IV. CHURCH MEMBER COMMUNICATION IS KEY

Effective and intentional communication to church members is vital to promote trust in its leadership and share excitement for lives being changed.

1) What do we communicate?

1. Proposed budgets, contribution statements, thank-you’s.
2. Ministry being accomplished because of the financial support given by the congregation.
3. Ministry being accomplished because of the willingness of members to give of their time and abilities to church ministry.
4. Celebrate the exciting things being done in your church. Asking members to give more when in financial crisis should not be the focus, but rather get people excited and tied-in to the ministries that are happening. The more people feel connected to ministry, the more they have the desire to give, both financially and of their time and talents.

2) How often do we communicate?

Most churches provide their members with at least an annual statement of contributions for tax-reporting purposes. However, doing so more frequently throughout the year is beneficial. If statements are provided quarterly, member’s statements should include year-to-date contributions. 

If your church members have committed to an estimate-of-giving, this statement can serve as a reminder for them to compare their actual giving to what was pledged. Along with the contribution amount, this piece can also be an opportunity to highlight one or two ministries per communication. Use of testimonies or stories collected by the staff help tie ministry to dollars.

3) How best do we communicate?

1. Communication to members should be short but informative. Personalized letters to each member is best, but in a very large church, this may not be feasible. A letter from the deacons or a chosen ministry leader could write an article in your church newsletter with ministry highlights or testimonials.
2. Before the budget is proposed for the next year, members should have a good concept of what their dollars support. A line-item budget may be necessary, but creating a narrative budget in addition, helps members consider ministry rather than dollars.
3. Invite a guest speaker from a church-supported ministry who talks about what the financial and prayer support of your church means to their ministry. 
4. Use a chart to encourage members to prayerfully consider what percentage of their income they commit to give for church support, and challenge members to increase that percentage by at least one percent the next year.
5. Ideally, if church leadership is aware of the ministry in which an individual member is involved, a personal handwritten note on their contribution statement thanking them for their particular service, is a nice touch.

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