateaued or decreased between 2009 and 2011, debt campaigns were a means of survival in many churches.

Second, many churches have conducted debt campaigns in the past several years in an effort to position themselves for future growth. Rather than moving ahead with expansion projects in a soft market, it has simply made sense to pay down the debt now, and be in position to move forward as the market recovers.

Today, we’re beginning to see a shift in the direction the wind is blowing. While we’re still seeing a good number of campaigns for debt reduction, more churches are beginning to move forward again with building projects — renovation,

REFRAMINGthe debt-reduction campaignWith the right approach, it can recast a church’s vision and pave the way for future growth.

BY JOEL MIKELL

Our people didn’t regret their earlier decision to expand. Instead, they saw dealing with

debt — through a debt reduction campaign — as a way to finish what they’d started.

— Brian Swain, administrator, Central United Methodist Church (Fayetteville, AR)

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP: RS I

2014 | NACBA PRE-CONFERENCE E-BOOK | CHURCH EXECUTIVE | 19

expansion and multi-site locations.The appeal is simple: As with any capital campaign, a debt

campaign is an opportunity to recast the church’s overall vision. It paves the way for future expansion and new ministry opportunities. A debt campaign sets a good example; it encourages families and individuals to be debt-free, and teaching them how to live with margin is practiced in many churches we work with. n

Joel Mikell is president of RSI Stewardship in Dallas.

20 | CHURCH EXECUTIVE | PRE-CONFERENCE E-BOOK | 2014

In July 2014,Church Executive will host two live roundtables at the 58th Annual National Association of Church Business Administration (NACBA) National Conference at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, FL. This year, we’ll set our sights on two top-of-mind topics for large-church leaders: CHURCH LENDING / FINANCE and CHURCH MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS & SOFTWARE.

We’re gathering groups of high-level experts in both arenas to survey the landscape — and then, we’ll share their best insights with you, our readers.

Church Lending / FinanceThis roundtable will address several critical lending

topics for church leaders — in particular, the challenges churches face securing financing in the current economy, as well as how they can position themselves as good lending prospects.

We’ll also discuss how the current state of church lending / finance is affecting compensation and benefits offerings in large churches.

Among the topics on the table for this closed-door, invite-only roundtable discussion: • How the church lending climate today compares to the Great Recession • Whether or not churches are still having a difficult time securing a loan • Practical steps which position a church as a better loan prospect

• What effects the current state of church lending / finance is having on the compensation and benefits churches can offer employees.

Church Management Systems & Software This roundtable will spotlight the various management

systems and software available to churches, as well as how to maximize these tools (from finance / giving, to scheduling, to connection / outreach — and beyond) and how a church executive can ensure he or she is making a solid investment.

In this discussion, we’ll tackle the topic from a variety of angles: • Whether or not churches, as a whole, take full advantage of their software and systems’ capabilities • Underused and lesser-known tools inherent to these tools — in the areas of finance / giving, Sunday attendance data, small group growth / attendance, connection and engagement, scheduling and more • How large-church leaders can ensure they’re making a solid investment in software or a management system.

Bringing it all back homeKey points and takeaways from both roundtable

discussions will be published in two parts — parts 1 in our Sept / Oct 2014 issue, and parts 2 in our Nov / Dec 2014 issue. So, keep an eye out! n

THOUGHT LEADERS UNITE!A sneak peek at two live roundtables hosted by the Church Executive team

“FROM TEXTING TO TWITTER: KNOW YOUR RISKS”

A Panel Discussion presented by Church Executive Magazine at NACBA 2014Tuesday, July 15, 2014 | 3:45 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. | 2014 NACBA Conference | Orlando, FL

Download our supplemental Social Media Starter Kit at churchexecutive.com/ebooks.