There are lots of reasons people today don't give. Let's take a few moments and look at three common reasons.

1. People don't know how the church differs from other charitable organizations. Many church goers were not raised in families that went to church, so giving isn't natural. They view the church a lot like other charitable organizations and target their discretionary money toward the organization or organizations of their choice. With limited discretionary money and many charitable options, people often choose to give to other organizations.
2. People don't understand the communal nature of the church. Acts 2 shows us how the church was organized at its inception. People did life together and everyone took part. Today, many churches present themselves as shows to be watched and have abandoned the community building responsibility given to the church in Acts 2. Because people do little other than attend and aren't encouraged to do anything more, giving is viewed as optional.
3. At their core, people are consumers. People today are looking for personal benefit and gain. They value achievement and fulfillment more than their relationship with God. They put their money toward the things that are most fulfilling. Attending church doesn't make the cut. They vacation at the beach, buy cars, and remodel their homes. Those are fulfilling. Watching church is just something to do.  The next generation of givers will not come from the spectators in your congregation. It will come from the people who are engaged in life-changing community. 

What are you doing to move people into biblical community?

David Wagner

Stewardship Development Association 

What better way for a church to build the budget than around the Great Commission? This resource helps by preparing leadership, guiding the budget planning group and with ideas for planning for spiritual enrichment of the church.

CLICK HERE  

Social media platforms like FB, Twitter, and YouTube have proven to be very effective tools in helping to carry out the Great Commission of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ! These digital platforms allow for easy connection with increasing numbers of people; great functionality; and global reach!   

Google is currently rolling out Google+  (Google Plus), a new social networking platform under the umbrella of the evolving Google brand. Just what we need, right? Another social network!

However, after taking a look at Google+, I'm very happy to report that it has the potential to be an excellent addition to your ministry toolbox! The following are some of the promising highlights of Google+ :

Circles - Great tool for pastors and ministry leaders to establish and communicate with selected groups of individuals, including staff, family, congregation, and each other.

Hangout - Video chat enables meet-ups on the web! Great for video conferencing, small-group and team meetings, and for staying in touch with missionaries in the field.

Instant Upload - Allows for quick and easy sharing of ministry photos and videos!

Sparks - Pushes connections to interesting online links, e.g., related websites, educational resources, etc.

Huddle - Enables group texting all on one page.  Great for staff and small group communications!

Connect to Google apps - Provides easy access to a suite of Google productivity tools which many churches and ministries are already using, including Gmail, Docs, Reader, and Calender!

What's missing? It would be fantastic if Google+ would allow churches and ministries to set up their own official pages. Hopefully, someone at Google is reading this!

Google+ can definitely be a great tool for ministries to use to help plan, strategize, and maximize their social media efforts in sharing the gospel; improving internal communications; and increasing ministry awareness!