ChurchMoney: Rebuilding the Way We Fund Our Mission

by Michael White, Tom Corcoran

Overview

There is a secret formula to help convince parishioners to give financially to your church.

It’s pretty simple: Just ask them. And when you do, make sure it’s not about the money.

In ChurchMoney, Rev. Michael White and Tom Corcoran—award-winning authors of the bestselling book Rebuilt—will help you learn the basic skills you need to discover that true success in raising funds comes from the incredibly freeing approach that connects giving to discipleship.

The two share stories of success and failure during their twenty years leading the Church of the Nativity in Timonium, Maryland. They tell you what they learned to meet the real financial challenges of their mission. And they offer the practical wisdom and inspiration you need to tackle the thorny matter of raising money in your Catholic parish.

So if giving isn’t about the money, what is it about? Giving is about:

• loving God and serving him;
• loving others and helping them fall in love with their Savior;
• transforming the world little by little through love; and
• the eternal impact we can and need to make with money.

White and Corcoran contend that giving actually glorifies God and attracts others to the Church. Over and over again in scripture, they point out, you’ll find the same, simple point: Giving gladly serves as a key ingredient to the Church’s growth from its very beginning.

White and Corcoran share the lessons, facts, habits, and great ideas they’ve implemented from some of the most successful and vibrant churches in the United States. ChurchMoney offers a proven plan for raising money in parishes. It’s readily adaptable, firmly rooted in the reality of leading a Catholic parish, based on the Bible, and finessed with the best advice of communication professionals.

You will read stories of embarrassing failure and exhilarating success in tripling a budget and running three extraordinarily successful capital campaigns over a ten-year period including a recent campaign leading to the construction of $16 million sanctuary built debt-free. White and Corcoran have increased staff fourfold and significantly raised salaries and increased staff benefits while expanding mission outreach both locally and internationally.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781594719127
Publisher:	Ave Maria Press
Publication date:	09/13/2019
Series:	A Rebuilt Parish Book
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	1,116,511
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Fr. Michael White is a priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, pastor of Church of the Nativity in Timonium, Maryland, and cofounder of Rebuilt—an organization designed to rebuild parishes for growth and health.

White is the coauthor of the bestselling book Rebuilt—which narrates the story of Nativity’s rebirth—Tools for Rebuilding, Rebuilding Your Message, The Rebuilt Field Guide, and ChurchMoney. He is also coauthor of Seriously, God? and the bestselling Messages series for Advent and Lent.

During White’s tenure as pastor at Church of the Nativity, the church has almost tripled in weekend attendance. More importantly, commitment to the mission of the Church has grown, demonstrated by the significant increase of giving, service in ministry, and much evidence of genuine spiritual renewal.

White earned his bachelor’s degree from Loyola University Maryland and his graduate degrees in sacred theology and ecclesiology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

In 2023, White and his lay associate, Tom Corcoran, were honored by Pope Francis with the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Award for outstanding service to Church and Pope.

Tom Corcoran has served Church of the Nativity in Timonium, Maryland, in a variety of roles that give him a unique perspective on parish ministry and leadership. First hired as a youth minister, Corcoran has also served as coordinator of children’s ministry and director of small groups. He is lay associate to the pastor and is responsible for weekend message development, strategic planning, and staff development. Corcoran also is the president of Rebuilt—an organization designed to rebuild parishes for growth and health.

Corcoran is the coauthor of bestselling book Rebuilt—which narrates the story of Nativity’s rebirth—Tools for Rebuilding, Rebuilding Your Message, The Rebuilt Field Guide, and ChurchMoney. He is also coauthor of Seriously, God? and the bestselling Messages series for Advent and Lent.

In 2023, Corcoran and Fr. Michael White were honored by Pope Francis with the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Award for outstanding service to Church and Pope.

Table of Contents

Introduction vii

Part I Money and Our Parish

1 When It Came to Money, We Were a Mess 3

2 Christ Is King, but Cash Is Crucial: 5 Facts We've Discovered 13

3 Losing Our Why I Losing Our Way: 5 Insights We've Gained 29

Part II The Bible, Money, and Our Parish

4 Jesus on Money: 6 Lessons We've Learned 41

5 God's Guide for Giving: 5 Rules We Try to Live By 61

6 Giving and Church Growth: 10 Principles We've Adopted 75

Part III Asking for Money in Our Parish

7 Raising Givers: 9 Steps We Take 95

8 Engaging High-Capacity Givers: 9 Great Ideas We Stole 113

9 What We Learned from Our Capital Campaign: 14 Recommendations We Endorse 133

Conclusion: It's Not about the Money 161

Appendix A Money in the New Testament: 77 Passages You Should Know 165

Appendix B Getting Started: 6 People Who Can Help 175

Appendix C Preaching It: 3 Homilies You Can Make Your Own 179

Appendix D Stewardship Sunday: 5 Tips You Can Use 197

Appendix E How We Do It: 3 Video Resources You Can Watch 201

References and Resources 203

Rebuilt Resources 205

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“I love this book! Fr. Michael White and Tom Corcoran offer a powerful reminder that it is not what God wants from us but what God wants for us by connecting money to building our relationship with God, to our parish community, and to those we seek to bring into a personal and ongoing encounter with Christ.” —Bill Baird, Former CFO for the Archdiocese of Baltimore

“The genius of ChurchMoney is in the authenticity and generosity of Fr. Michael White and Tom Corcoran in sharing their real experiences and learning. They provide a trustworthy compass to help pastors and parish teams focus on what is most important in the funding of our parishes.” —Fr. Thom Mahoney, Pastor of New Roads Catholic Community, Belmont, Massachusetts

“This book is such a blessing. As a pastor seeking to change culture, sow mission, and build vision, I found ChurchMoney a tremendous help bringing together various elements of parish finances: culture, education of the community, cultivation of donors, hints for fundraising, along with the authors’ personal insights. Scriptural references, spiritual and pragmatic guidelines, and practical steps guided me to a new level of comfort and confidence in understanding and approaching money as a tool to help us in the making of disciples.” —Msgr. Robert J. Jaskot, Pastor of the Pastorate of Saint Francis–Saint Mary–Holy Family, Middletown, Maryland