Talking about money to our congregations can feel daunting. But NOT talking about it leaves our people unequipped to deal with possibly the biggest barrier to faithful discipleship. Learn ten common mistakes pastors make in talking about money and how to avoid them.
Debt is pervasive in our society. Consumer debt from materialism and emotional spending is rampant. But in some circles, debt is considered sinful. The Cautious Debtor knows how to use debt as a tool without being enslaved to it.
Like so many aspects of stewardship, saving requires wisdom to balance it effectively. Most of us under-save due to over-spending. Some of us over-save, placing our security in money rather than in God. Where are you on the spectrum of saving?
What kind of Giver are you? Do you hold tightly to your resources, giving only sporadically? Do you give regularly but begrudge the opportunity cost? Or do you take joy in giving and look for opportunities? Learn the differences between the Grasping Giver, the Grudging Giver, and the Generous Giver and how to move toward generosity.
We all spend, sometimes more wisely than others. Many of us overspend, influenced by marketing and materialism. Others underspend, worried about having enough savings. The Prudent Spender finds a balance by focusing on awareness, intentionality, and contentment.
Work can feel like a blessing or a curse, but it’s part of our created purpose. Our approach to work is more than a strictly financial consideration, but it has financial implications. Diligent Earners treat work as a part of God’s overall purpose and balance it effectively. Are you a Diligent Earner?
Jesus tells us that we can’t serve both God and money. And we want to serve God. But how can we tell if we’re on the right track? Evaluate key characteristics and practices to understand whether you’re serving God or money.
Stewardship practices and habits are important. But at its core, stewardship is more about who we are than about what we do. Faithful stewards reflect both the characteristics and the practices of stewardship.
Giving Tuesday has become, for many, part of the noise of the holiday season. How can we approach the opportunities for generosity on this day and in this season without being overwhelmed with the barrage of requests?
Talking about stewardship with the well-resourced folks in our congregations can be difficult. We may avoid the conversation, thinking that they know more about finances than we do. Or we may approach it with an agenda of increasing giving to the church. Podcast host James Lenhoff helps us avoid these two mistakes and have meaningful stewardship conversations with our members who have a surplus.
The world leads us to extremes when it comes to how we handle money. And sometimes, the church reinforces those extremes with an unbalanced approach to Scripture. God calls some people to extremes, but he leads most of us to balanced, Biblical stewardship.
As a pastor, how do you disciple believers in stewardship? Christians need more than money management tips or exhortations to give; stewardship is all about honoring God with our finances and lives. Believers living on the edge financially need both Biblical principles and practical tools. Podcast host James Lenhoff helps pastors address both of these needs.
