How Your Church can Champion Local Economy Recovery
Project Vision
The Canadian economy is facing its most significant upheaval in a century. Locally owned businesses around the country are at risk of closing their doors permanently. Local business makes our communities run. They pay salaries and taxes, support community events and sponsor sports teams. They are where we go to make our memories.
As COVID restrictions are relaxed, those same businesses need our support in recovery in the same way that they have supported our communities time and time again. We are coordinating a spending kickstart at a local level. This is a non-partisan, non-political initiative intended to benefit communities across Canada.
Leading Influence is launching a community initiative called, "The Big Spend." The Big Spend is about challenging Canadians to spend on purpose in a locally owned business on July 25. It's a collaborative effort that includes churches, chambers of commerce, business associations, etc. partnering together to leverage their networks and support a crucial sector of our national economy.
This investment in real lives during this challenging time will have a tremendous impact. It's something we can do. It's something we should do to help rebuild our communities in a big way.
The plan is for local churches is twofold:
1) We are giving you advance notice so that you can be ahead of the curve in your community and be sharing this with community business groups (chambers of commerce, business associations, service clubs, Local/Provincial Governments), BEFORE they hear about it from their respective provincial agencies. Offer this to them as a resource to support their local economic recovery initiatives. We will provide email copy that you can personalize for the context and put on your own letterhead. Access to our resources will be available on our website that goes live on June 19.
2) Share this with your church with a strong encouragement to actively participate on July 25. This is more than another ‘thing’ to do. Make bringing a blessing to locally-owned businesses part of your church’s mission this summer. Promote it on your church and personal social media pages. The Big Spend will provide social media images and icons that can be easily shared.
FIVE benefits for Pastors/Churches
Your Church will be seen at the forefront of doing something good for your community.
You'll be regarded as a community partner/leader.
You'll gain the respect and appreciation of the business community because you championed their cause.
Leaders and influencers will begin to think about you differently and view you as strategic, maybe even essential, to the nation's recovery.
It will open opportunities to speak into other aspects of what happens in your community because you’ve earned the right to sit at the influencer table.
Our goal is to generate a $100 Million spend on July 25, 2020 through this initiative.
How The Big Spend Works:
Make a Purchase
On July 25, be part of the Big Spend by making an intentional purchase at a local small business of your choice.
Top Up the Toonie Tank*
Add your name to our BigSpend.com “Toonie Tank” from your mobile device (add first name, $ spend range, and first 3 letters of postal code.
Spread the News
Tell your story or share photos of supporting small business on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram using hashtag #BigSpendCanada, or by emailing your story to mystory@thebigspend.com
Key Dates:
June 12 - The Big Spend FB page goes live.
June 19 - www.thebigspend.com goes live
Promo Collateral – (social media, promo-video, etc.) will be available when the site goes live.
The Big Spend happens on July 25.
For more information, use the contact information provided above.
Bob Jones is the founder of REVwords.com, an author, blogger, and coach with 39 years of pastoral experience. Bob is also an Advance Coach with the ABNWT Resource Centre. You can connect with Bob here.