Top line
We made budget plans for last year and we assumed the worst. For the first five months of the year, the assumptions were way off in a good way – we were better than budget. The last seven months of the year were disappointing to say the least.
In that you have to plan well in advance particularly with personnel decisions, we based our plans more on the first five months of last year and less on the last seven. The bottom line is that we are facing a very tough row to hoe. Based on current expense assumptions we will have to realize an 8% increase in giving this year. To put this in perspective, the greatest increase in the last 10 years was just under 4%.
The thing I can control is the expenses. I can work with others in the parish and identify which staff can be cut back (the non-personnel expenses are pretty small relatively speaking and so to make changes the only real option is with personnel). It is demoralizing work. I have resolved to focus on the “top line” or the income.
Top line increases are typically tied to an improved product, better marketing or circumstances that abet the need for the product (think umbrellas on a rainy day). In the church world, there are a lot of parts to our product but 90% of the people weight the worship services as 90% of the product. The ordained employees and by extension the Church hierarchy largely determine the contents/quality/value of this (at least in the eyes of the attendees and would-be attendees). The net of it is there is minimal influence that can be exerted to change the contents or atmosphere of the product. Therefore the context of need to increase contributions is trying to do without significant changes in the perceived product.
On one level, the product should not need any promotion – we believe that what we are selling it eternal bliss and that should be sufficient to motivate participation and support. The trouble would seem to be the eternal bliss angle is too abstract for more and more people and whose focus is on the immediate sensation rather than the very long term.
With that as an extremely long introduction, my question is what do I do? The top line needs to increase and it needs to increase dramatically – the options, as I see them, is to increase awareness the intrinsic value of the product (emphasize what an eternal existence in hell would be like?) or to work to develop participation in the valuation of the activities that are more easily modified.
Any suggestions on what to do?
