Episode 88: The Most Important Giving Stats that No One Is Measuring
Jan 27, 2021
Show notes
In this episode of the Generosity Podcast, Rob Dupree and Michael Baker are joined by Meagan Brown, former pastor of stewardship. During their conversation, they discuss important statistical trends in giving.
Best Quotes
“Numbers tell a story and they mean something to God.”
“Numbers help us look at things through a navigational lens of where have we been, where are we at, and where are we going.”
“More important than the numbers or the data are the people who are attached to them.”
“Those who gave more than $5,000 in a calendar year were the ones who stepped up and continued to give and even gave in bigger amounts.”
“New givers is at an all time low.”
“We all feel connected when we see a transformed life that we got to help.”
“Are we being funded by a few or are we being funded by the masses at a good pace? And is this healthy or unhealthy for where we are at currently and for where we are trying to head?”
“Giving pattern changes allow you to know how to communicate better with those givers.”
“A new giver really needs to be communicated with at least 8 times in that first year with stories and opportunities of what the church is doing to encourage them along in their giving journey.”
Meagan loves to help people discover biblical financial principles for success. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration from West Texas A&M University in 2004 and went on to obtain her licenses for practicing retirement and financial planning. After 7 years of financial planning in corporate America, Meagan accepted a position as the Pastor of Stewardship where she spent 7 years helping to develop a Stewardship Ministry across a multi-campus, 10,000 member church. Meagan’s passion is to develop a culture of generosity throughout the church.
Episode 87: Is Pastoring a Sustainable Ministry?
Jan 20, 2021
Show notes
In this episode of the Generosity Podcast, Rob Dupree and Michael Baker are joined by Matt Henslee, Pastor of Mayhill Baptist Church in New Mexico. During their conversation, they discuss the sustainability of pastoring, especially in the church, for years to come.
Best Quotes
“Small churches care about the mission of God and care about cooperating with other churches.”
“Even in the middle of nowhere, if there is somebody there, there is somebody that Jesus died for, and so they matter.”
“There are times that it can feel like small church pastors are overlooked, but to be honest a lot of us are OK with that.”
“God is still doing some of His greatest work in small churches in small towns.”
“At some point you are going to leave, and if you’ve done everything and haven’t been equipping people along the way, the moment you are gone is the moment everything is done.”
“You are not going to sustain in ministry if you are doing it all on your own.”
Matt Henslee was called to serve as pastor of Mayhill Baptist Church on March 12, 2017, and began his preaching ministry there on April 2, 2017. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Christian Studies with an emphasis in Church Ministry from Dallas Baptist University in Dallas, Texas in August 2006, his Master of Divinity (MDiv) from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas in May 2017, and is currently pursuing his Doctor of Ministry (DMin) in Church Revitalization from SWBTS. Before being called to MBC, Pastor Matt served in a variety of roles in a variety of contexts for over 20 years. Matt’s heartbeat is for his local church, everyday evangelism, and encouraging pastors in the trenches of ministry in forgotten places. He lives to see churches grow not just in width, but in depth, as they live out their calling to make disciples. He is married to Rebecca Henslee and they have four daughters they adopted in March 2015, four dogs, and a giant elk head on the wall they named, “Cletus.”
Episode 86: Guaranteed Facebook Strategies for Small Churches
Jan 06, 2021
Show notes
In this episode of the Generosity Podcast, Todd McMichen is joined by Chris Abbott, President of Church Growth Agency and former Marketing and Creative Director at Guts Church and Guts Church Network. During their conversation, they discuss using social media for outreach and impact.
Best Quotes
“Social media is meant to be social. It’s about having a conversation.”
“Remember, whenever you are writing your Facebook ad and talking to a potential visitor, it’s really important to put them at the center of the story.”
“Features are about you, benefits are about them.”
“If you want to stand out in the news feed and not add to the noise, then you have to answer questions people are actually asking.”
“Facebook is constantly changing the algorithm to be able to serve people better.”
“Your goal is some kind of hook that gets people to stop scrolling in their newsfeed.”
“Tell them the action you want them to take.”
“The best thing to do with your church is to drop a pin on your church, draw a radius out for whatever driving distance is for your church, and then write that ad to one person.”
“If you say more than one thing, you say nothing at all.”
Episode 66: How Financial Health Increases Future Generosity
Dec 23, 2020
Show notes
Note: As we wrap up 2020, we will be revisiting our most popular podcasts of the year. This week we are revisiting our conversation with Michael Martin.
In this episode of the Generosity Podcast, Todd McMichen is joined by Michael Martin, the President of ECFA, Evangelical Council of Financial Accountability. During their conversation they help pastors understand how givers view financial accountability helping them become more generous.
Best Quotes
“What are some ways that you can actually demonstrate and communicate the ways that you are accountable, not just saying it?”
“As pastors and church leaders, it is important for us to think through the standards we are going to follow when it comes to being appropriately transparent.”
“Today’s generation really does care deeply about accountability and transparency, so those are two elements we can’t overlook.”
“Being willing to provide a copy of your latest annual financial statements to anyone on request is a great practice.”
“As people are generous, another foundational standard to consider, is honoring giver expectation and content.”
“Generosity is becoming like the new evangelism.”
“As we are in a less-churched world, as people are looking in from the outside, they are paying attention to if our church is making the world a better place, and generosity builds that credibility.”
“We will find a lot more openness to the gospel the more generous our church becomes.”
Michael Martin became ECFA’s president in 2020. Both an attorney and a CPA, he had previously served on ECFA staff for nine years, most recently as Executive Vice President.Michael is passionate about helping churches and Christ-centered ministries maintain high standards of financial integrity through ECFA membership, as well as through addressing legal and tax-related issues. He is a frequent speaker on ECFA’s webinars, videos, and podcasts, as well as a regular contributor to ECFA’s library of ebooks and other written publications.He has spoken at numerous conferences and workshops across the country, and he has served as guest on webinars, videos and podcasts for numerous Christ-centered ministries and churches.
Episode 54: How to Become a Personal Fundraiser
Dec 16, 2020
Show notes
Note: As we wrap up 2020, we will be revisiting our most popular podcasts of the year. This week we are revisiting our conversation with Scott Morton.
In this episode of the Generosity Podcast, Todd McMichen is joined by Scott Morton, international funding coach for Navigators, author, trainer, and speaker. During their conversation they discuss the topic of personal fundraising.
Best Quotes
“God’s will done in God’s way never lacks God’s supplies—but it requires a wise Biblical fundraising plan!”
“Social media is not a good way to have sustained long term fundraising for a missionary or pastor.”
“Just because a fundraising tactic works doesn’t make it right.”
“If God has called you to ministry, why would He not put people around you?”
“The main obstacle around the world is fear. Fear of what people might think, of offending, of losing friends.”
“There’s plenty of money out there in any culture, it’s just a matter of how to present a dazzling vision so people want to give.”
“Visibility is important, but asking raises money.”
“You must speak about money and you must teach about money year round.”
Scott Morton serves as International Funding Coach for The Navigators. For fourteen years, he led Navigator campus and marketplace ministries, where he worked with students, business people, and missionaries both stateside and overseas. Then, for 13 years he served as Vice President of The Navigators US Development Ministry. Scott is committed to helping gospel-workers succeed at funding their ministries—whether pastors, overseas missionaries or stateside workers. He also enjoys helping people grow in their spiritual journeys through small-group Bible studies and one-on-one mentoring. He is author of Funding Your Ministry (Navpress.com), Down to Earth Discipling (Navpress.com) and Blindspots–leading your team and ministry to full funding (Cmmpress.org). His new book, What the Bible Actually Says About Money—31 Meditations (www.scottmorton.net), has recently been released. It is a 31-day devotional on the topic of money and includes some surprises. He and his wife, Alma, live in Colorado Springs, and have two married daughters, a son, and four grandchildren. Scott’s hobby is birdwatching.
Episode 56: How God Uses Business People to Fund Kingdom Vision
Dec 09, 2020
Show notes
Note: As we wrap up 2020, we will be revisiting our most popular podcasts of the year. This week we are revisiting our conversation with John Rinehart.
In this episode of the Generosity Podcast, Todd McMichen is joined by John Rinehart, the Founder and Team Leader of Gospel Patrons. During their conversation they discuss the practical fuel of vision.
Best Quotes
“A gospel patron is the business leader behind the move of God that nobody knows.”
“The way the Son of God’s ministry moved forward was through partnership with generous people who were gifted differently but had to go all in and that’s how your ministry is going to advance Jesus.”
“This is how God works. He is always going to raise someone up to proclaim the gospel, and to partner with them He is going to raise up someone who a patron of the gospel, and when they come together God does explosive things.”
“If you are raising money consistently for your ministry, it is easy to think of the pie as limited or small. There are a lot of people who could be gospel patrons or would be had they had the vision.”
“God has enough money for you to do everything He wants you to do, and the money is in the hands of believers.”
“American evangelical Christians have enough money to complete the Great Commission in our lifetime.”
“There are lots of people in the church who think they should give more, who know they should give more, but just don’t want to.”
JOHN RINEHART is an author, speaker, and the founder of Gospel Patrons. His first book Gospel Patrons tells three stories from history about business leaders who were behind the scenes fueling amazing movements of God. His second book Giving Together is about how we become those kinds of people. John speaks widely at conferences and churches, primarily to business and ministry leaders.John has a business degree from Biola University and a Masters of Divinity from Talbot School of Theology. He lives in Orange County, California with his wife and two children. To learn more or to contact John, visit: gospelpatrons.org
Episode 45: How Does a Pastor Grow as a Generosity Leader?
Dec 02, 2020
Show notes
Note: As we wrap up 2020, we will be revisiting our most popular podcasts of the year. This week we are revisiting our conversation with Zach Terry.
In this episode of the Generosity Podcast, Todd McMichen is joined by Zach Terry, Lead Pastor at First Baptist Church Fernandino Beach, FL. During their conversation, they discuss how a pastor can grow his generosity leadership.
Best Quotes
“Watching how the church engaged with my father as a very poor man all the way through being wealthy was a front row seat in education for learning generosity ministry.”
“If you have someone who is wealthy and able to bring their influence to bear on the gospel and the church, let them give.”
“When we approach our ministry as pastors, we have to think like missionaries and look at the culture we are in and reverse engineer how we can best present the gospel to these people.”
“Within the church, I began to think about the church as the Affluent, the Burdened, and the Comfortable.”
“I began to study the affluent as a people group and I realized that they fit every dynamic of a mission field.”
“The people who leverage gospel patrons best are the parachurch organizations.”
“I believe that if the church is doing it right, the church will fund the parachurch organizations or they won’t be necessary.”
“If we don’t have a vision broad enough for their generosity, they will find somebody who does.”
Zach Terry is a generosity catalyst. He is known for his ability to develop strategies that engage, develop and leverage high capacity donors for Christ-centered ministries. He holds a Master’s Degree from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, from which he received the Westminster John Knox Press Award. In 2016, he was honored as one of the Connect Faith’s “Agents of Change”. He has led churches in Kentucky and Alabama prior to his current post as Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church, Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, FL. Most importantly, Zach enjoys family life with his wife, Julie, son Cole, and two daughters, Carly and Caitlyn.
Episode 47: How Can a Pastor Fix His Own Finances, So He Can Lead With More Confidence?
Nov 25, 2020
Show notes
Note: As we wrap up 2020, we will be revisiting our most popular podcasts of the year. This week we will start with our discussion with Gary Montgomery.
In this episode of the Generosity Podcast, Todd McMichen is joined by Gary Montgomery, Executive Director of Compass-Kentucky. During their conversation, they discuss helping pastors move beyond their own financial issues.
Best Quotes
“The most common thing I hear is that no one ever taught me what it meant to handle money God’s way.”
“We are on a financial journey and we need someone to guide us along the way.”
“God’s Word is always right, it’s always relevant, and it never changes.”
“As we understand God’s way of handling money, we grow in spiritual maturity and we become more effective disciple makers.”
“If He is not Lord of all that I have, is He really Lord of my life?”
“In our Compass groups, while no one is ever asked to reveal their financial situation, there is way the course orchestrates great relationships.”
Gary Montgomery is the Executive Director of Compass-Kentucky, Inc. where he teaches people what the Bible says about handling money and how to apply it in their personal lives. Over the last 17 years, Gary has invested himself in full-time financial discipleship ministry working with individuals, churches and businesses across Kentucky and nearby states. He has a passion for helping churches and businesses develop a culture of financial discipleship and generosity.
Gary joined Crown Financial Ministries staff in 2002 as KY State Director and formed Compass-Kentucky as a 501(C)3 non-profit ministry in 2010, as an affiliate of Compass-finances God’s way. Gary holds a Business Management degree from West Virginia Wesleyan College. He and his wife, Teresa, have been married for 34 years, have two grown children and reside in London, KY.
Episode 85: Best-in-Class Generosity Research Revelations
Nov 18, 2020
Show notes
In this episode of the Generosity Podcast, Rob Dupree and Michael Baker are joined by David King, the Karen Lake Buttrey Director of the Lake Institute on Faith and Giving as well as Assistant Professor of Philanthropic Studies within the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. During their conversation they discuss what statistics say about giving in 2020.
Best Quotes
“Religious giving continues to be by-far the largest sector within the charitable giving landscape.”
“Many of the stalwart givers in your congregation may be giving not only to your congregation but to a variety of other nonprofits.”
“We found that about 41% of congregations experienced a decline in their giving, but that means 59% were sustaining their giving or even 21% were actually growing.”
“The sharpening of vision has been one great outcome of the pandemic we are facing.”
“I wouldn’t be shy about being clear with your community about why you are a great place for them to invest on mission together.”
“Make a clear ask of individuals, but I would do it in a very contextualized way.”
“People who are committed to giving to their congregation are not going to cut that out of their budget until they have to.”
“In our survey, over 30% of congregations were supporting other congregations or nonprofits as new gifts during this season of the pandemic.”
David P. King is the Karen Lake Buttrey Director of the Lake Institute on Faith and Giving as well as Assistant Professor of Philanthropic Studies within the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. He is a graduate of Samford University and Duke Divinity School. His Ph.D. in Religion is from Emory University. Having served local churches and national faith-based organizations, he is also fueled by facilitating conversations with faith leaders, donors, and fundraisers (of all generations) around the intersections of faith and giving. Trained as an American religious historian, his research interests include investigating how the religious identity of faith-based nonprofits shapes their motivations, rhetoric, and practice.
Episode 84: GoFundMe, Facebook, and Giving Tuesday Giving Strategies
Nov 11, 2020
Show notes
In this episode of the Generosity Podcast, Todd McMichen is joined by Michael Baker, the lead digital fundraising strategist at iDonate. During their conversation they discuss peer-to-peer fundraising and how to navigate it.
Best Quotes
“The more we can make it easier for the donor, the more likely they are to convert and actually give a gift.”
“Crowd funding campaigns are for something very specific. Everybody is driving to one particular page and there is one overall goal.”
“In a peer-to-peer campaign I want it to be for a unique cause, but I am going to invite individual members of the church to create a page.”
“Both of these models succeed best when leadership gets involved.”
“In 2019, Giving Tuesday raised $511 million dollars online.”
“The thing that makes Giving Tuesday campaigns work for nonprofits and churches is a deadline, a specific goal, and a matching gift.”
“We can’t assume that anybody hears our message the first time. We have to say it again and again and we have to say it on a lot of different channels.”
Michael Baker has been in the fundraising business for 17 years. He has worked for several agencies serving faith-based non-profits and has worked for World Vision US. He is passionate about helping non-profits reach their potential and impacting the world around them. Michael lives in the Dallas area with his wife and 4 children.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
Stay Connected
