Kent Woodyard, Author at ChurchMag

December Giving Starts In September: Is Your Church Ready?

September 28, 2016
by Kent Woodyard

As Summer turns to Fall, kids return to school, and football once again takes over my TV, I know it’s time to dust off one of my favorite catch phrases, “December giving starts in September.”

That line will no doubt work its way into hundreds of my emails and calls to Mogiv’s “partner pastors” this month. And now it has worked its way into an article headline as well! Tweets and Facebook posts are sure to follow. #SeptemberIsTheNewDecember

In case the message of my catchphrase isn’t already apparent, here’s what I mean: if your church waits until December to start thinking about year-end giving, you’ve waited too long. And why exactly should you care about year-end giving? Quite a few reasons, actually.

4 Ways to Increase Your Church’s Giving This Summer

July 19, 2016
by Kent Woodyard

Summer is a season of contrasts. Cold drinks and hot afternoons. Lazy days and hectic trips. The laughter of gleeful children and the laments of bored children. The list goes on.

The same is true in most church offices. While the summer months bring a welcome respite from the constant barrage of evening programs, activities, and events, they are also typically some of the most challenging months of the year from a budget standpoint.

College students go home for the summer. Families load up the minivan and head to grandma’s for weeks at a time. And just about everyone is off their routine, off their budget, and off schedule. All of this leads to empty pews on Sunday, and – often – emptied bank accounts to boot.

Partners Over Providers: The Mogiv Difference

April 13, 2016
by Kent Woodyard

[ Sponsored Content ]

Did you know there are over 20 different digital giving platforms offering their services to pastors and church leaders? As the Director of Business Development for one of these platforms, I share this detail at my own peril, but I do so to illustrate a point: the digital generosity space is crowded, and getting more crowded each day.

That being the case, it’s not surprising that the #1 question I receive from prospective church partners is “What makes Mogiv different? Why should we choose you over [insert one to five other names]?”

Generally, these questions are followed by a conversation that focuses heavily on comparing feature sets, with an eye toward establishing a true “apples to apples” comparison. While vetting features and understanding functionality are important parts of any purchasing process, I’m going to ignore those things entirely for the remainder of this post.

Recurring Church Giving: Addressing 3 Common Objections

February 23, 2016
by Kent Woodyard

I’ve written in the past about the numerous advantages recurring giving programs can provide to both churches and givers alike. More consistent givers, stabilized cash flow, and increases in overall giving have all been discussed at length.

However, despite these benefits many churches still hesitate to provide this option to their members. Today, I want to address the three objections most commonly raised against recurring church giving.

Recurring Church Website Giving…3 Ways To Get It Right

January 5, 2016
by Kent Woodyard

Stabilized cash flow. Increased visibility into future revenues. And – of course – increased giving.

What church doesn’t have these three items on their “wish list” for 2016?

To turn those dreams into a reality, here’s one place churches can start: borrow a note from successful nonprofits and make recurring giving a focus for 2016.

When it comes to recurring giving, throwing a “Give Now!” button onto your church’s homepage is a start, but it’s not nearly enough. Below are three principles to keep in mind as you consider recurring giving options for your website.

Online Giving: What’s Holding YOUR Church Back?

September 29, 2015
by Kent Woodyard

There’s no question that online giving has made tremendous strides with churches in the past half-decade. Unfortunately, as one recent study reveals, churches still lag far behind other nonprofits when it comes to the adoption of this important technology. Currently, only 42% of churches offer online giving. Compare this with the roughly 70% of non-church nonprofits who offer an online option and you’ll see that we still have a ways to go.

After a few years working for a church giving provider, I’ve grown familiar with many of the reasons offered by “the other 58%” for why their church doesn’t need online giving at the moment.

Cost is a big concern for many churches. Demographics is another one that comes up often. (i.e. “We’re an older congregation. No one will use it.”) Some pastors are worried about complicating the administrative process. Still others are concerned about the controversial—potentially unbiblical—nature of these new giving tools. “Ruffled feathers” and “rocked boats” are mentioned frequently.

Kent Woodyard

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