Follow up visitor training

1. Follow up visitor training A training session for follow up visitors www.givingingrace.org

2. Follow up:What do we need to do? • Giving in Grace is a stewardship programme which will increase giving to our church • Literature goes out to the congregation; responses come in and some request additional information. • Each visitor makes a small number of personal visits to church members with the information that they have requested

3. Why personally visit church members? • To express thanks for their response and communicate that others have responded • To value by our visit the response made by others • To build relationships and to encourage people in their giving • to answer questions where we can - and find out the answers if we don’t know

4. Be encouraged! • We each visit just 5 or 6 people • We are visiting church members not total strangers • We are visiting people who have asked for information and are expecting a call • We are not asking for money or a response: they have done that already

5. About Giving in Grace • Reading: Luke 19:1-10 • Not fundraising from others but generosity as part of following Jesus • Not balancing books and budgets but of resourcing ministry and mission: we need a weekly increase of £xxx • Our personal visits help express thanks, build relationships and grow our church as a community of generous givers

6. The impact of Giving in Grace • A growing rural village in Cheshire: £192 p/w; 20% increase in planned giving • Rural town: £400 pledged increase per week • Small, deprived new town estate in Lancashire: £59 p/w; 50% giving increase • A suburban church near Winchester: met a £20,000 per year shortfall in income • An East midlands town: £500+ weekly increase

7. An overview of programme elements Prayer groups children socials visiting Preaching Exodus Matthew Luke 2 Corinthians Literature Letters Brochure Response forms Leadership: Planning group and church council

8. The follow up task • The literature: • Brochure • Letter • Response form • Mail and reply envelopes • They can ask for more information • Weekly giving envelopes • Gift Aid declarations • Standing orders (DD?) • Legacies • Charitable giving accounts • Our task is the personal follow up of requests for further information

9. Preparing for your visit • Arrange a time to visit, allowing 15-30 minutes per visit • Read through the leaflets and forms to be familiar with them • Know roughly how much the giving pledges to the church amount to at the point you visit • Ensure you have what the person has asked for e.g. a box of envelopes • Make your own personal response • Pray – for you and them!

10. At the house • Say thank you for their Giving in Grace response • Explain you are bringing the requested information • Answer any questions or help, but only if asked, with filling in forms • Build a good relationship • Affirm the weekly giving target for the church and that it is being met by a generous response and will allow us to balance the books and sustain and grow ministry • Thank for their hospitality

11. Refreshments • Any questions about the presentation or from the visitor handout?

12. Don’t assume; explain! • Weekly envelopes • Gift Aid declarations • Standing Orders (or Direct Debits) • Legacy information • Charitable giving accounts

13. Role Play • If you are confident to do so why not role play a visit at this point you may wish to

14. Weekly giving envelopes • They are a sign of commitment and willingness to support our church • They help us to remember for the weeks you are away: it is OK to bring more than one envelope • New envelopes each year is an opportunity to review our giving • Envelopes enable us to Gift Aid if we pay tax

15. Standing Orders (Direct Debit?) • The default position is that we give even if we forget • They help us make giving to God a priority, what the bible calls the ‘first fruits’. • They put giving on a par with our other financial decisions • They make church administration easy and help with cash flow and planning • They are just as confidential as weekly envelopes • They enable us to gift aid if we pay tax

16. Gift Aid Declarations • For tax payers who pay enough tax to cover the Gift Aid on their giving to all charities • It is easy and confidential and costs us nothing more than our gift • A Gift Aid form has to be completed & signed just once • If we stop paying tax do tell the gift aid secretary • Higher rate tax payers can get additional tax relief by declaring it to HMRC • People on tax credits also benefit

17. Leaving Gifts in Wills • Legacy gifts can unlock ministry and mission but this is a sensitive area so exercise care • Ideally a dedicated legacy officer should deal with all such requests • A legacy pack brochure or pack should be prepared in advance for these requests • Deliver the pack but don’t get drawn into conversations about the details • Never advise on leaving a legacy nor on the contents ofa will

18. Charitable Giving Accounts • Dedicated accounts for charitable giving with gifts taken by Direct Debit from current account • Regular, one off and anonymous giving which is tax efficient where possible • Gifts made by BACS and the account holds money not yet gifted • Range of accounts: students, families and major donor • www.stewardship.org.uk/give

19. In conclusion • Giving in Grace helps the church resource ministry and mission and Christians grow in the grace of giving • The goal is not just to secure the gift but to grow generous givers • Our personal visits help express thanks, build relationships and make our church a community of generous givers