In a recent post about fundraising in Catholic parishes, I wrote about the need for parish leaders to ask for money and not just assume that the funds will arrive on their own. I went so far as to say that the culture of “pray, pay, and obey” is no longer a valid stewardship strategy in the 21st century.
Even though I advocate for being bold and asking, that “ask” needs to be coupled with two vital components:
- Metrics
- Stories
Parishioners who take their giving seriously want to ensure their funds are creating a real impact. They want to know that the organization they support—in this case, your parish—is doing something good with the money they provide.
This is where metrics and stories come into play. I want to delve into stories in this article, as I’ve discussed metrics previously.
It’s important to have metrics in your toolkit when talking about the impact of your parish, but metrics only tell part of the story. As important as numbers are, they don’t move people emotionally in the same way that stories do.
When someone shares why their faith is important to them, or how Mass or a specific sacrament impacted their life, it “opens up” the metrics to show the real human impact. Yes, we served hundreds of people this year—but tell me how those hundreds of people were changed by what the parish does.
Years ago, I witnessed something at a non-denominational evangelical church that stopped me in my tracks. My wife and I were at their Sunday service and learned there were going to be several baptisms. Prior to the baptisms, they showed a short video testimony for each person, where they shared exactly why they wanted to be baptized.
My wife and I were so touched by their stories that by the time they were actually baptized, we felt their energy and passion for their faith. It was a powerful, emotional moment.
I realized then that these are the types of stories Catholic parishes need to capture. I’m not saying they must be shown prior to the sacraments (that would make for a very long Easter Vigil!), but we should capture these testimonies to be shared on websites, social media, as part of the annual finance report, or even before Mass begins on a random Sunday.
If you are looking for a place to start, here are some video testimony ideas that answer the question: “Why is what the parish is doing important to you?”
- An adult receiving the sacraments at the Easter Vigil
- A teen receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation
- Parents asking for their infant to be baptized
- A second grader receiving First Reconciliation and First Communion
- An elderly parishioner who depends on the parish for community
- A teen involved in youth ministry or a child in faith formation
There are many more testimonies waiting to be captured in your parish. The point is to make capturing these stories routine—building it into the program so they can be used to show the impact your parish is having on the faith lives of the community.
Next time you decide to ask for donations, you will have “video proof” of your impact and why every dollar makes a difference. I absolutely guarantee that this will transform your fundraising and stewardship efforts.
