Seminar Benefits, Tips and Keys to a Successful Event
Our Financial Seminars focus on accomplishing the following:
- Encourage attendees to commit or recommit their lives to Christ
- Clearly delineate the difference between "stewardship" and "ownership"
- Increase giving to the local church as well as God's work throughout the world
- Address current economic issues and related problems
- Demonstrate how to live within your means and become debt free
- Explain keys for increased and better communication between husbands and wives
- Teach parents how to train their children in money management and have healthy attitudes
- Highlight "basic" biblical principles regarding inheritance, retirement, buying insurance, etc.
- Set the stage for ongoing financial ministry and budget counseling using trained lay people.
These topics and principles assist pastors and church leaders in educating the congregation, amplifying current stewardship and money messages and help train people in solid financial principles and practical helps.
Ways we can work together to keep the churches seminar expenses low:
- We are delighted to lodge and have meals with church members; saving hotel and meal expenses, plus it provides great times of fellowship (and sometimes indirect counseling).
- We rarely need a rental car if church members will help us get around town or supply a car.
- Two or three local churches can team together to help share the "hard cost" expenses.
- Airline flights are relatively low today, but sometimes church members are willing to fund our flight or donate frequent flier miles. If we drive, mileage is a real expense that needs to be funded or worked out between us.
A "key" and proven factor that greatly increases seminar attendance:
- Schedule our Sunday/Monday evening format and allow us to preach Sunday morning during worship service(s). Using this format usually increases the number of people pre-registered before the final seminar Sunday and raised the final registration count by anywhere from 50% to 400%. Many smaller churches end up with 50-75% of their congregation attending. We can explain the reasons this format works so well when we talk on the phone.
Two "key" financial factors that make a seminar work for any church:
- Decide how many people (registrations) you reasonably think will attend and let us know that amount. We will then work with you to tailor the financial terms to fit your budget or needs. Also see "An Abstract Thought" below.
- Let the Holy Spirit give each attendee clear direction in how much they can contribute in the final session free-will offering. It is God's scriptural way of funding this ministry. The registration fees primarily fund the syllabus, office expenses and other hard costs involved in implementing the seminar.
An abstract thought, but a virtual reality:
- Bottom Line - It actually does not end up costing the hosting church anything for us to come and teach a seminar. Any financial investment by the church, not covered by the registration fees, will be recovered through the increased giving from those who attend the seminar. We know from all seminar evaluation forms turned in by the attendees, that approximately 25% of those people have committed to raising their own personal giving; most of which will go to their home church.
Final word of encouragement:
At this unique point in time and history, we want to come to every church possible to help set God's people free for complete service to Him. We have a "world" to reach with the "good news" of Jesus Christ. However, we can't do it when God's people are locked in financial bondage, weighed down in consumer debt, not giving as God instructs and struggling with marriage and family problems.
