5 Steps to Use The Power of the Pulpit

I want to give you 5 steps to use the power of the pulpit to increase your giving!  Barna says churches need to be “humble self-promoters” and there is no better place for that to occur than the pulpit.  The sad truth however is that many pastors never use their greatest tool, the pulpit to cultivate giving.  They incorrectly feel that any talk of money or finances will drive people away.  If you are to make it through this present economic time you must develop a compelling message from the pulpit or platform.

Your approach on stewardship preaching

1.      Don’t run your people through the guilt gauntlet.  Trying to bring a guilt trip on your members might raise the offering that day but it will not change their long term habits.  It will simply cause them to tune you out and assume that you are just like all the other preachers they hear about.  All you ever talk about is money.  That is not true of course but it is a defensive mechanism designed to help them feel better about their disobedience.  Sure they ought to give because it’s commanded.  Your laying into them will not bring them to change.  Besides that is the work of the Holy Spirit.

2.      Get them to focus on their priorities.  I do think it is instructive to show them that the real reason many members do not give is that they have misplaced priorities to begin with.  How else can you explain the fact that we spend so much money on getting our pets manicured and pampered?

3.      Teach total stewardship.  You have to have a long term plan to teach total stewardship.  If you never teach stewardship do not be surprised during tough economic times when your offerings go down.  Teaching stewardship is not going to drive people away if you do it correctly.  In addition, you need to supplement your stewardship preaching with practical programs that can help such as Crown Ministries or Financial Peace. 

4.      Dedicate a whole series to stewardship.  The Barna Group discovered years ago that a stewardship series is always more effective than a one-off sermon on giving. The series does not have to exclusively focus on tithing or giving.  Talk about the stewardship of time, talent, treasure, and testimony.  While any series is better than no series I feel that the first of the year is a better time for this to be placed than the dead of summer.  A series on giving is nearly two and a half times more likely to experience an increase in giving than preachers who only talk about stewardship once a year or on two nonconsecutive times in a year.

“Ten Percent: A Call to Biblical Stewardship,” by Dr. Ronnie Floyd has 6 sermons and 6 small group lessons on stewardship and it’s FREE! Download your free copy at, httpss://www.sbc.net/stewardship/

5.      Give them a reason to give.  If you show your members why giving will benefit them you will see them give more.  Here are a couple of thoughts to that end.

A.    God’s blessing – Jesus said, “Give and it shall be given unto you…”  Malachi says with regards to giving that God will, “throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”

B.     Making a difference through their gift – Studies have consistently shown that people give when they see the need and feel their gift will make a difference.  Your task during these times must be to cast a compelling vision of your ministry.  Help your members see why and how their gift matters and they just might by pass Starbucks on the way to church so that they can give when the offering is passed.

Use Sermons to continually cast vision and increase giving!  So start thinking about your next stewardship series.

Mark Brooks- The Stewardship Coach

Need more sermon help? Get my book, “The Forgotten Sermon: How to Preach Effectively on Giving.” https://acts17generosity.com/shop/the-forgotten-sermon/