Home Pastors Articles for Pastors 3 Simple Tips to Increase Giving (Almost) Overnight

3 Simple Tips to Increase Giving (Almost) Overnight

There is much talk today about changing a church’s culture of generosity.  A church’s culture is built up over years, embedded with heritage and history, and is not easily or quickly changed.  Identification, diagnosis, strategy, and focused implementation are essential stages required to effect real cultural change in any organization.

However, I know from years of experience and observation that a church’s giving can be quickly and dramatically upgraded with no more than three very simple and easily implemented steps of action.  These first steps can be foundational for the long-term process that can lead you and your church to be as generous as you want to be.

1. TALK ABOUT GIVING

Some congregations only hear about giving/stewardship/generosity on a one-Sunday a year emphasis or when the budget if being presented.  This is a serious mistake on several levels.  Most significantly, it categorizes giving and excludes it from everyday life.  This violates the teaching ministry of Jesus and the content of the New Testament.

Jesus talked more about money than he did about heaven, hell, and prayer combined.  A full one-third of his parables deal with wealth-related issues.

Sensitive, caring, and intentional discussions about financial stewardship must become a consistent and normative part of the congregational conversation.  Failure to do so will be to:

  • Avoid a major portion of God’s Word.
  • Deprive the people of the opportunity for true spiritual growth and transformation.  Jesus asked, “If you have not been faithful in handling worldly wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?”  (Luke 16:11)
  • Weaken the ministry.  A ministry that matters must be adequately funded.  The more the ministry, the more the funding required.

The churches that are hurting most in today’s unusual economy are those who have, sometimes for very noble reasons, failed to talk about giving.