What it is & What it does
EVERY PASTOR, EVERY YEAR
wrestles with the same question.
"How can I successfully motivate these members to give more generously?
Offering plates filled with token $1 bills bedevil any pastor!
In frustration (or desperation) you decide to just do what you did last year,
you'll send out the usual letter with next year's budget and a pledge card, and pray.
OR
Maybe you can come up with some really neat gimmick!
Perhaps,
>the pony express
>a stewardship dinner
>the faith-promise plan
>pass out pledge cards at worship
>preach a series of "stem-winder" sermons
>have the finance chair really "lay it on them".
(Even though you know NONE of those things have worked in the past and
"If we do what we've always done, we'll get the same results we've always gotten.")
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I'd like to help if you will let me. May I please show you a better, and decidedly New Testament program to greatly increase pledging by your members? So who am I? I'm Gary Arnold, recently retired from two professions. Twenty-six years (1956 to 1982) United Methodist Pastor, Twenty-eight years (1982 to 2010) Church Capital Fund-raising Consultant. These Fifty-four years of intimate professional church experience have taught me what churches need to do, that they are NOT now doing, to greatly increase giving. If you will permit me to do so, I want to share this knowledge and experience with all churches who will accept it.At age 76 it is important to me to respond to the critical financial condition of America's churches, which are vital to both our faith and our freedom. The QUILL Program was first introduced in 1989. It has blessed dozens of churches with large increases in pledging. Below are a few notes from some of these churches. I invite you to add your church to the list. |
"Dear Gary,
We have used Quill for two years. In fact, three of the parishes you list among your references have begun using the Quill program on our recommendation. We purchased the CD in 2008. It was successful for us; our average pledge went from just over $1000 to $1450 (a 45% increase) in two years. More to the point, we experienced joy in giving. You can put us in the "happy Quill customer"column. Please feel free to give my phone number 401-725-1920 and email address sgunn@christchurchlincoln.org
to any congregations who might wonder what a difference Quill can make."Rev. Scott Gunn, Christ Episcopal Church, Lincoln, RI |
Gary, thank you so much for QUILL. It has made a wonderful impact by increasing our giving and stimulating spiritual growth at First Lutheran Church. Please send me some materials I can give to other pastors at our next Synod meeting." Rev. Wilbert Miller, First Lutheran Church San Diego, California  |
 Mequon United Methodist Church, Mequon,WI
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"The year before we first used the QUILL Program, we had $99,000 in pledges. We used it 4 years and watched our pledges increase to $233,000.
A 133% increase! Are we pleased? Oh yes!..and you can give any doubters my phone number." Rev. Brad Mather,
Former Pastor Mequon United Methodist Church Mequon, Wisconsin |
QUESTION: How are these churches and many, many others, able to achieve such remarkable giving increases?
ANSWER: They were willing to give up some erroneous conventional wisdom regarding why people give and why they give generously.
The leaders of our QUILL-client churches have all been willing to think "Outside The Box"
ANSWER: They were willing to give up some erroneous conventional wisdom regarding why people give and why they give generously.
The leaders of our QUILL-client churches have all been willing to think "Outside The Box"
1. FIND THE COURAGE. To increase pledging and giving in your church will require a bit of courage. You will be leading your members down a somewhat unfamiliar road. Unfamiliar to you and your members. Traditional attempts to increase giving are, while comfortable, and often result in very limited production, are also simply counterproductive. I'm sorry, but they are. This has to be hard to read when you've tried so incredibly hard to lead in the very best way you've known, repeating practices handed down from each generation; following conventional wisdom ever so sincerely. Find the courage to change.
2. FOCUS ON CHRISTIAN MOTIVATION. Stop asking for pledges to the budget! That puts the focus on the church's need to RECEIVE. It needs to be on the giver's need to GIVE. I know, I know, you've tried that without success. You haven't tried it the way QUILL will have you do it! Jesus said, "Where a person's treasure is, there will his heart be also." Keep in mind, we will always happily GIVE far more than we will happily PAY. You pay the light bill, you must. You give gifts, you want to. Jesus demonstrated good giving and pointed out those who also did so. Doing what Jesus did, QUILL focuses on New Testament teaching.
3. DEMONSTRATE GOOD GIVING. Someone demonstrated how to tie your shoes, or you wouldn't know how. Someone demonstrated table manners, "please" and "thank you" or as a child life would have been pretty tough for you. Who is openly demonstrating good giving among your members? The usual answer is "No one".
But remember, SOMEONE is; probably a lot of someones, if this is typical:
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Herein lies the secret of QUILL.
Demonstrating larger giving
produces larger gifts!
QUILL, the Personal Demonstration Stewardship Program
shows you the Christian, loving way to accomplish this with outstanding results.
Available in two (2) formats
PLEASE ACCEPT MY FREE GIFT!
Demonstrating larger giving
produces larger gifts!
QUILL, the Personal Demonstration Stewardship Program
shows you the Christian, loving way to accomplish this with outstanding results.
Available in two (2) formats
| 1.FULL-SERVICE QUILL Provides two150 pg. Control Manuals tabbed with explicit instructions and in specific sequence.
Provides correct number of Demonstration Team Manuals. Provides pre-printed bulletin inserts for each of 3 Sundays. Provides Very detailed, step-by-step instructions, including how to select the proper personnel for the Demonstration Team, sample letters for them to write. (See About QUILL page)
Larger membership churches will prefer the FULL-SERVICE version. FEE based on number of member-households. (See "Order & Contact Info" page.) |
 2. QUILLONCD contains absolutely everything included in our FULL-SERVICE Program. There are two (2) differences. FIRST: the local church is required to print the necessary Control Manuals of 150+ psges and the proper number of Demonstration Team Manuals of 60+ pages (usually about 6 to 10) and the proper quantity of bulletin inserts equal to average attendance for each of 3 Sundays. SECOND: The $159.95 price for the CD is a much lower cost because the church will bear the burden of all printing and binding costs.
QUILLonCD is complimentary with Full-Service program. |
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Please accept this FREE Compact Disk. INTRODUCTION to QUILL the Personal Demonstration Stewardship Program It will play in any computer CD drive. When shown full-screen the presentation is large enough for your entire committee to view while gathered around a table. It is created without "sales music and voice" to assure that your committee can pause to ask questions at any time during the presentation. Accompanying the CD you will receive a personal letter, a few articles about QUILL and of course, ample references from churches who have or are now using QUILL.
Simply complete the form below.
Your free CD will arrive in about 4 days. |