ABCs: Annual Blessing of Charitable receipts - Part 3, Thank-you letters
This is the third post in a series on turning the chore of annual receipts into a blessing.
Part 1 was getting the donor information right, part 2 was getting the gift information right. Churches too often stop there (or don’t even get that far!) The goal is both accurate and grateful communication. The letter offers an opportunity to thank God for people’s contributions.
Let’s dive into gratitude and then create a sample thank-you letter.
Why send a thank-you letter?
There is no need to send a thank-you letter if you don’t care whether or not the donor gives again. That’s the fundraising angle, but to me this is a theological question.
If you’re not grateful to God for the person’s contribution to your church, why is that?
Each donation tells a story. Someone cares enough about your organization to send money. Your ministry is that important to them.
Jesus sits in the temple, watching how much money people put in the treasury. He and his disciples discuss people’s contributions, and he commends the sacrificial giving of the widow. The Scriptures record the widow’s generosity because Jesus and his disciples are paying attention to who gave. Jesus talks about money; we can too!
Gratitude as pink spray paint?
Is it possible to write a thank-you letter when you’re feeling angry, sad and anxious? Yes. The psalmist sings God’s praises even in difficult times. Job proclaims “I know that my redeemer liveth” and he also lets God have it about the pain of his situation. People of faith can carry multiple emotions at once. Or maybe God can carry us when we are spilling over with all sorts of emotions.
Gratitude used as pink spray paint to cover over all the pain and messiness of the world doesn’t ring true. Focusing on the pain, heartbreak and injustice all around while neglecting the signs of hope, acts of kindness and joyful service isn’t honest either. We can be grateful amid brokenness.
For people of faith, gratitude runs deeper than our circumstances (1 Thess 5:18). Christians run into trouble when we measure God’s goodness and mercy by our current mood.
Writing the letter
You can do this! This section includes:
· Springboard sentences to get started
· Steps: the spiritual journey of writing a thank-you letter
· Example: based on a small, struggling two-point charge
Your letter doesn’t need to sound like my examples, it needs to sound like you! If you would normally say “Praise Jesus!” then say that.
Grammar and proper writing style doesn’t matter as much as that little voice in your head tells you it does.
Quick tips
A classic opening line
I swiped this one from the Apostle Paul:
I praise the Lord for the generous gifts people gave to St. Andrew’s in 2021.
I thank God for the generous gifts given to St. George’s this past year.
I thank God for your gift to St. Andrew’s church. It is a blessing and an encouragement to know that you care about this ministry.
Building blocks
Rebekah Basinger shared a letter she wrote for her congregation which included two wonderful sentences that could be building blocks for any letter.
Thanks to the generosity of God’s people, Grace church was able to <insert list of ministry highlights here>
Thank you for reflecting God’s generosity by <giving, sharing talents, praying, volunteering…>
Closing
If you have liturgy or words of blessing familiar to your congregation, go for it. Here are some suggestions:
Thank you for your prayerful support of Grace church, it is deeply appreciated.
Thanks be to God for gifts given and shared.
The Spiritual journey of writing a thank-you letter
A Christian thank-you letter points to God, the creator of all good things. Thank you is recognizing God’s goodness. Financial generosity, people sharing the resources God has entrusted to them, is worth celebrating.
Start by looking outside yourself
Remember, the letter points to God; orient yourself in that direction. Some resources include:
· Psalms. Any and all. Keep reading the next one too. Even the saddest songs of lament move to praise.
· Lectionary. Type Lectionary 2022 into a search engine and find the Scripture readings closest to the current date.
· Devotional reading. There are many. Henri Nouwen Society is a favourite of mine.
Review the year that was
Think of this as lectio divina of the church calendar. Reflect on the year your church has had. Be honest in telling both the pain and the joy. The stories in your letter do not have to be big stories, they just have to be real stories.
What gives you hope? What are three things you are thankful for this year? Some examples:
Zoom youth group
online Bible study
telephone prayer chain
worship service in the park
food bank
meals delivered to new parents
contributions to wider church
Where did you see kindness and mercy? How did your congregation love each other? How did you care for the community? How did you stay connected with the wider church? How has God blessed your congregation?
Write the letter
Use some of the sentences in the quick tips section as prompts.
Rev. Hernandez writes a thank-you letter
St. Andrew’s Church has 25 members. There used to be 27, two members have died in the past year. It has been a difficult year. Rev. Hernandez also ministers at St. George’s 50 miles away. His 2011 minivan knows the road between the two churches well!
Rev. Hernandez looks at the lectionary and is inspired by the Nehemiah reading.
In reviewing the year, he is grateful for the prayers of the congregation. Some people at St. Andrew’s still write letters too and he knows that cards and letters of encouragement nurture many.
He writes:
Dear Mrs. Padua,
I thank God for your gift to St. Andrew’s church. It is a blessing and an encouragement to know that you care about this ministry.
It’s been a difficult year, no question. We can’t gather in the same way, and we miss our fellowship suppers.
This year St. Andrew’s lost Mrs. Alton. She had worshipped with this congregation for almost 70 years. It’s hard to imagine the church without her. In the lectionary reading for this week, I was struck by “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). It reminds me of her. The joy of the Lord was her strength. She loved to sing songs about Jesus, and she prayed for this church every day.
When I start to worry about the future of the church, I think of Mrs. Alton. I know God heard those prayers; they are not lost. Many in the congregation pray together online and some by telephone. I am grateful for the faithful prayers which have carried us through a burdensome year. We have hope.
Hope isn’t about keeping the building open. Hope isn’t about keeping St. Andrew’s going just like it’s always been. Hope is bigger and less predictable. Thy will be done, thy kingdom come. What does that mean? The Spirit is not done with us yet.
We are still going to worship God, whether that’s online, here in town or in a different place.
The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 5 (The Message):
We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how trouble can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue keeping us alert for whatever God will do next.
I thank God for your generosity and for the many cards and letters of encouragement this congregation shares.
In Christian love,
Rev. J. Hernandez
Make it your own
Go ahead and edit the example letter to make it your own. Remove the awkward bits and add parts that sound better!
Blessings to you as you embark on the Annual Blessing of Charitable Receipts.
If you missed part 1 and part 2, go to www.lgreesor.com and scroll down to Featured Posts.
If you liked this post, you’ll enjoy my book Growing a Generous Church: A Year in the Life of Peach Blossom Church which is a hopeful and easy-to-read story for churches who are scared to talk about money!