By Thomas Sonni
Founder & President, Greater Mission
Greater Mission is introducing a groundbreaking parish annual giving model to dioceses and parishes around the country. The model is titled Amen Generosity and Greater Mission has formed a collaboration with ACS Technologies to spread the word to both Catholic and Protestant churches.
Facing the Challenge
Coming out of the pandemic, the Church is looking to the future and considering new ways to strengthen ministry in their local parishes. Amen Generosity comes at a very important time. The steady decline over the past several decades in active church participation, especially among young Catholics, has been accelerated by the Pandemic.
Notre Dame Study
Notre Dame completed a study of parish giving called Unleashing Catholic Generosity, finding that parishes that linked giving both to Catholic spirituality and also to funding the Church’s mission were the parishes that realized the greatest success. Amen Generosity incorporates both keys into its new paradigm for parishes – incorporating and adapting solid development fundamentals practiced by growing Catholic and other non-profit organizations.
What is the Spirituality of Amen Generosity?
The foundational principle of Amen Generosity is the recognition that all giving begins with God and, as such, the Lord God is the true source of all our generosity. Everything we have, everything we are, and every possibility for our life is a gift from God. Our opportunity is to say yes, “Amen” to how God wants to pour His grace and goodness through our lives to bless others. This is a new and uplifting way of presenting the powerful teaching of stewardship. The image of a faucet is used in a short video on Amen Generosity to illustrate how God is the source of generosity that flows through us to the degree that we are open to it.
Teaching the Half-Tithe Target
Jesus affirmed the longstanding practice of tithing (these you should have done…Mt 23). Giving 10% of income is a powerful way to acknowledge in faith that the first 10 we give represents every other 10 in the 100% that is given to us to steward by the grace of God. The half-tithe target provides a guide for giving to the annual offertory, leaving room in our generosity to give faithfully to special parish campaigns and other Catholic or missionary causes (i.e. Diocese, Charities). Amen Generosity presents a simple way for parishioners to arrive at the half-tithe target for themselves.
How is the Amen Generosity model designed to unlock Go-Forward Parish Growth?
The Amen Generosity model offers parishes a way to build their ministry year-after-year through a systematic approach to inviting offertory giving. A five-year period of steady gains averaging 7% per year will elevate the level of annual parish giving by 40%, opening great new possibilities for enhancing and expanding parish ministry. Greater parish ministry leads to greater parishioner faithfulness, enthusiasm, and ministry engagement, which in turn also fuels faith-filled generosity. Many parishes are not planning how to move their ministry and mission forward in substantial and concrete ways, because they don’t have a clear plan to fund their growth. This effective integration of practical ministry planning made possible by good annual fund development is a missing link for many parishes.
Greater Mission Support Plan
One of our Greater Mission team members walks with each client parish through a systematic six-week process of planning and preparation, and then a streamlined four-week process to inspire and invite a generous response from parishioners. After an initial meeting with parish leaders, a regular weekly Zoom meeting is scheduled to guide the implementation in a way that keeps costs low and drives a very good return on investment. The model is tailored to the parish’s unique circumstances and expertly supported throughout the process.
Go Forward Guarantee
Greater Mission is standing behind this compelling new service with a guarantee that parishes who implement the Amen Generosity model will go forward in their giving, generating a positive financial gain to invest in their ministry after covering their support and material production expenses. It is clear. We really believe in what we have developed in Amen Generosity and its importance to helping the Church move forward with greater ministry and mission effectiveness.
To learn more about how we can serve your church, email us at amen@greatermission.com or call us at (800) 741-9210.
Greater Mission’s Catholic fundraising consultants serve the Church and faith-based organizations.
Learn how our firm can help you inspire faithful generosity.