By Bob Russell
1. Don”t apologize. A preacher who subscribed to our tape ministry was disgruntled that I had preached four straight sermons on sacrificial giving.
“If you don”t stop preaching about money, there won”t be any people left to fill up the new building you”re trying to finance,” he wrote.
The director of our Living Word Tape Ministry replied to him, “Dear Sir, during the month Bob preached on giving, enthusiasm was high, and twice as many accepted Christ as do in a usual month. Over half of Jesus” parables concern use of material possessions. Maybe if you preached more often about money, your church would do better.”
We are ambassadors of Christ, not nego-tiators. Have confidence that preaching about money is God”s will and will strengthen people”s relationship with Christ.
2. Gain the support of the church leadership before the series. An endorsement from church leadership gives you confidence, support, and credibility with the congregation. It also includes and silences some of your most potentially hurtful critics””the leaders themselves.
3. Include stewardship examples in nonstewardship sermons. A line or two in a sermon unrelated to stewardship reminds the congregation that faithful living always involves giving.
One Easter in a sermon on Heaven I talked about our rewards there: “The young, Christian woman who remains pure will receive a greater reward than the young woman who yields to temptation. The husband who cares for his sickly wife receives a greater reward in Heaven than the husband who takes his healthy wife for granted. And the couple who tithes every paycheck from the beginning of marriage will have more treasure in Heaven than the couple who gives God the leftovers.”
No one could say the Easter sermon was about giving. But stewardship is such a vital part of life that it should be naturally included on a regular basis.
4. Emphasize that church funds are administered with integrity. “We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men” (2 Corinthians 8:19-21).
During every stewardship series, I explain how donations are administered. “The offering is deposited in a safe. The next morning it is counted and recorded by a volunteer committee. Then it is taken to the bank by the treasurer, who is accompanied by a policeman. Two people must sign all checks, and the preacher is not one of them. The minister has to go through the same red tape of budget requests, purchase orders, and receipts as others do. Our church is a member of the Evangelical Council on Financial Accountability, and there is an annual, independent audit of our books. The church staff is reminded to spend church funds more frugally than if the money were their own.”
People are motivated to give when they are confident they are giving directly to legitimate needs.
5. Title sermons to communicate they”re about more than giving. Message titles that reflect an emphasis on helping people understand money, instead of giving more of it, takes the dread out of money messages. A sermon series on “Money Matters” could include: “How Can You Make the Most of What You Have?” “When Is Enough Enough?” and, “Can You Earn More than Your Neighbor and Still Be Christian?”
Bob Russell retired last year as preaching minister with Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky.
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