By Kent E. Fillinger
What if everyone in your church took the next step in their generosity journey? Everyone is in a different place when it comes to generosity and giving, but each of us can pray about our next step and then take it.
Here are four action steps your church’s leaders can take to help prompt people to take their next steps.
1. Find fiscal alignment. If church leaders and staff disagree in their theological and philosophical approach to money, it’s impossible to be aligned in how to budget and spend money.
Leaders and staff should take time to ask the question: What do we believe about generosity, giving, and managing resources? Create a list of “we believe” statements to find alignment as church leaders. Honest conversations guided by good questions won’t make financial difficulties and challenges disappear, but they will help leaders navigate them as a united team.
It’s also helpful to discuss debt (i.e, what is a manageable level? How much debt is acceptable?). Also, it’s a good idea to discuss how you will spend excess income above budgeted needs. Deciding in advance whether additional funds will be saved or invested in ministry is always helpful to align and unify the church leaders and staff.
2. Create a generosity team. Many churches have a finance team that helps to create the budget and monitor income vs. expenses. These teams usually focus on cutting expenses more than increasing the church’s income.
A generosity team should include representatives from the finance, worship, discipleship, and communications teams, along with some staff. The generosity team should work to create a “Generosity Discipleship Plan” for the whole church that will inform, inspire, and invite each person to grow in their giving. Regularly share “impact stories” of how the church’s generosity is making an immediate and eternal difference in people’s lives. Tie money to your mission and people’s giving to kingdom impact.
This team should seek to help each person understand how generosity is part of their discipleship process and pathway. This will help your church move beyond an annual sermon series on stewardship and giving that feels something like an “eat your vegetables because they’re good for you” appeal. Instead, it will help people embrace a whole-life discipleship model that includes their finances and giving.
3. Understand the different “giving languages.” Texas pastor Steve Stroope suggests there are different giving languages (just like there are different love languages). People are most engaged when they find their giving language and have opportunities that provide a connection. He suggests there are five giving languages:
- giving to the general ministry
- giving to brick and mortar (building fund)
- giving to missions (spreading the gospel globally)
- giving to compassion projects (particularly local projects)
- giving to designated projects
Some people will give to all five of these categories, but others will give only to one of them. Your church’s annual giving strategy (i.e., Generosity Discipleship Plan) should provide opportunities to give to each of these categories in some way so you can maximize your church’s giving potential.
4. Be smart about your resources. If money is tight, now is the time to cut unnecessary expenses. Greg Ligon, who served more than two decades with Leadership Network, notes, “Cuts and changes that may have created significant conflict in good times can be made in challenging ones.”
It’s also good to talk about your spending priorities and to know in advance the last budget area you would cut in an emergency.
Kent E. Fillinger serves as president of 3:STRANDS Consulting, Indianapolis, Indiana, and regional vice president (Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan) with Christian Financial Resources.
I’ll think on this. Often church giving is not too meaningful and has about as much satisfaction as paying the electric bill, though of course I’m glad for heat, lights, and cold water. It’s just something you have to do.