With public Masses suspended across the United States, this past spring charitable contributions were in freefall at many parishes. The churches that are thriving right now did triage quickly in the spring, using various digital techniques and tools. Since the Sunday plate may no longer suffice, it’s time to ask everyone to move to online […]
Even as I typed the headline, I thought I might lose a few readers. Let’s face it, money is a difficult thing to discuss, and whether you’re talking money matters with family, staff, or parishioners, it usually doesn’t come with ease. The Bible contains more than 2,000 verses that mention finances, and more than a […]
Ever wonder about that new family two pews down from you? They have been attending Mass regularly, but you never see them stay for coffee and donuts. I wonder where they are from. Why did they join our parish? Are they interested in joining a ministry? There are plenty of ways you can engage new parishioners. […]
According to Statista, there will be a projected 2.14 billion online shoppers by 2021. With these kinds of numbers, it’s safe to say that many of your parishioners shop online. Amazon has created an incentive to its customers to benefit non-profit organizations through the program AmazonSmile. For every qualified purchase an Amazon customer makes, 0.5% of the price […]
As a kid, I was always really excited for the part of Mass when Mom and Dad gave me money to put in the collection basket. I do not know why exactly, but my guess is that it had to do with being able to move around in the pew a little bit without getting in trouble. And I was giving […]
How many times has a parishioner or visitor asked you to pray for them or someone they love? I bet you get prayer requests on a weekly, if not daily basis. What’s the most common response to a prayer request? “I’ll pray for you,” meaning, “At some point in the future, I’ll remember you in […]
Not all fundraising activities are created equal. All parish and school fundraising opportunities are unique and while your leaders likely have a firm grasp on how they differ, it’s important to let your parishioners and school families know the purpose and goal of each fundraising event. Consider the following as a general outline to separate […]
Magazine subscriptions. Chocolate sales. Caramel corn delivery services. We’ve all participated in these sorts of gimmicky fundraising schemes, hawked by companies that claim their particular product will raise tens of thousands of dollars for your Catholic parish. They tend to be some of the worst fundraising ideas ever. Here are four reasons to avoid them […]
You’re getting bombarded with new programs every week – ministry programs that claim to lead hundreds into RCIA, pack the pews, invigorate the young people in your church and so on. It’s a sign of the times. We all know that demographically, Catholicism is declining in the Western Hemisphere, and we are all looking for […]
The CSM team often works with pastors and staff that say, “We wish parishioners would increase their financial support.” The response that we offer, though simple, often comes as a surprise to many. We ask in return, “Have you asked for it?” People are willing to increase their support if they feel engaged in the mission and […]
