Sometimes the simplest things are the most revolutionary . The details we overlook have the power to change worlds . Think about the influence contained in a simple smile , an encouraging word , or a heartfelt thank-you . These niceties can bring down the staunchest defenses . They make people trust us and want to engage with us . No wonder mothers around the globe teach their children to mind their manners . Please and thank you really are the magic words . So why do we forget the significance of a simple thank-you as we grow older ? For one , we are steeped in a culture that neglects thankfulness . Even within the church , we neglect thankfulness . This neglect leads to a spiral of self-centeredness and selfish attitudes . But perhaps even more importantly for us as church leaders , it robs us of the opportunity to continue fostering a spirit of generosity .
A Powerful Lesson in Simplicity
I learned the power of a simple thank-you shortly after I gave my life to Christ as a college student in North Carolina . I was trying to uncover all I could about my new faith , and as part of that journey I started listening to Chuck Swindoll on the radio . One day , I decided I would send a gift to the Swindoll ministry . But remember I was a college kid , so it wasn ’ t any grand donation , just a token of gratitude for what I had been learning from the radio ministry . I wrote my meager twenty-dollar check , stuck it in an envelope , and sent it off .
Guess what showed up in my mailbox a week or so later ? A thank-you note from Chuck Swindoll . More specifically , a thank-you note that told me how my money was being used and an envelope for me to give again . They even included a little book for me to read . I was impressed . I felt a sense of satisfaction knowing my gift had been received and it was being put to good use , which gave me an inclination to continue being generous with their ministry .
Let ’ s fast-forward a couple of decades and contrast that experience with an all-toocommon first-time giving experience within the church . Recently , I received an email blast from a church with which I ’ m familiar . I decided to go online and give a small gift . The online giving process went smoothly , but once I had given , I didn ’ t receive any correspondence . Nothing . Not even an email telling me the transaction had been processed . Certainly no thank-you note . I actually had to check my credit card statement a couple of weeks later to make sure the transaction had gone through . After a couple of months , I did receive a giving statement from the church — a plain , printed giving statement in a windowed envelope . When it first showed up in my mailbox , I thought it was a bill .
As I moved through college , then seminary , and eventually became a young church leader , the Swindoll experience stayed with me . I remember asking myself , “ Why can ’ t we do this in the church ? When people give for the first time , isn ’ t it only right to thank them ?”
An effective plan for follow-up underscores and enhances your entire stewardship system in several ways . First of all , the simple yet revolutionary act of sending someone a thankyou note provides reassurance that his gift has been received and is appreciated , and it gives insight into how that gift is being used . Second , using follow-up to cast a vision and educate people gives you yet another avenue for training
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