In many churches of which I have been a part, I have felt that our goal for the Christmas missions offering was quite low given the number and financial make-up of the congregations. Yet, at the same time, Christmas is a time where people are being bombarded with requests for money from a variety of good causes. Here is my question. What are some sustainable ways we can increase giving to missions while not putting a lot of extra pressure on people to give — especially at a time when finances are often tight already? Here are a few ideas I have come up with:
Ideas to increase Lottie Moon giving:
- Have a pledge drive for missions – have members pledge to set aside money each week/month for the next year (this idea actually came from my “home” church, TRBC — they call it “Love Offering for Jesus”).
- Encourage members to put missions on their Christmas list and commit to give God your best by giving to missions as much or more than the top person on your Christmas list.
- Have a restaurant fast for missions – give up eating out for the month of December and give what you would have spent to missions. (This would work for a variety of things, not just restaurants).
I’m working on building a much bigger list and that’s where you come in. I’m looking for ideas, thoughts or opinions from all of you. What do you think of these ideas? What has worked in your church? What great idea have you wanted to try?
Blessings!
— Todd
We do several special things for Lottie.
> Have a church wide garage sale with proceeds going to Lottie. You can do this in the summer when it is warm.
> Have an “EBay” sale where members sell something of value on EBay and donate the proceeds to Lottie.
> Our church annually sends 2% of undesignated offering to Lottie. We raised this to 3% just last month for our 2016 budget. This above our CP donations
> Youth car wash for Lottie
I’ve used the Lottie Moon videos every year – the 2 to 3 minute videos they put out and send out. It seems to me that these ones this year are especially good. A couple are David Platt – his passion for missions – and that is moving. Then there are the missionary stories.
I’m guessing every church received them. They are really good.
Todd, We have an IMB missionary come and speak at a church wide mission’s breakfast the Sunday the week of prayer for LMCO starts. That is this coming Sunday. Usually the couple shares what we are doing as SBC where they are serving. At the end of the breakfast and the missionaries’ sharing we set our LMCO goal by allowing everyone to write a figure on a ballot. We share what last year’s goal was and what we actually received. Our church for the last several years has reached the P’ingtu Challenge, the second highest challenge level, with a per… Read more »
We show the videos that Dave mentioned above. We will also be having an IMB missionary couple come share with our church on December 6. We light a candle and place it at the front of the church for every $500 we collect for LMCO, which becomes a fire hazard by the end of December. Our people give very generously to LMCO. We will start our offering campaign with $2,500 having been already collected from several who give throughout the year to LMCO. I am hoping to encourage our church to give more than we have ever given before. My… Read more »
Todd, thanks for this post. The LMCO provides 55% of the IMB’s budget. The money provides funding for missionary salaries, travel, housing, medical care, chidlren’s schooling–everything. The videos are great, but it is also good to invite a missionary to speak, Your state convention and state WMU and the IMB can all assist you to secure a missionary speaker. Don’t forget retired missionaries; they have a lot to share. (I know; I am one.) One church did a children’s program called “Jars for Jesus.” The church provided Mason jars and the children collected loose change throughout the year. On a… Read more »