In today’s environment, it is not uncommon to find churches 20%-30% behind budget. While this challenging reality exists, pastors have an opportunity to disciple their congregation to even greater levels of generosity. Most pastors are comfortable challenging their members to pray, study the Scriptures or serve but are genuinely intimidated and even fearful at the thought of asking for an increase or sacrificial giving. Why is this the case? How can you disciple generous givers and a culture of generosity with confidence?
If you believe that God owns everything, that Christians are to be managers or stewards of the resources God entrusts to them, and that Christians are to be generous as Christ is generous, then giving and asking is first a spiritual activity. As spiritual leaders, we have a tremendous opportunity to grow God’s people spiritually to be rich toward God, raise resources for ministry and help others become “more complete in Christ” (Colossians 1:28) through their giving. I have listed below some pointers of how you can learn to ask and disciple with confidence.
It starts with you
(Luke 6:40). If we are not personally on a journey of becoming more generous, it will be difficult to equip others and to ask them for financial support. Jesus Christ set the ultimate example of generosity and challenges us to conform to His image. As spiritual leaders, we cannot attempt to develop other spiritual disciplines in our life yet neglect generosity, nor can we take others on a journey toward generosity that we are not on ourselves.
Here are a few questions to consider: Are you personally supporting generously with your money the cause you are asking others to support? Are you striving to be more generous in all areas of your life? Do you view your giving as a spiritual activity of worship to God? If not, ultimately you will lack fruit and will have a diminished impact on others. It starts with you getting your own life in order. It is always helpful to find someone like-minded to join you in this journey.
Study the Scriptures
(Acts 17:11). If you are fearful about asking others to give, then commit to educating yourself about generosity and the topic of asking for support from a biblical perspective. A good starting place is to read through the four Gospel accounts and highlight all the passages related to giving and generosity. While there are more, some verses that will help you gain a better perspective on asking for support are these: Joshua 21:1–3; Matthew 10:11; Romans 15:24; 1 Corinthians 16:1–3 and 2 Corinthians 8–9. Another good resource is Revolution in Generosity, edited by Wes Willmer.
Develop ministry partners
(Matthew 28:19). When we realize that giving is a spiritual activity of helping transform hearts to be as generous as Christ, then it becomes clear that asking for resources is a discipleship process and part of a believer’s responsibility (Matthew 28:19-20). A life commitment to disciple others is not easy, nor is it ever limited in focus. Without committing to love God and our neighbors, it will never be possible. Jesus spent roughly three years with His disciples and lovingly taught them about every aspect of life. He spoke regularly about their commitment to God and about how that commitment impacted every aspect of their lives—including the stewarding of their time, talents and treasures.
If we are not careful, a specific need, project, or ministry may become the sole focus of our ministry and cause us to neglect the spiritual lives of the ministry partners those who give. Sadly, we can begin to view our relationships as a means to an end versus a viable way to love and minister to them.
Other times, we convince ourselves that giving, generosity and finances are not our gift and never attempt to learn and grow in this area. Usually, it gets delegated or avoided, and we continue to fail to engage in this area of discipleship with others.
Love with a love that binds
(1 Corinthians 13:2). One of the key lessons I learned in my own journey of becoming confident in asking for resources is that authentic, loving relationships will break down barriers to giving. Our first priorities are our love for God and an understanding that everything belongs to Him. It is because of God’s grace that we are called to ministry in the first place, and we can love and worship Him by acknowledging and resting in the truth that there is no single need for which He cannot provide.
The second priority is our relationships with those from whom we ask financial support. People quickly figure out if we genuinely love and care for them or if we only see them as dollar signs. Developing any loving relationship with others takes time and effort to know about them, their families, their prayer needs, and how to be a part of their spiritual growth. Your spiritual conversations should include the topic of giving. Determine how you can help each other grow in this area, as well as how and when they like to be approached for financial support.
These authentic conversations will allow you to grow in respect and Christ-like love for one another.
Educate your church
(Hosea 4:6). Randy Alcorn talks in The Treasure Principle about many ministries having a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy when it comes to discussing finances. Because many ministry leaders view money as an “evil” topic that they are not comfortable discussing, communication, accountability, and modeling for their constituents is lacking. When is the last time you had an article in your newsletter or bulleting about the spiritual basis of giving? When you write appeals, do you view it as an opportunity to educate about the spiritual themes of generosity and discipleship? While we must be careful not to speak from pride in regards to giving (Matthew 6:1–4), we cannot limit the teaching, modeling and accountability that will lead to growth.
Join the journey
(Luke 14:33). We can ask for financial support and challenge others to grow in their generosity with passion and conviction when we personally discover the joy of giving. “Once you grasp it and put it into practice, nothing will ever look the same,” states Alcorn in The Treasure Principle. As we grow and experience how God transforms our lives through giving, we will desire others to experience the same. Asking for financial support will then become a natural part of this discipleship process instead of an uncomfortable practice that we have to do. It is then that we will realize what Wes Willmer states in God and Your Stuff, “Stewardship is God’s way of raising people, not man’s way of raising money.”