Year-end can feel like a whirlwind of services, goals, and expectations for your church. This guide will help you lead the season with grace and gratitude so generosity feels natural, not forced.
Join the fundraising movement! Join the fundraising movement!It’s the morning of December 24th. You have three services today and four services tomorrow. Your board expects the biggest push for year-end giving to meet the goals you set for next year.
You’re trying to communicate vision, meet some very crucial year-end goals, and balance all that with a service full of guests who may have never stepped inside your church before.
And while this can feel like an impossible task, be encouraged! There is a way to do both. Generosity and hospitality go hand in hand.
So, what do we do?
Whenever we are trying to get someone excited about anything, the most effective tool is storytelling. People love stories; they want to be invited into them, and they can relate to stories.
So, talk about what God has done.
The holidays are the perfect time to reflect on all of the testimonies you’ve heard over the year: baptisms, food drives, outreach events, and new members. Celebrate how God has provided.
Storytelling also allows you to emphasize gratitude for what God has done through the church and through people’s generosity.
So, instead of talking about financial targets, tell the stories of impact that occurred because of the giving.
Now, how does this impact your guests?
When you spend time sharing testimonies and celebrating what God has done in your church, it shows your guests what you value.
So, instead of them hearing “We need this much money from you,” they’re hearing “We care so much about the people in our city, and we invite you to be part of making a difference with us.”
This puts your ministry on display and gives them a way to be involved (but not the only way!).
When you ask people in your church to give, you aren’t just asking for their money.
What you’re really asking them to do is to use their money as an act of obedience to what God is doing in their life and in their church.
You want them to experience the spiritual act of generosity, not just sign a check because it’s a habit. That gives you the dollars, but not a missional church.
So don’t hesitate to reframe your giving message. Instead of “We need your help” or “We need X amount of dollars,” try “Here’s what we’re inviting you into,” or “Ask God how He would have you respond to this mission opportunity in our church.”
This connects the “why” to every ask and allows you to link generosity to transformation, not transaction.
For guests, this helps them understand what your church is about.
This is the moment in your call for giving where you acknowledge your guests. Out loud.
Give them permission to be new and unsure and not to give. We encourage pastors to explicitly recognize first-time guests before discussing giving.
Here’s an example: “If you’re new here, please don’t feel any pressure to give.”
This is something many churches say every week during their tithes and offerings. This kind of hospitality, as reflected in the language you use, helps build trust and shows your heart in asking people to give.
As we mentioned above, you aren’t just asking anyone and everyone to throw money in the bucket. You are asking people in this church community to go on a mission together, and giving is just one way they can do that.
The final way to lead your end-of-year giving with grace and gratitude for both members and guests is to have multiple ways for people to engage with your call to action.
Generosity isn’t just money – it’s time, presence, and especially prayer.
Offer examples of low-bar ways that people – especially your guests – can participate: fill out a connect card, bring a canned good, commit to a volunteer opportunity, etc. This provides a variety of ways for people to engage in your mission if they’re not yet ready to give.
Similarly, make sure people have multiple ways to learn how and why to give. Remember, your services only happen once per week, and statistics show that regular church attendees are only showing up about half the time.
So, how else can you keep this front-of-mind for your people? Here are some ideas:
Remember that your services are for everyone. It’s okay to do a big push for your end-of-year giving, but it doesn’t need to be the whole service. Keep that space accessible for guests, too.
We’ve created a checklist to help your team put all we’ve discussed into action:
When your church leads with gratitude, clarity, and care, generosity feels natural, not pressured. Guests sense that you aren’t just after their wallets, but after their hearts.
At First Impressions Academy, we often talk about how hospitality and generosity share the same spiritual DNA. Both are about creating space for God to move, for people to belong, and for transformation to begin.
When a church’s culture of giving aligns with its culture of welcome, something powerful happens:
That’s the kind of environment that grows churches and grows God’s Kingdom.
If you’re ready to support that message with a robust, secure giving experience, Donorbox MinistryMomentum is here to help. Their tools empower your church to seamlessly accept gifts online and in person – so your congregants can respond generously, while you stay focused on ministry.
Ali Hofmeyer is the Managing Director of First Impressions. First Impressions equips church leaders to disciple more people through impactful hospitality and guest care.
First Impressions offers online and in-person conferences as well as a learning community called First Impressions Academy. Ali is passionate about working with local churches to grow God's Kingdom. She also loves being a mom to her 3 kids, a wife to her wonderful husband, and an avid chocolate-lover and coffee-drinker.
Join the fundraising movement! Join the fundraising movement!
