Five steps to support giving: Step 4 Making money part of discipleship

First published on: 11th February 2022

We continue our series on practical steps to support generous giving in 2022. This week: connecting money, worship and discipleship.

It is important to talk about money and giving not simply as a transaction but as part of our discipleship and worship. Churches talk bills, budgets, and bank balances because these things really matter. However the real value to our day-to-day money talk. comes through a rich and distinctive biblical perspective on money and we find it in both the words we use and the things we do in church

Here are three suggestions to connect our important talk of bills, budgets and bank accounts to a biblical way of thinking,

 

Find a rhythm of preaching.

What the bible says about money is rich, diverse, plentiful, and challenging. Everybody needs to preach regularly and sensitively on money.  A steady rhythm, a heartbeat of stewardship preaching across the year gives us powerful, biblical words to enrich our money talk: God’s gift, the grace of giving, gratitude, generosity, doing justice, obedience, contentment. These words shape our money thinking and our giving decisions.

Top Tip: preach and teach about money in the round: our giving, saving, spending, borrowing. And keep it real by speaking (appropriately) from experience. Lay leaders encourage and support your clergy, Readers and all who preach to tackle these themes with confidence and your support.
 

Find a focus on generosity.

Find time in the church’s calendar for a special stewardship focus that connects with generosity:

  • a stewardship programme such as Giving in Grace;
  • a special gift day at the patronal festival,
  • something creative anchored on the APCM
  • or a (re-)launch of the Parish Giving Scheme.
     

Top Tip: check out the rich resources in support of Generosity Week. They will be refreshed for 2022 and anchored on the last Sunday in September but you can host Generosity Week at any time.
 

Find small group opportunities.

Small bible study groups are a great place to start but think wider. A simple liturgy before PCC or finance group can reframe our conversations. Experiment with a Generosity Fika or offer a financial capability course from Christians Against Poverty or The Money Course from Crosslight.
 

Top Tip:check out Surprised by Generosity, the new Lent Course from the diocese of Exeter. There are worship materials themed to Lent and video discussion starters and small group materials to be used more widely.

 

These and other ideas don’t just help us raise the money we need. They give us the words and the actions which build and shape a culture of generosity. The idea has been around for a while:

Three times a year you must appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose…. No one should appear before the Lord empty-handed. Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you.      (Dt 16:16-17)

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