When it comes to
giving we want to do more than fund a project, budget or organization. The real objective of sacrificial giving is
to grow disciples, to teach followers of Christ to live lives, like His, of
generosity. Having been created in the
image of God we are by nature givers.
Giving is hard wired into our being and the research indicates that we
are happiest when we give. Part of our
calling is to promote generosity in our churches, not for the gain, but because
it is so good for the people of God.
Here are some
practices that churches can use to teach and motivate strong, long-term,
healthy giving patterns:
1. Develop, teach, and live an understanding
of the Mission of the church as the God-given calling for the church. A
conviction that the church, and therefore these funds, will fulfill God’s
calling is profoundly powerful. Or more
simply put everyone in your congregation needs to be able to explain why you
exist. That statement needs to be
repeated frequently and talked about often.
If your mission statement is small, tepid, weak or selfish your giving
will be as well. A well- developed
mission statement is not a luxury it is a necessity.
2. Tied closely to your mission statement is
authentic excitement and enthusiasm for the church because it is evident that the
will of God for this people, at this time, is being fulfilled. A powerful tool that the church needs to
rediscover is the personal testimony. We
need folks to say, “Here is what God is doing in my life.” People are moved and motivated by stories of
God making a difference in the lives of people they know.
3. A sense of belonging to each other as a
part of the church body.
It
is the Biblical understanding of fellowship, which includes laughing with those
who laugh and crying with those who cry.
It is the commitment of life to each other and includes restorative
discipline, when needed. A part of that
is quality pastoral care from the leadership and minister. There are some calls or visits and conversations
that only leaders should have, but everyone in the church can invest themselves
in the lives of other members.
4. A
direct and honest request from the church leadership to the members on behalf
of the church, for their personal support of the church.
We
treat giving as if it is immoral and unscrupulous. There have been charlatans in ministry and
popular culture and the bias of the media has tried to depict all Christian
ministries as if they were part of PTL.
But the PTL scandal was 30 years ago.
We need to get over it. We have
acted as if we are ashamed of asking people to give. That is not Biblical,
wise, nor effective. If you are doing
what God has called you to do, there is evidence of changed lives, and there is
quality pastoral care, then part of that pastoral care is to ask people to
support the ministry. If the flock knows
beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are loved and cared for, then an honest
and direct visit and request for support is appropriate. But don’t you dare visit and ask for support
if you have not earned that right by faithful pastoral care and leadership.
5. The church leaders must have the
resources to accomplish their task, vision, and calling.
It
may sound odd to say spending promotes giving, but it is true. If the Sunday School classroom is a dump and
is filled with broken cast off and unwanted toys, people will not be motivated
to give for Sunday School. I will answer
once and for all the question about which came first the chicken or the egg as
it relates to ministry or giving. What
comes first is faith. Never forget that under resourced leaders
slip into the survival mode. Your
leaders have to have the resources they need to do their job. If the job is done poorly, you will not see
excitement for giving. This is an
especially difficult balancing act and challenge for in-culture missionaries,
underfunded church planters, small or poor congregations and bi-vocational
ministers.
6. A planning and decision making process
that is transparent, accountable, streamlined, trustworthy, and participatory.
This
relates to the spending decisions in item #5.
People support what they understand, even if they do not agree with all
the details. I strongly recommend a
process where those with responsibility have the authority to spend their
budgets. But those budgets are developed
in public in advance and there is time for comment and review from the
congregation in budget workshops. Let a
leader passionately explain why they will need a given tool in the next fiscal
year. Budget workshops may not be well attended but they provide a moral
framework by which decisions can be made.
Giving is
ultimately about discipleship. Here are
four statements about giving that are developed in healthy giving.
Giving is:
A.
A
statement of loyalty to God. I trust God
more than stuff.
B.
A
statement of love. I love God more than
stuff.
C.
A
statement of faith. I want God’s will
more than my own.
D.
A
statement of humility. Not my will but
God’s will.
No comments:
Post a Comment