Around the country, most
pastors and church realize that their people are not living up to their
giving potential, but they are often uncertain on how they can change the
tide of lackluster giving.
While conducting national research and also speaking
for a 10-city stewardship seminar tour with pastors and church leaders from
more than 50 denominations, I learned that nearly 90% of seminaries,
denominations, and churches do NOT have an active plan to teach their people
a Biblical perspective to finances and generosity, Lilly Research studies
also showed that 85% of pastors surveyed nationwide indicated they felt
uncomfortable and unequipped to preach and teach on a Biblical perspective
to money and giving.
Scripture says, that "without vision, people perish."
In this low tide of Biblical teaching, American Christians have certainly
been perishing in their generosity habits. Instead of living and giving
generously from God's many blessings on their lives, many American
Christians have adopted worldly financial habits that have led to
materialistic lifestyles and increasing financial bondage through easy
consumer credit, high end mortgages, home equity loans, 60-month car loans,
and a record number of bankruptcies. This has led to a 30 year decline in
the percentage of income that American Christians give to churches,
missions, and ministries! Larry Burkett once shared with me that he felt
that only about 5% of Christians actively gave 10% or more of their income
to the Lord's work.
But while churches, pastors, denominations, and
seminaries have been strangely silent on this subject for many years; the
Scriptures are rich with God's truth on this subject. There are more than
2,350 verses on finances and possessions. When we effectively plan to
preach and teach Biblical truth on financial and generosity matters, we're
on solid ground. When we teach on this subject we join a "Who's Who" list
of Biblical leaders who addressed these matters during their generation,
including Moses, David, Solomon, Hezekiah, Haggai, Nehemiah, Malachi, Jesus,
Paul and James.
So, how can you effectively and specifically address
generosity teaching in your church with an effective generosity emphasis,
annual stewardship campaign, or capital project? Here are 5 lessons
I've learned from working with many churches to launch generosity teaching
that leads to transformed lives and greater giving:
1) ALL-CHURCH EMPHASIS:
Make generosity teaching an all-church emphasis. Do you know why tens of
thousands of churches benefited from Rick Warren's 40 Days of Purpose? It
is because everyone in the church was involved in a common focus based on
basic Biblical truths.
2) BIBLICAL MATERIALS SENT TO EVERY
ACTIVE HOUSEHOLD:
Use written generosity materials that are mailed to everyone in the church.
Most pastors indicate that generosity teaching from the pulpit "feels too
self serving" to be done effectively. Use of proven materials that take
people through daily Bible readings on generosity will allow the Spirit of
God work in people's hearts and homes and will be much easier on the pastor
to endorse. Mailing Biblical devotional materials to each home will allow
you to make sure that everyone gets the same information, and not only those
who happened to be in church on Sunday and were willing to stop by and pick
up the material.
3) FAMILY FRIENDLY MATERIALS:
Look for Biblical generosity materials that husbands and wives can read
together or that can be easily used by the whole family. Many children have
no idea of their parent's giving philosophies and practices. Going through
Biblical generosity readings and exercises as a couple or family can help
shape giving practices for years to come (and even for future generations)!
4) SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS:
Invite Sunday School classes or small groups to use questions from the
material for part of their time together or as their curriculum for several
weeks. Small group discussions related to tBiblical generosity teaching
will allow those who are much more mature in this area of their Christian
life to share encouragement, testimonies, and personal stories of God's
faithfulness with others that have not really begun to be faithful Christian
givers. Couples and families can also use discussion questions to open up
meaningful talks about financial priorities and giving to the Lord's work at
their church and beyond.
5) GENEROSITY ASSESSMENT TOOLS:
Use material that invites people to Biblically assess their giving habits in
light of all their income sources, lifestyle choices, personal assets, and
current giving practices. Most generosity materials, only focus on
people giving from their salary, but ignores a more holistic view of living
and giving generously from EVERYTHING the Lord has entrusted to them to
steward for His glory.
If we're going to see the generosity tide rise in
people's lives and in our churches, it is up to each of us to do whatever we
can to help advance Biblical financial teaching among our generation that is
currently being shipwrecked by wrong financial choices and a drought of
Biblical generosity teaching.
Suggested
resources to review and consider for an all-church generosity initiative:
"A 40 Day
Spiritual Journey to a More Generous Life" - Daily Bible
readings with generosity verses and quotes, weekly generosity assessment
tools, and small group or family discussion questions to help take everyone
in your congregation to greater levels of joyful generosity. Basic
devotional version OR a building campaign version available in a
downloadable format. For more info, go to:
www.MAXIMUMgenerosity.org
"The Treasure Principle" - A small booklet and
video that teaches people an eternal perspective to their giving. For more
info, go to: www.crown.org
"33 Laws of Stewardship" - A hard cover workbook
and teaching materials. For more info, go to:
www.injoy.org
"Generous Church Toolkit" - Helpful materials to
advance generosity teaching in churches. For more info, go to:
www.generousgiving.org
"National Report: 45
Best Generosity Practices of Leading Churches" - Helpful resource
guide and websites to help any church initiate effective and proven
financial teaching and generosity practices.
www.MAXIMUMgenerosity.org/1NatlReport.htm
Click here to send this material to others
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Brian Kluth is a national and international speaker and writer
on Biblical generosity and financial matters.
He is the author of a "40 Day Spiritual Journey to a More Generous
Life" to help churches everywhere increase Biblical generosity
teaching and giving in their church. He is also a church pastor and the founder of MAXIMUM Generosity, a public ministry dedicated to advancing Biblical generosity through inspirational preaching, leadership training seminars, writing, resources and the media. Brian’s written materials have been distributed to more than 350,000 Christian leaders in more than 100 countries .For additional materials or to contact Brian, email:
bk@kluth.org or visit:
www.kluth.org
© www.kluth.org.
Copyright reprint permission for non-commercial purposes can be purchased for
$20 to photocopy, fax, email or print this materials for 1-25 people, $50 for
distribution to 26-500 people, $75 for 501-999 people, and $100 for distribution to 1000 or more. To
purchase the required reprint permission, go to the
products page on this website (www.kluth.org), call 1-888-443-7407, or email:
bk@kluth.org
