The responsibility for raising funds in the church falls squarely in the lap of the senior pastor. Whether we like it or not, that's how most church cultures operate. Bill Hybels compares financial sources to a river and correctly observes: "And like it or not, it is the leader's job to create that river and to manage it wisely. The sooner the leader realizes that the better."

Let's consider how pastors raise the needed finances: the simple answer is that they must develop donors. We suggest seven means that pastors could use to develop their donors and raise the ministry's operational funds.

Regularly cast the church's vision

First, you must regularly cast a clear, compelling vision for the church. The key to cultivating donors for your church's ministry is vision. Our experience is that people are not that interested in just paying the light bills or staff salaries, nor do they respond well to guilt trips, negativism, or shortages. People give to big, dynamic visions that, in turn, produce ...