This past year has been quite a challenging one regarding how churches operate. Pastors have had to learn new ways to engage with their congregations online. As a result, the outlook of church staff and congregations have been pushed to the limit in various ways.
The big issue that this upcoming season presents is that the disrupted routine of summer normally creates ebbs and flows in church attendance. And this trickles down into all aspects of ministry, including giving behavior by congregation members.
But not all churches seem to be susceptible to the typical “summer giving slump” that many have come to expect as the norm. One of the keys to addressing this slump is understanding the state of church giving before sitting down to build a strategy for this season ahead.
10 STATS ABOUT CHURCH GIVING FOR THE POST-PANDEMIC CHURCH
A critical question as we come out of the pandemic and move into this summer is: Has church giving behavior changed due to COVID-19, national unrest, or the multiple natural disasters that have rocked different regions?
Here's some interesting snapshots related to the state of the church and giving in 2020 published in a recent Faithlife report:
Only 33% of surveyed churches with 350+ people reported a decrease in their 2020 budget, 22% from churches of 50–149 reported a similar decrease. Share on X¾ of church staff and volunteers are optimistic about their church’s financial position. #ChurchGivingSnapshot Share on X
Nearly 30% of mid-size to larger churches (150+) ran a giving campaign or are planning one this year. #ChurchGivingSnapshot Share on X
#ChurchGivingSnapshot: Over 1/2 of churches (58%) said their giving remained steady or increased in 2020, compared to 26% that saw a dip in giving. Share on X
Nearly 1/4 of churches reported that they started using online giving for the first time in 2020. #ChurchGivingSnapshot Share on X
75% of all transaction fees were covered by the giver when they had the chance (Apr 20-Mar 21). #ChurchGivingStats Share on X
#ChurchGivingSnapshot: As COVID-19 took hold, individual church givers gave more and covered more fees (on average) compared to their pre-pandemic giving. Share on X
½ of churches plan to promote recurring giving in 2021. #ChurchGivingMatters Share on X
Of those who experienced negative effects from the pandemic, only 1 in 12 expect the impacts to continue for a year or more. #ChurchGivingSnapshot Share on XA third of churches (32%) said their attendance stayed steady and 19% of churches reported that attendance had a slight increase in 2020. Share on X
INTENTIONAL APPROACHES CAN HELP OVERCOME GIVING CHALLENGES
Church leaders can successfully overcome attendees’ objections to giving during uncertain economic times. It's important to keep church giving top of mind in relevant ways that connect with the church goer. Usually a couple of small changes to how you integrate giving into your church life can remove barriers to giving.
This includes making sure a church's digital giving options are:
- Visible so that anyone who wants to give can access the designated methods conveniently
- Easy to use and simple enough to complete transactions on a mobile phone
- Available through both mobile and desktop options
In addition, more intentional communication or integration of giving are great ways to help attendees see the opportunities they have to partner with the church through giving.
MORE INSIGHTS TO ADDRESS CHURCH GIVING DURING THE SUMMER
Faithlife, which offers an online giving solution, will host a webinar on “How to Boost Church Giving and Break the Summer Slump.” It is scheduled for May 26 at 10 a.m. PDT / 1 p.m. EDT. The presentation will cover the challenges church leaders face each summer. Attendees will learn about recent changes in giving, the reasons behind these trends, and insights and tips on how to combat them.
