Home Outreach Leaders Articles for Outreach & Missions 3 Ways to Close the Giving Gap (and Encourage Generosity)

3 Ways to Close the Giving Gap (and Encourage Generosity)

When it comes to people’s money, things get personal fast. It often revolves around two facts: First, they don’t perceive they have enough, and second, they need more! Then we as church leaders “complicate” things by presenting an opportunity for their money to flow in the “wrong” direction—away from them! If you don’t communicate about giving correctly, it’s a recipe for disaster. You can create what I refer to as spiritual dissonance. That is, you challenge your people to do something, and they want to, but don’t perceive that they can. They then become discouraged and giving can actually decline. This process requires careful teaching and leadership.

What Exactly Is the Giving Gap?

As church leaders, we understand the blessings and benefits of biblical instructions about giving, but must not assume that our congregations fully understand them. They may have heard it often, but there is a “Big Gap” between knowing what God says about giving and embracing it to the point of consistently practicing joyful and generous giving. We know this is true because in most churches about 20 percent of the people give 80 percent of the financial resources. Can you imagine what would or could happen if your church just increased that by 10 percent? The point isn’t really money, the point is a changed life. But let’s face it, greater resources will allow you to reach more people and strengthen your current ministries.

Wise church leaders are intentional when it comes to closing the Giving Gap. Remember that giving financially is personal and it’s packed with emotion. The higher the level of emotion the greater the level of resistance. Resistance creates the gap. Your job as a leader is to close the gap. Merely teaching biblical facts, no matter how pure and true, will not compel your congregation to give. Please don’t view your people as unspiritual or uncommitted because they don’t immediately obey God’s Word. Instead, accept their spiritual struggle and the facts of the current economy. They have bills to pay and money is tight. That stirs emotion, which brings about uncertainty, hesitancy and ultimately resistance. Teach into that reality. They need your encouragement, leadership and inspiration. They need to believe they can do it, and that God will be there with them!

Three Steps to Closing the Gap

• Instruction

Instruction is the ongoing process of teaching your people what God says about giving. It’s important that they understand basic principles of stewardship such as knowing who the true owner is of their resources. Like in a football game, it’s too late when it’s third down and goal to go. If the team doesn’t know the play and hasn’t practiced it dozens of times, the pressure of the moment will cause panic and the ball will be fumbled.

This past Christmas at 12Stone® Church, we engaged in several projects to serve kids who otherwise would not have had much of a Christmas celebration. It was a blast providing gifts, parties and food for thousands of people! This was made possible by the generosity of the 12Stone people. If their hearts were not prepared, if they did not already understand biblical principles of giving, the money would not have been given, especially under the pressure to provide Christmas for their own families.

Biblical stewardship ideally needs to be a way of life in your congregation, not an annual program. Teach the truth, encourage their efforts, challenge their growth and show appreciation for what is given as a regular part of your ministry.