Blog to help bring your church's vision to life.

Grow member engagement, reach your audience and increase giving.

thank you note to a church congregation

Church Giving Letters Thank You Message to Church Members: A Note of Gratitude Writing a thank you note to church members isn't always at the top of to-do lists for pastors, clergy or church office officials, but it's necessary.

Fundraising-Ideas-for-Churches-Blog-Red Heart in Painted Square n Wood

Fundraising Top 114 Fundraising Ideas for Churches in 2025 Today, church fundraiser ideas must be both creative and effective. There are many heartwarming stories of communities joining together to help local …

Matt Strelecki

Matt Strelecki

Matt, Vice President of Customer Success at Vanco, brings a pastor’s heart and deep understanding of church leadership to his work. With years of pastoral experience, he knows firsthand the challenges churches face in engaging members and growing generosity. At Vanco, Matt uses that insight to guide churches in adopting digital tools that strengthen ministry impact and foster lasting growth. He’s passionate about equipping leaders with practical solutions that save time, deepen connections, and help churches thrive in today’s digital landscape.

Posts by Matt Strelecki

Automatic church system on a laptop

5 Steps to Create an Effective Automated Church System You probably didn’t get into ministry to spend your days chasing down RSVPs or manually updating spreadsheets. But now, you’re managing calendars, …

Church leaders talking about stewardship ministry

How to Foster Stewardship Ministry in New Churches Starting a new church comes with its fair share of challenges, but one of the most important is often overlooked – building a strong stewardship …

Church tithing basket representing what Christian stewardship is

What Is Christian Stewardship? Core Concepts Explained Christian stewardship goes beyond giving and includes how you live each day. The answer to the question, “What is Christian stewardship?” extends …

Image representing a good stewardship of money

Good Stewardship of Money: A Pillar of Church Financial Health Money isn’t the heart of the church, but let’s be honest: it keeps the lights on, supports ministry and fuels outreach. Good stewardship of money is …

Financial stewardship tools

Financial Stewardship: Best Practices for Churches Financial stewardship is about handling your church’s resources with care, integrity and a clear sense of purpose. It’s ensuring every donation and …

Church leaders in a meeting about ministry leadership

Ministry Leadership: A Guide Through Digital Donation Tools Being a church leader today means more than preaching and guiding your congregation. With so much happening online, even generosity has gone digital. …

Church leaders looking at church attendance trends and statistics

2025 Church Attendance Trends: Unveiling U.S. Membership and Service Statistics Across the U.S., church attendance statistics paint a concerning picture: church membership decline continues, with fewer Americans attending weekly …

Church media team

Building an Effective Church Media Team What if your church’s most powerful ministry tool wasn’t the pulpit, but the camera lens? In today’s digital age, a church media team isn’t just …

Pastor taking notes on how to write a sermon

The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Great Sermon: From Preparation to Powerful Delivery Did you know that 68 percent of people choose a church based on the preaching? That means learning how to write a sermon and how to write a sermon …

Thriving church filled with happy church goers

Unmistakable Signs of a Thriving Church and the Strategies They Use If your church mission is to build a thriving church, you need more than good intentions; you need a strategy. Key church engagement principles …

Volunteer leading a church volunteer management meeting

Mastering Church Volunteer Management: Essential Tips to Schedule and Empower Your Volunteers Imagine this: It's Sunday morning and half your church service teams are missing. The volunteer database looks full, yet no one shows up for their …

Computer with

Recurring Giving: The Secret to More Church Funding Without Asking for More Here's a wild stat: Recurring church givers donate twice as much annually as non-recurring givers. That's from a giving study of 25,000 U.S. …

Church members in a meeting about growing a church from 50 to 100 members

Grow Your Church from 50 to 100 Members: Proven Strategies for Growth Most churches never break past 50 members. They stall, struggle with volunteer recruitment and watch attendance decline. But it doesn’t have to be …

Image of church small groups during service

Your Church Needs Small Groups (Here’s Why) Sunday services are great, but they’re not enough. If you want people to grow in faith, build real Christian fellowship and actually feel connected, …

Church leaders talking about reaching the unchurched

Reaching the Unchurched: What the Data Says (and How to Act on It) Imagine walking into a church for the first time in years. You don’t know the songs, the customs feel foreign and you’re unsure if you belong. This …

A couple filling out a church membership form

Download Comprehensive Church Membership Form & Church Member Information Form Templates New members walk through your doors every week. But are you keeping them engaged? A well-structured church membership application form can make all …

Painting of disciples

Comprehensive Guide to Discipleship Training: Equipping Church Leaders to Develop High-End Disciples Are you tired of discipleship programs that just don't cut it? Then it's time for a change. Our no-nonsense guide to discipleship training delivers …

Image showing characteristics of a discipleship today

The Must-Have Characteristics of a Disciple (And How to Develop Them Today) It started with twelve. Twelve ordinary men, including fishermen, a tax collector and a zealot; each with their own weaknesses and doubts and yet, …

Group of people talking about how to start a church

Thinking About Starting a Church? Here’s What You Need to Know to Do It Effectively (And Legally) You have a vision for a church that changes lives. But before you hold your first service, there are realities to tackle: church incorporation, …

Church leaders in a church communications strategy meeting

Struggling to Connect? This Church Communication Strategy Works!

Photo of a lead pastor

Everything You Need to Know About the Role of a Lead Pastor Lead pastor isn’t just a title — it’s a calling that blends spiritual leadership organizational strategy and community impact. Whether you’re …