I just finished reading, Start This Stop That – Do The Things That Grow Your Church, Jim and Jennifer Cowart (c)2012.
Some great ideas for pruning aspects of your ministry and shining on the more important basics. One section was devoted to money and the church. The church needs to shift from a focus on giving to a focus on helping the people live God honoring lives in all aspects of their finances. Debt, spending, saving, giving, living below your means and working hard are all part of the issue. Here are some of quotes from the book:
“The way you personally manage money says a lot about you as a leader.”
“It is one of the most important leadership skills you have to learn. If your church is to grow, you have to learn how to raise money. It’s the key responsibility of leadership.”
“Let go of the idea to only talk about money once a year. Instead, talk about it casually throughout the year. Do at least one message series that helps people with money – topics such as budgeting, spending, saving, living within your means.”
“We talk about money in such a casual and regular way, that people know that tithing is an expectation of being a church member and of being a Christ follower.”
“I guess God’s math is different than ours!”
“Money is not really about money, anyway. It’s about trusting God with all you have and all you are.”
“We rarely do pledge campaigns. Instead, we teach tithing.”
“Tithing emphasizes the individual’s love for God.”
“The Bible does not have not secret information about money. It can easily be summed up simply: Work hard, save, tithe and don’t spend more than you make. Simple, but not easy.”
“It’s not wrong to share needs or ask for money within the church. But if money is only discussed as part of a campaign, people are going to dread it.”
“Some churches have money problems because they have vision problems.”
“Churches should send out quarterly giving statements. It helps families get a glimpse of what they are giving and hold to their commitment to tithe.”
Malachi 3:10 states: Bring all the tithes into the storehouse… [God says,] ‘I will pout out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in. Try it! Put me to the test!
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