Many of you who take care of church finances and those of you who are responsible for church stewardship are already thinking about sending statements in January.
I just set up January 8 and 13 for our annual Live Statements Briefing via Zoom -- register here. I also just reviewed our excellent Knowledge Base article on How to send out giving statements. So, those are ready to go.
We have many KB articles to help with cover letters and other common questions, but I wanted to think for just a moment about a few fresh ways to think about sending statements in 2026. Here are the three I came up with. See if any of them resonate with where you are as a church.
1. A Gratitude Pause - "Simple Thanks"
From this perspective giving statements are sent with zero requests for anything. There's no message about completing a goal, meeting a budget, or pursuing a new project. Instead, the cover letter of the statement recognizes the demands and solicitations of the previous month and simply says "thank you."
We live in a world that is constantly asking people for more, especially at the end of a year. A message in the new year that simply says "thank you for what you did last year" stands out as different and builds immense relational equity.
2. A Discipleship Opportunity - "Growing Heart"
Money is a leading indicator of where someone's heart is (Matthew 6:21). This discipleship-focused perspective of giving statements gives a pastor the opportunity to remind people of this spiritual principle.
The goal is to help people view giving not as a bill to pay, but as a spiritual discipline that shapes a heart toward full devotion to Jesus. When people see their giving history in that light, the giving statement becomes more than a tax document—it becomes a snapshot of their journey of obedience and trust.
You can gently invite them to pray and reflect on what their giving says about their priorities, to celebrate God’s faithfulness over the past year, and to consider how He might be calling them to grow in generosity in the year ahead.
3. A Trust Bridge - "Early Bird"
This is the "early bird" view of sending statements. The idea is to send them out during the first two weeks of the month. Doing so not only exceeds the expectations of people in your church, it also clearly communicates that your church is administratively competent.
Timely, accurate statements show your people that the church is well managed, efficient, and a careful steward of their information. They build confidence that the finance team is attentive and organized, which in turn encourages future generosity.
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