From One to Many. What we heard, what we learned, why it matters.
As ARC celebrated 25 years of equipping and launching churches, this year's conference felt less like an event and more like a family gathering centered around a movement. We came to listen. We left refreshed, challenged, and grateful.
It wasn't just conference content people came for. It was community.
Veteran churches carry hard-earned wisdom. Newer planters show up with notebooks open. That exchange is one of ARC's greatest strengths. Leaders learning from the stage, but just as often in hallway conversations, over coffee, in the honest peer-to-peer moments where people share what's actually worked.
Three things we heard. Repeatedly.
As a vendor attending without a booth, our goal wasn't to demo. It was to listen. We spent time with executive pastors, finance leaders, and operators carrying both the mission and the mechanics of growing churches. Clear themes emerged.
Cost transparency matters more than ever
Leaders shared they didn't realize what they were paying. Then bills crept up. Added features. New markups. Pricing structures they didn't fully understand upfront. Clear pricing helps churches steward resources with confidence.
Transparency · StewardshipSwitching providers feels too risky
Multiple churches described running into major obstacles around accessing or moving donor data. They feared losing momentum with givers if they tried to leave. Donor relationships should never feel owned by a platform.
Data Ownership · Donor TrustSystems need to work together
As churches scale, disconnected tools create friction. Leaders want giving solutions that integrate cleanly with their ChMS. Not just for convenience, but for accuracy, reporting, and donor communication. Less admin. More ministry.
Integrations · Operations"Generosity and financial operations have to work hand in hand. Stewardship is spiritual, yes. But it's also operational. And the systems supporting generosity should reflect that."
Mandy Pratt · My WellHealthy systems remove friction from generosity.
As churches grow, trust isn't built on vision alone. It's built through clarity, accuracy, and consistency in how finances are handled and communicated. The conversations at ARC reinforced something we've believed for a while. Technology isn't the point, but it can quietly carry the mission of the local church.
What we're leaving Charleston with.
The Church is still innovating
Optimism in Charleston was real. Leaders aren't just surviving challenges. They're actively sharing ideas, refining approaches, and helping one another build healthier ministries.
Peer learning is the resource
Some of the best insights weren't from a keynote. They came from leaders swapping stories and sharing what they'd learned the hard way.
Stewardship conversations are evolving
Fees, data ownership, integrations, long-term financial systems. These aren't just operational concerns anymore. They're becoming key stewardship priorities.
Wisdom multiplies when leaders gather
From one conversation to many. From one church to many. From one "yes" to thousands impacted. That was the heartbeat of ARC 2026.
Wondering what church giving looks like without the surprise fees?
Founded in 2009, My Well Ministry is a faith-based nonprofit technology organization pioneering a new approach to generosity, one defined by return on ministry. In a space historically shaped by transactional models, My Well exists to help churches and faith-based nonprofits reclaim more of every gift through purpose-built giving and processing solutions that reduce the cost of generosity and redirect resources toward mission. With a deep commitment to stewardship, transparency, and second-mile service, My Well partners with organizations nationwide to ensure that every gift carries greater impact in advancing the Kingdom.
one
to many.
