by Shannon Litton

One of the greatest challenges church leaders face today is breaking through the noise of their members’ everyday lives and commitments. It can be disheartening and challenging to feel effective if you are not asking the right question, the right way, at the right time.

Luckily, the key to success is not complicated. Check out these top five ways we believe you can effectively encourage giving and participation to advance your mission. Each provides a megaphone for your missions message!

1. Have a clear call to action.

Too often, we rely solely on transformational stories and inspirational anecdotes to make the ask for us. In doing so, we fall short as our congregation questions, “What exactly do you want me to do with that powerful information?”

That said, remember conversion is dependent on clarity. If your message is clear, your congregation will understand exactly what you are asking them to do and how to do it, in turn leaving no room for question, doubt, or hesitation.

2. Lower the barrier to entry.

It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Show your congregation you understand they are busy and burdened by commitments by allowing them opportunities to be a part of your mission in smaller ways. You can make a more significant impact long term if you engage more of your members on a smaller scale, building on their involvement with bigger asks over time.

For instance, instead of saying “Come on a mission trip,” perhaps host an informational meeting or reception. Rather than ask for a large gift, encourage members to give whatever they can that week, even if that means their time in service to the church. Start small to build big.

3. Consistently reinforce your message.

In this digital age, we interpret thousands of messages throughout our busy day. To avoid information overload, we furiously process through what is heard, and what goes in one ear goes out the other.

You could have an extremely strong campaign and people just miss it. Do not assume if no one responds, no one is interested. Rather be consistent and clear in your communication and ask again. You may feel like you’re being a broken record. But at the point you’re tired of saying the same message, people are just starting to hear and understand it. So don’t be afraid to ask, ask, and ask again.

4. Build advocates.

There are many people who love what you do but may not think about sharing their part in your story unless asked and equipped to do so. When others return from a day of serving or a trip overseas, create easy ways for them to be your voice to support your mission.

So long as you make it accessible for your supporters to advocate for you, you’ll be surprised how happy and open they are to introducing your ministry and mission to their friends.

5. Focus on the “why” and not the “how.”

We live in the details of the how—“how we serve,” “how much it costs,” “how long it will take,” etc. But people make heart decisions based on the “why” not the “how.” Be sure to explain the fundamental purpose to your call to action and others will be more inclined to work through the details to make it happen.

Once you have mastered all of these tips and tricks, the real key to success is shedding the fear of the ask. If you have all of the resources and messaging in place to make a clear, consistent call to action, don’t stand in your own way by forgetting to turn up the volume and get your message heard. If you never ask for big dreams to come true, they never will.

Shannon Litton is president of 5by5, a  full-service marketing and digital agency headquartered in Nashville, TN. 5by5serves change makers, those who work where life change happens. Their strategic services include communications plans, websites, mobile apps, ad campaigns, and fundraising initiatives. The Case Study: Amazima Ministries illustrates their vision for consistent messaging.