In a culture that is more focused on taking, giving is a powerful act of kindness and can make a generous impact on a church and community. But how do you share about giving in a way that connects with your audience and reflects God's heart? In this episode, Jessica Moore shares valuable insight on how to overcome fears and hesitations by viewing Biblical stewardship in a healthy way.
Misconception about Increased Giving and Growing Generosity
Let's be honest. It can be uncomfortable talking about generosity when you don't know how to approach the conversation. A common misconception within the church today is that talking about money feels taboo. One way to alleviate this is to be strategic in your communication. Try rallying around your why and explain the impact generosity can unleash when your members give to support the needs of the community and the church. Share your vision with your congregation and explain how their giving contribution will play a part in supporting the church and community.
Giving doesn’t just impact the receiver but is also important for the giver too. When you invite your congregation into the needs of your church, you are giving them the opportunity to be a blessing, surrender their control, and trust God with their finances. The act of giving is a way to express gratitude to God and take steps of faith.
It may take some mental adjustments to overcome these two misconceptions, but starting to change our view as church leaders will only make it easier to increase the generosity culture within your congregations.
Steps to Increase Generosity in Your Church
1. Share Frequently About Giving and How to Give
Whether it's an announcement from stage or your weekly emailer, mentioning opportunities to give frequently is one way to encourage your members to be faithful stewards of their finances.
2. Encourage Reoccurring Giving
For your givers, reoccurring giving is easy to set up and easy to remember. In addition, it provides automatic faithfulness for the giver by allowing them to set up their giving online. This also allows the church to budget and plan accordingly.
3. Understand Your Giving Tools and Software.
By having a good understanding of your digital giving tools and software, you can better communicate and teach your congregation how to use this too. This will allow you to help with unique situations and assist those within your congregation.
Being Thoughtful About Giving
Many church leaders would say giving feels more like an afterthought than something that is strategically planned. So how do you avoid this and approach giving with a healthy mindset of generosity and stewardship?
One way to avoid making giving an afterthought in the church is to include it as a regular and intentional part of the worship service. This can be done by setting aside time for an offering, discussing the importance of giving in a sermon or message, and regularly updating the congregation on how their giving is impacting the church's mission and ministries. Everyone wants to be a part of something bigger than themselves. When you can encourage your congregation to give out of a desire to bless others and support the work of the church rather than out of obligation or compulsion, it changes everything.
Another way is by educating people on biblical stewardship. God's heart is generous, giving, and sacrificial. As believers, we are called to imitate Christ even in how we steward our money. Giving can be a way to worship God and honor Him. Participating in a moment of giving is as sacred as a moment of worship. By encouraging giving, we can worship God with our faithfulness, obedience, and biblical stewardship.
When giving is a part of our culture and weaved into our mission through how you view giving and biblical stewardship, it becomes easier to talk about with purpose and motivation. When we are intentional about how we talk about giving, it allows us to invite others in and makes it easier for people to give regularly.
Healthy View of Money
How you view money says a lot about where your hearts are. Scripture warns us that the consumption of money can pull our hearts further from God and that we can't serve two masters – God and money. (Matthew 6:24)
Money can be used for good things, but it should never become the ultimate thing. It can be difficult to release our finances into the hands of God, but when we truly see money as a gift and not as something that is our own, it changes everything. By trusting God with our finances, we can break the chains that form in our hearts and see that our money isn't ours, to begin with. Our money belongs to God and is a gift we can steward.
Impact of Technology on Giving
In our world today, we can see that technology has drastically changed giving amongst many churches. No longer are churches relying on cash and checkbooks. In churches today, technology and phones have made giving even easier. Here are a few ways technology has been helpful and even saved and allowed many churches to reopen after 2020.
1. Technology allows for instantaneous obedience.
In moments when you feel prompted by the Holy Spirit to give, you can give. You no longer have to wait for a giving moment. Technology now allows the giver to give a gift in any moment of sensitivity.
2. Technology helps engage younger generations.
How do you engage with a generation that has grown up in a digital age? Meet them right where they are. Millennials and Generation Z are highly adept at using technology to communicate, learn, and socialize. By utilizing technology, like giving via text message, you can reach this generation where they are most comfortable and encourage giving in a way that resonates with them.
3. Technology creates ease for the staff.
Technology tools also make it easier for the church staff because it allows for automated processes that simplify the donation process. It reduces the need for manual data entry by providing streamlined reporting and direct depositing into accounts which can save time and reduce error. Overall digital giving platforms create greater ease for staff.
What is a Healthy Church?
What is a healthy church? Let's go back to the basics. When we look at the New Testament, we can see a clear picture of a healthy church and healthy disciples who aligned with the ways of Jesus. They loved the least of these, put others' needs before their own, and brought honor and glory to God. If the goal is to continually realign your mission and ministry in a way that reflects God's heart, that would be a healthy church.
