1 of 2
 10 Ways to Inspire GenerosityFoster giving in your church.
1 of 2
In our national www.STATEofthePLATE.info survey research among churches, we discovered that giving is declining in 37% of the churches and is flat-lined in another 24%. In this new economic climate, here are 10 ways that pastors and church leaders can inspire generosity and increase giving so their church can focus on thriving instead of just surviving. 1. Intentionally focus on stewardship as a matter of Christian discipleship. If we do not teach our people that Christ is Lord of all, is He really someone's Lord at all? While Christians cannot serve God and money, they must be taught to serve God with their money. Don't preach and teach on finances and giving for institutional survival; aim for transformed lives. No one is born generous. Generosity is something that must be taught and caught. I don't believe the heresy that God wants everyone to be rich, but I do believe that God wants everyone to learn to become more generous with whatever God has given them. 2. Inspire people's generosity through true stories. The Bible is filled with stories of people's generosity—the little boy with the five loaves and two fish, the Macedonians who gave in the midst of their poverty, the former slaves who gave their riches to build the tabernacle, David who shared his wealth to build the temple, the widow that fed Elijah from the little she had, the widow's mite, and many more. But also share true generosity stories from your own life and the lives of those you know. If you need ideas for true stories, check out the 40 true stories in the free eDevotional at www.GiveWithJoy.org or search Google for "stewardship stories, tithing testimonies, generosity illustrations." 3. Include teaching opportunities on generosity and finance in the church worship service and annual calendar. In the worship service, share an offertory verse or video. In your church calendar, consider sending out a daily generosity devotional that couples and families can go through together. Offer financial classes, Sunday school classes, and seminars throughout the year. Put generosity and financial pamphlets or articles in your bulletins, newsletters, lobby literature racks, and giving statement mailings. 4. Ignore the doom-and-gloom, sky-is-falling media headlines. Yes, we live in the midst of some challenging times. But when the headlines say unemployment hits 10%, that means that 90% of our people are working! When the headlines indicate the stock market stumbles, remember that many of our people don't depend on the stock market for their weekly or monthly income. We are not to operate in fear, but in faith in a God who is bigger than the latest media headlines of our day. The reality is that if someone makes more than a $1000 a year, they are richer than 80% of the world's population. We need to teach our people to be faithful stewards and generous givers with whatever they have. |        
      |
share this page
Average User Rating: Not rated
Submit Your Rating and Review *