Firm Foundations

What you worship is what you become.

Just because someone is a strong giver doesn’t mean they don’t want the pastor’s mentoring and advice.

The Bible does not teach thus, and certainly the Bible gives us so many examples of stewardship that we couldn’t preach them all in a year.

A competent pastor doesn’t need to have a business degree or understand the ins and outs of bookkeeping

Giving is a pathway to greater ministry, and greater joy. “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your Master.” There is nothing better than the joy of being used and filled by the grace of God. Joy is the right word.

Many of the best examples of life-changing ministry come from some of our smallest and most out-of-the-way churches. They are feeding people, praying up miracles, or giving a kid the only real love he or she knows.

Great laity make great churches. They have a joyful commitment to their church. They also know that pastors need their leadership and support for the church to do its job.

In our anxiety over money, churches tend to avoid not just conversations about money, but also the topic of how to treat our strongest and most dedicated givers.

So, why would givers create a DAF? One reason might be they want a tax benefit, but do not yet know the places or times they will give.

There is a spring, friends. It flows every day with life and possibility. You can’t capture it, but you can drink it, enjoy it, and let it flow through you into God’s world. Go ahead, take a drink.

Near the end of a year, it is good to share this through the congregation, as folks are wanting to consider their tax consequences. Perhaps once yearly someone could stand in front of the congregation and share how they gave stock instead of cash.

This kind of prayer reveals a person whose life is his or her own, and God is in a compartment off to the side—and a not-too-relevant compartment at that.

It is that time of year again—time to give the minimum. Not only should you not feel guilty about it—I am actually encouraging it.

The word is TRANSPARENCY. That means folks can SEE what is happening with finances. When people can’t see they don’t TRUST. When people don’t trust they don’t GIVE.

When one trusts grace there is renewed attention on how our time, talent, and treasure all conform with what Christ has revealed to us. When one trusts the gospel there is an easy and confident way to our living that actually enjoys being a giver of this amazing grace.

Right now is when your community needs reminded that God came anyway—more importantly, God is here anyway.

Stewardship is living in the wisdom that relationships triumph things. Things are fine, but they don’t last, and neither do their satisfactions.

The point is that we want to affirm people for their giving

So often we give in to the illusion that things “are the way they are” and that we can’t fight or change the outcomes. We lay limp and hand over our power of choice. That is bad stewardship.

Could your church use a Gratitude Jar?