MS 202 GenerosityClass 1

Brad Leeper

Brad Leeper is President and Principal at Generis, a nationally-acclaimed group that focuses on generosity in churches. He has a team of 27 coaches that accelerate generosity toward God-inspired vision.

Brad works with churches across the country and internationally, striving to increase everyday church giving, project giving and legacy giving. Brad has a degree from Dallas Theological Seminary, has been an Executive Pastor, and knows the cultures of a wide diversity of churches.

Class 1—Setting The Stage

Generosity just doesn’t happen—it requires hard work! This class explores the basics of best practices. This sets the stage for each student to review their church practices and metrics. Key questions will be raised, such as:

What is your data and what does it mean? How can the data increase discipleship about giving and elevate giving in your church?

Suppose you see that giving is up ten percent. Is that more donations per attendee or more donors? How many of those were new donors? Are you attracting new donors? How many donors stopped giving? When do people stop giving and when do they typically leave your church?

This class will raise the questions that you need to answer to begin the process of understanding and changing to a culture of Generosity.

Growing Generous People

“The early church was strikingly different from the culture around it in this way - the pagan society was stingy with its money and promiscuous with its body. A pagan gave nobody their money and practically gave everybody their body. And the Christians came along and gave practically nobody their body and they gave practically everybody their money.” Tim Keller

Session Overview

Where are you and where are you going in giving?

How can you lead generosity-culture change with best practices?

Busting the church default giving systems.

Why Generosity Matters

The 3 reasons that will shift your people and your church.

The Default Church Position

If you take no action, you will end up here.

Illustrations of Expanded Giving

Growing giving 50% + automated giving or from outside of worship

venue Giving as discipleship not budget based Campaigns giver-friendly and not necessarily older

models Narrative and inspirational not transactional

Why Hearts Matter

"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." - Antoine de Saint Exupéry

The Role of the Leader

Speed of leader = Speed of team Includes Board and staff

Giving to Your Church Problem

People do not have a giving problem, they have a giving to your church problem.

You are in a competitive situation individually, culturally, organizationally.

Not a Silo

Generosity is not a silo. It must be a thread that runs through your entire church.

Systems That Make Giving Go

A good strategy trumps good intentions.

Normalize the $$ conversation

Part of your leadership is the spiritual discipline and formation around faith and finances.

Silence is a position (and not a healthy one – it is dysfunctional spiritually).

Emotional Levels of $$

Subsistence Struggling Stable Secure Surplus

Practical Steps Preview

Leverage your home field advantage Use the Q3 giving vision statement Automate giving and celebrate other options Coach surplus givers Build narrative Celebrate new givers Know your data New trends in giving

Value-Add Between Sessions

Each church can have a one-hour conversation with a Generis coach or me to work through specific issues.

Q&A

Brad’s Contact Info

brad@generis.com Mobile: 678-794-5097