Many churches move to one of two extremes when talking about money. Either they harp on it in some kind of unbiblical way, or they avoid the subject entirely, afraid to run people off. We want to help you talk about money in an appropriate, God-honoring way. So with that in mind, here are three money mistakes a lot of people make.
1. Apologizing for saying what the Bible says. Pastor, when you stand up to preach God’s Word, don’t apologize for what it says. Don’t dance around the issue or spend valuable time trying to sugar coat the message. Don’t give disclaimer after disclaimer so that when you finally get to the Biblical truth, you’ve given people sixteen ways out of obedience. Speak the truth plainly and in love.
2. Telling people that you don’t want them to give. I blogged on this a few weeks ago, and there was a good discussion in the comments. I know a lot of pastors mean well when they say something like, “If you’re a guest, we don’t want you to give.” I just don’t believe that’s honest. You don’t have to pressure people into participation or guilt people into giving, but you can honestly ask people to participate.
3. Forget to connect the dots. Funding the budget, paying the staff or covering the mortgage might be necessary, but it’s not all that inspiring. Every time you receive an offering, you have an opportunity to cast vision – to let people know why your church exists and to connect that mission to people’s giving. Don’t ask people to give money to the budget, ask them to participate in God’s mission through your church. Honestly, this is one of the most important things we teach our members. Don’t just receive an offering; be intentional and connect the dots.
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[...] Casey Graham on 3 mistakes pastor’s make when they talk about money. [...]