Daily Devotional

The Old Farmer’s Almanac considers the Dog Days to be the 40 days beginning July 3rd and ending August 11th each year. This is soon after the Summer Solstice in late June, which also tends to be the beginning of the worst of summer’s heat. Of course here in Fresno, it seems the Dog Days of Summer can extend well into October. It’s HOT!
 
I’ve been a pastor for 30 years in churches in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and California. And in every church I’ve served, there have always been dips in giving during the summer. In the church they could be referred to as the “Dog Days of Summer”. The summer is a stressful time for many pastors. I hated hearing the numbers after each Sunday during July and August because I knew that each week we were slipping more and more behind budget. And no pastor wants to be operating behind budget.
 
What was the reason for the drop in giving? A drop in attendance. Summer is a time where a lot of families go on vacation, go to sporting events, and even family reunions. These are all good things, but nonetheless, they can distract church members from regular attendance, and thus regular giving.
 
And let’s face it, when you’re lying on a beach next to the ocean on a beautiful Sunday, it’s easy to forget about church. But even though you may have temporarily forgotten about it, the life of the church goes on. And God calls you and I to give.
 
2 Corinthians 9:6–8
⁶ Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
⁷ Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
⁸ And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;
 
And just because it’s the Dog Days, and attendance is down, it doesn’t mean giving has to go down as well. Because, as you know, there are still ministries to fund, electric bills to pay, and staff salaries to provide.
 
Have you heard of online giving? It’s a way to give to the Lord’s work at our church even when you’re not here to put your tithe in the offering bag. What’s interesting is, giving online can actually lead to an increase in a church’s summer giving, rather than a decline. Why is this the case? Because when you give to the Lord’s work online, you can give at times other than Sunday mornings. You can be sitting on a beach, home sick in bed, or even on a business trip.

If you are interested in knowing more about online giving at Campus Bible Church, just click this link: campusbiblechurch.com/give

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