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Increase Giving and Fully Fund Your Mission—Regardless of Where You’re at Now.

You can increase giving, create a culture of generosity, and build financial margin at your church… without the stress and awkwardness. Today, I’d love to show you how.

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Introducing…

A proven method for increasing giving, creating a culture of generosity at your church, and growing the impact of your mission. 

  • Even if you don’t feel comfortable talking about money…
  • Even if you’ve never seen your congregation fully engage that kind of conversation…
  • Even if you’ve tried other methods without success…

And yes, especially, if you could make a bigger difference by increasing your budget by 20%, 30%, or even 40%.

New & only found in The Art of Building a Generous Congregation:

  • Proven strategies: Turn first-time givers into recurring donors—including the follow-up email that converts. Get a five-figure donation from a single phone call (who to call and the exact script to use). 
  • Everything you need: Follow detailed, step-by-step guides with done-for-you templates, word-for-word scripts, hands-on tactics, and deep insights into what inspires generosity. 
  • Rapid results: Go from not knowing where to start to gaining first-time givers and increasing giving within weeks. 
  • Real strategies from real churches: Everything in the program is a behind-the-scenes look at what real churches are using now to increase generosity and exceed budgets.

One of the tensions of a growing ministry is you end up with more people and vision than money…

And, believe it or not, resources don’t magically appear overnight. 

What?! I know…you wish someone had told you that in seminary. 

Joking aside, almost every successful church—whether it’s a plant or has thousands of members— has a vision that’s grander than its current budget. 

My bet? You’re no different.

And while a big vision may be frustrating at times (because money would be an easy way to solve the issue, right?!) it means you already have the first key ingredient for building a generous congregation. One that will support a growing ministry in the future. 

But that still takes us back to the question… what else does it take to lead a generous church? 

From a budget of $4,000/year to $1,000,000’s.

In my first year of ministry in 1995, one of the three small churches I was leading at the time had an average attendance of 6 and a budget of $4,000. 

You read that right—an annual budget of $4,000. 

The second church saw 14 people attend on a Sunday morning and had a budget of $15,000. And, the largest of the three churches had an average attendance of 23 with a budget of $20,000. 

Some quick math? That’s a total of $39,000. 

To make it worse, the churches raised a lot of their money through fundraisers: bake sales, bazaars, rummage sales, dinners, and other fundraising events. Within a year of arriving as their new pastor, I asked one of the bake sale organizers how many cookies they needed. 

Her: “Several thousand.” 
Me: “How much time will that take?”
Her: “It’ll take a few of us an entire day.”
Me: “And how much money will it raise?” 
Her: “About $300.” 
Me: “I understand that’s how things have been done around here, but that’s a lot of cookies and volunteer time for very little money.” 

A full day and multiple volunteers for $300?! 

I knew I had to open up a dialogue about trying something different. 

So, with the leaders of the church bought in, we shut down the fundraisers within a year of that conversation. 

What got those churches to $40,000 wouldn’t get us to $400,000. And it surely wouldn’t ever get us beyond that. 

Fast forward a few years, our budget was pushing $1,000,000, but we had stalled out financially. The numerical growth was outpacing the budget growth. We need more money for ministry, and, ultimately, to build a brand new facility. 

The strategies and approaches we had been using just weren’t getting us to the next stage of growth. 

But by embracing the strategies I share in the Art of Building a Generous Congregation, and by the grace of God, we more than doubled our giving over the next few years. 

I’m sharing this because that’s what I want for you and your church too. I’m tired of seeing the potential of the local church thwarted by a lack of resources. 

I’m also sharing it because each step of the way, we learned which key ingredients built a financially flourishing church. And you can too:

  1. You can learn exactly what you need to do to build a foundation of regular, generous tithers to support your mission.
  2. You’ll finally understand what inspires generosity and why it works. Blindly following advice might work once or twice, but it won’t work consistently. That’s why so many churches raise money once or twice a year and then start bleeding it again almost overnight. 
  3. Once you have that foundation, adding more advanced fundraising and generosity strategies will lead to rapid and exponential growth—not just for your church, but for the people who are giving to your ministry as well. They, too, will be transformed as they learn to live with margin and live on mission.

Well, this all sounds great… so why isn’t everyone doing it?

When I asked the leaders in The Art of Leadership Academy if they wanted to increase giving and help their members (and their church) flourish financially, the overwhelming response was, “YES! We want a more positive culture around money at our church.” 

See if you can relate to the challenges pastors are facing: 

  • “We’re outgrowing our space and will need to raise some major funds to make the changes we need to make. Especially with the cost of construction exploding.”
  • “Most of my members aren’t flourishing financially themselves. How can I ask them to give generously when that’s their reality?” 
  • “How can I make paying down our church’s mortgage debt sexy? Nobody wants to give to that.” 
  • “I’d love to lead our people beyond the bare minimum and towards a healthy expression of stewardship.”

So let’s address the elephant in the room. When it comes to money and ministry, my bet is that you want the outcome, without having to deal with the process. 

I get it. Talking about money can be awkward and uncomfortable.

I mean, it’s hard enough talking about it with family and friends, but now you have to approach donors one-on-one and talk about it in front of dozens, hundreds, and thousands of people. 

Yikes. 

So, instead of working towards the outcome, we give ourselves excuses to avoid it. 

“If I push too hard, it’ll drive people away. Then we’ll end up worse.” 

“I’m afraid I’m bringing it up too often. Donors are getting fatigued.” 

“It’s awkward. I just feel so uncomfortable bringing it up.” 

“God will provide. Maybe I don’t have to do anything.” 

“I’m just not equipped to talk about it. I’ll leave it to the experts.” 

“If people are engaged, I shouldn’t even have to ask for money.” 

The reality is, I truly think the things we tell ourselves end up doing more harm than good. Here’s what’s true: 

  1. Money is deeply spiritual, and if you never talk about it, you’re failing to disciple people on one of the most powerful idols in life: money. 
  2. If you aren’t discipling your people around money, then you’re leaving it up to TikTok and Instagram. 
  3. Who said talking about money involved being pushy or greedy? Learning how to talk about money in church is more about what you do FOR people than what you want FROM them. You won’t drive people away if you focus on helping people with their money.

And lastly, impactful churches have a very intentional stewardship approach. There’s always the crowd that looks at larger churches and says, “See! They aren’t begging for money from the front every week!!!!” 

Well, believe it or not, there are other options for building a culture of generosity. 

So you can either keep up the excuses and stay where you are, or you can change something and see progress.

The typical advice is, well…

We’ve all heard the typical advice about what you can do to raise money for your church.

Bake sales and coupon campaigns built around pizza slices aren’t going to cut it. And do you really want to be bi-vocational when your true calling is ministry?  Or always be unable to hire the staff you need, let alone want? 

What other experts don’t help you do is understand what actually works and why it works, so you can truly inspire a generous congregation and become a financially flourishing church.

Increase Giving · Create a Culture of Generosity · Fund Your Mission

What if you could…

  • See your church give generously without running constant campaigns to raise money? 
  • Help the people in your church find margin in their personal finances and steward their money wisely? 
  • Actually enjoy talking about money with your church? 
  • Get comfortable talking directly to your top donors, and see them engage even more because of it?
  • Have people excited about your upcoming sermon series on money? 
  • Have people give willingly at levels you never imagined were possible?

Inspire your congregation to give generously, find margin in your budget, and flourish financially as a church with The Art of Building a Generous Congregation.

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How The Art of Building a Generous Congregation Works.

The moment you join The Art of Building a Generous Congregation, you get instant access to ALL the materials in the course, so you can jump in exactly where you are.

That strategy outlines exactly what you need to do each week, quarter, and year, plus a one-time optimization checklist. And, there are done-for-you emails, SMS messages, video scripts, Sunday generosity moments, and more that you can plug and play or customize to make your own. 

And, of course, as you start implementing your plan you’ll learn WHY each step is important, WHY it works, and what missteps to avoid. 

What you DON’T need is to keep stressing for the same old results. 

What you DO need is a straightforward strategy that gets better results—without the repetitiveness and awkwardness of asking for money all the time.

INCREASED GIVING

Say goodbye to constant campaigns and repetitive asks that don’t get a response. Achieve regular, generous tithing that increases year-over-year.

ENHANCED ENGAGEMENT

Learn to engage everyone from first-time givers to your top donors, ensuring everyone is committed and cared for. 

STRESS-FREE MONEY TALKS (AND ASKS)

From 1:1 conversations to preaching an entire sermon series about money, cut the awkwardness and get your congregation excited about it.

(And no, you don’t need to sound like a late-night infomercial.)

BIGGER IMPACT

Increased giving and generosity means your mission can expand and you can make a greater impact on more lives. 

What makes the program work?

RAPID RESULTS

Forget about years of hard work. This program is built around the big wins that you can start implementing in just a few weeks.

VERIFIED STRATEGIES

Everything in the program is a behind-the-scenes look at what real churches are using now to increase generosity and exceed budgets.

IN-DEPTH MODULES

25+ bite-sized videos and 20+ ready-to-use guides and templates to walk you through each step.

THE COMMUNITY

You’re never alone. Get feedback in minutes in the community—accessible through the mobile App.  

DONE-FOR-YOU RESOURCES

Proven and ready-to-use series outlines, emails, texts, phone call scripts, and more are available at your fingertips.

A COMPLETE SYSTEM

Every key ingredient to inspire your congregation to give generously and fund a financially flourishing church.

Inside The Art of Building a Generous Congregation

The old way: In the past, you may have taken programs that gave you never-ending 30+ minute videos, PDFs, and thrown-together “bonus material.” It’s a lot, but is it usable? Is it actionable? Do you actually need a 30+ minute video on what to say during Sunday announcements?

The new way: We reinvented the course from the ground up. Each Module and Lesson is punchy and right to the point. It’s built around OUTCOMES for your church and is a step-by-step system for achieving real results.

Module 1:
Building the Foundations of a Generous Church

In this module, you’ll see instant results in shaping how you and your church talk about money. Learn why you need to talk about money, when to talk about it, and how to talk about it so people get excited about money and generosity conversations. 

You’ll also learn how to break some of the strongholds that are holding your church back—overcoming a scarcity mindset, getting cheapskates out of leadership, and how to think about investments versus expenses. 

  • ANNUAL GENEROSITY PLAN

    Right off the bat, you can download your Annual Generosity Plan. A simple one-page planner that outlines your weekly, quarterly, and annual giving and generosity tasks, and a one-time optimization checklist. This will guide you through the entire program.

  • FROM $40,000/YEAR TO $1,000,000’s (LESSONS FROM THE IMPOSSIBLE)

    It’s easy to want the outcome (having a generous congregation) without wanting the process (doing the work). Learn the key lessons and mistakes others made, so you don’t have to and build confidence for your journey ahead.

  • OVERCOMING YOUR FEAR OF TALKING ABOUT MONEY

    Researching this program, we boiled it down to 4-core fears that church leaders have when talking about money. In a few simple baby-steps, you’ll learn (and practice) exactly how to turn feeling awkward, uncomfortable, and greedy into confidence, excitement, and passion.

  • NORMALIZING MONEY-TALK AT YOUR CHURCH

    Once YOU have confidence talking about money, you’ll learn how to normalize talking about money with your congregation and members. Along the way, you’ll practice how to talk about it in ways that not only engage your congregation, but get them excited to talk about it money.

  • ELIMINATE CHEAPSKATES AND SCARCITY THINKING

    For every pastor who has succumbed to the excesses of the prosperity gospel, there are 100 (or 1,000) who hardly have enough money to function. If you’re going to build a generous congregation you have to overcome your biggest obstacle: a scarcity mindset.

  • CHURCH GIVING POTENTIAL CALCULATOR

    Ready to dream a bit? Scratch that. Ready to DREAM BIG? Use the Church Giving Potential Calculator to understand that gap between your current budget and how much your congregation could give. Each step in the program will get you closer to realizing your church’s Giving Potential.

Module 2:
Donor Development and the Art of Asking for Money

When it comes to who gives and how much, do you have financial disclosure? And if you do, do you even know what to DO with it? In this module, you’ll learn why the pastor needs full disclosure, precisely what to do with the data (including how to develop your own annual donor development plan), and how to do it with integrity.

You’ll also learn how to ask for money and, more importantly, how NOT to ask for money—including word-for-word templates for all online and in-person channels.

  • EMAILS, SUNDAY ANNOUNCEMENTS, VIDEO SCRIPTS, AND MORE

    Ready-to-use (or customize) emails, Sunday announcement scripts, video scripts, text messages, and conversation starters for donor development and making-the-ask.

  • DONOR DEVELOPMENT

    From Sunday morning to face-to-face meetings, you’ll develop a plan for donor development. Get rapid results for new first-time gifts and turn sporadic giving into automated, recurring donations.

  • DONOR APPRECIATION EVENTS

    Learn how to host meaningful donor appreciation events—nights of worship that let your donors know they’re cared for and engage them at a deeper level.

  • MAKING THE ASK FOR DONATIONS

    With the right toolkit, you can feel confident about making the ask for money. Leave awkwardness and stress in the past and feel GOOD about funding your mission.

  • GIVING THE PASTOR FULL FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

    Understand why the pastor needs full financial disclosure when it comes to who’s giving (and how much). Then, you’ll craft a plan for using that information with integrity.

  • LEAVERAGING THE THREE COMMUNICATION WINDOWS

    There are three prime communication windows your church to talk about money and giving. When you have a plan for each of them, you’ll instantly see better results when it comes to giving.

  • PREACHING A SERMON SERIES ABOUT MONEY

    Learn the three approaches you can take to preach an engaging sermon series on money.

  • DONE-FOR-YOU SERMON SERIES

    Get a done-for-you sermons series about money, including a series outline, notes, teaching slides, and more. Use it as-is or as inspiration for you own.

Module 3:
Automating Generosity and Thanking Donors

Donor fatigue is a real issue. Hop off the treadmill and learn how to create a culture of everyday generosity without sounding repetitive and wearing people down.

This module covers crafting a culture of generosity, the move to digital giving, sending giving updates, and a report every senior pastor needs to get.

  • CRAFTING MEANINGFUL GENEROSITY MOMENTS AND STORYTELLING

    Learn how to craft the two types of meaningful generosity moments on Sunday morning.

  • MOVING TO DIGITAL, AUTOMATED GIVING

    If you can automate generosity in your church, you’ll go from some base hits and occasional triples to hitting home runs, maybe even the occasional grand slam. Learn the ins-and-outs for automating generosity at your church.

  • THANKING DONORS PERSONALLY

    Sending your donors a personal thank-you continues the engagement loop and donor development journey. Learn the seamless system to send impactful thank-you’s and giving updates to each of your donors.

  • DONE-FOR-YOU GIVING UPDATES

    Stress-free thank you’s and giving updates to send to your donors. Copy and paste the one’s we’ve created or customize to make your own.

  • REVIEWING DONOR PATTERNS

    One of the best things you can do as a pastor is keep a close eye on donor patterns. In an easy to setup report, you’ll get all the data you need to check on donors and your congregation as a whole.

Module 4:
Your Questions, Answered

In researching this course, we took the most common challenges and questions and put them into a punchy, to-the-point Q&A module.

  • FIND ANSWERS TO YOUR MOST PRESSING QUESTIONS

    (1) “Can I ask for money too often?” (2) “What about Gen Z and Millenials?” (3) “What’s the best follow-up for first-time givers?” (4) “Should I spend my entire budget each year?” + MORE.

Accountability and the Community

I understand that accountability is important when it comes to programs like these. That’s why accountability is built into it.

  • Each lesson comes with specific, detailed, and actionable steps and examples.
  • We’ve created it as a step-by-step program, so it’s easily digestible and implemented.
  • You get access to our community, where thousands of leaders are directly accessible at your fingertips—myself included.
  • In each module, lesson, and resource, you can ask questions, leave comments, and connect with other members.

Ready-to-use templates, scripts, and guides to walk you through each step.

No sitting around trying to figure out how to put a lesson into action. When there’s a practical step to be taken, we’ve created turnkey solutions so you can start making progress the moment you’re ready. 

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Is this the program right for you?

It is NOT right for you if…

  • You’re looking for a magic bullet solution without embracing a new strategy. Yes, the program and its strategies work. Without embracing a new strategy, you’re bound to stay where you are. 
  • You’re expecting to increase your budget by 30% in two months. Schemers and scammers can leave. Real results take some time. 
  • You aren’t willing to change what you’re currently doing and trying.

It IS right for you if…

  • You’re ready to invest in your church and create a culture that’s generous and flourishing financially.
  • You’re looking for a complete system, not random tactics or feel-good stories.
  • You know that if you put in 2-3 hours of work each week now, you’ll reap the benefits for years to come.

No-Questions-Asked 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee.

It matters to me that this makes an actual difference for you and your team…which is why I’m offering this guarantee.

If you’re not satisfied with the quality of the content, or for any other reason whatsoever, you will get a full, immediate refund. Just shoot us an email at [email protected].

Get Instant Access by Joining The Art of Leadership Academy

Choose from two easy options.

Annual Plan

The Art of Leadership Academy
$497/ year
  • The Art of Building a Generous Congregation
  • Private Online Community
  • 8 Additional Church Leadership Courses
  • Monthly Coaching Calls
  • Monthly Training for Staff and Volunteers
  • 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
  • Save $187 with the Annual Plan
GET INSTANT ACCESS

Monthly Plan

The Art of Leadership Academy
$57/ month
  • The Art of Building a Generous Congregation
  • Private Online Community
  • 8 Additional Church Leadership Courses
  • Monthly Coaching Calls
  • Monthly Training for Staff and Volunteers
  • 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Get Instant Access

Smart questions that leaders like you asked before their breakthrough.

What is The Art of Leadership Academy? How is it different than the course? 

The Art of Leadership Academy is a membership that gives you instant access to all 9 of my church leadership courses (and all future courses), monthly coaching calls, monthly staff and volunteer leadership development material, and my private online community of church leaders.

The Art of Building a Generous Congregation is included in your membership when you join the Academy.

Alternatively, you can purchase The Art of Building a Generous Congregation on its own (see below), which includes access to the course content—no community, coaching, or access to other courses.

Do I have to sign up for The Art of Leadership Academy? Can I just purchase the course? 

You can purchase The Art of Building a Generous Congregation on its own, which includes access to the course content—no community, coaching, or access to other courses.

It’s a one-time payment of $447 or 3 payments of $187. Click here to proceed to checkout.

I need approval to make this purchase. Do you have anything that can help with that?

Yup! Click here to download a one-pager that you can share with anyone you may need approval from. 

What does my commitment look like? How many hours will this take? 

This program is built on ACTION. The on-demand modules and lessons will take you 2-3 hours to complete, which you can work through at your own pace. Each has step-by-step instructions and guides to help you turn knowledge into results.

Bottom line: This training works if you do the work. 5 hours per month is plenty of time to watch a lesson or two and implement the materials, but we think you’ll love it enough to invest more time than that.

Is this program right for me and my church?

This program was researched and designed to work across denominations for church plants and churches up to 2,500+ in weekly attendance.

If you’re looking for a proven strategy to increase giving and are willing to put in a few hours of work each week, this program is a fit for you.

The transaction declined, and my card isn’t even maxed out. What’s up with that?!

Please try calling your bank (or credit card company), as they have likely flagged the transaction. Once you let them know it was you, you’ll be on your way.

If that doesn’t do the trick, please contact us at [email protected]. We’re always happy to help!

How do I pay? 

Click one of the buttons on this page to proceed to checkout. Once you’re there, you can enter the required information and pay with credit card.

Is there a monthly payment option for The Art of Leadership Academy?

Yes, if you’d prefer to pay for membership to The Art of Leadership Academy on a monthly basis it is $54/month for membership. You can sign up on a monthly plan by clicking the link below. 

Sign up for $54/month. 

What is the refund policy? 

It means a lot to me that this material makes a difference in your ministry and in your leadership. With all my resources, I offer a no-questions-asked 30-day guarantee. 

Just email us at [email protected] and we’ll be happy to help.

Lead with the answers and clarity that fuel your church for growth. Starting TODAY.

Get step-by-step training that leads you through every aspect of a growing church in The Art of Leadership Academy.

No matter your current attendance. No matter your denomination. 

It’s comprehensive, detailed, and effective—everything those other resources aren’t. You won’t be left thinking, “This all sounds great… but what do I do with it?” 

And better yet, it speeds up the process. These are all tried and tested in the real world with proven and repeatable results. 

live-coaching-with-carey-nieuwhof

COURSES THAT FUEL YOUR CHURCH FOR GROWTH 

9 comprehensive programs that fuel your leadership and church for growth; preaching, outreach, culture, leading change, governance, and more.

LIVE MONTHLY COACHING CALLS

Live coaching calls with Carey Nieuwhof that tackle today’s most pressing ministry, cultural, and leadership challenges.

STAFF & VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Staff and volunteer training videos, meeting agendas, and application guides added every single month.

Don’t Just Take My Word For It…

What leaders are saying about The Art of Leadership Academy

“Absolutely life-giving, encouraging, and honestly kept me from quitting on my hardest days”

Archie Jackson, Pastor & Entrepreneur

“I have received so much wisdom, encouragement, and thought-provoking input from an amazing network of people I otherwise would never have met. The Academy has truly been a gift.”

Sarah Starrenburg, Executive Director of Global Collaboration, United Bible Societies

“What I didn’t expect was the genuine friendships I’d make with like-minded leaders. I am feeling more energized and relationally connected than I ever have before.”

Kenny Hackbarth, Campus Pastor, The Chapel McHenry

“Practical and helpful! A transformational resource that gives great insights into so many leadership areas. I have been impressed by the caliber of thought leaders, the peer community, and the information shared by Carey and others!”

John Brimm, Entrepreneur/Strategist

Increase Giving and Create a Culture of Generosity Today.

Choose from two easy options.

Annual Plan

The Art of Leadership Academy
$497/ year
  • The Art of Building a Generous Congregation
  • Private Online Community
  • 8 Additional Church Leadership Courses
  • Monthly Coaching Calls
  • Monthly Training for Staff and Volunteers
  • 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
  • Save $187 with the Annual Plan
GET INSTANT ACCESS

Monthly Plan

The Art of Leadership Academy
$57/ month
  • The Art of Building a Generous Congregation
  • Private Online Community
  • 8 Additional Church Leadership Courses
  • Monthly Coaching Calls
  • Monthly Training for Staff and Volunteers
  • 30-Day Money-Bck Guarantee
Get Instant Access