When Was the Last Time You Preached on Giving?

When Was the Last Time You Preached on Giving?

When was the last time you preached on giving? Your answer reveals what you truly believe about stewardship. It is also an indicator of how well your church will do financially.

In many ways, I believe that the decline in giving is attributable to the lack of preaching on stewardship. A study was done in the mid-’90s where only 32% of American church members reported that they had heard a sermon on the relationship between faith and personal finances in the previous year.1 If it was 32% in the ’90s, what do you think that percentage is today?

The Forgotten Sermon is the title of a book I wrote addressing this lack of preaching. AND, I included tons of sermons. Get your copy at:

https://acts17generosity.com/shop/the-forgotten-sermon/

What should your approach be on stewardship preaching? Here are some key thoughts…

  1. Don’t run your people through the guilt gauntlet! Guilt never works!
  2. Get them to focus on their priorities. This deals with the “I can’t afford to” argument. I do think it is instructive to show them the real reason many members do not give is that they have misplaced priorities, to begin with. Before you plan this series, see point number one above.
  3. Teach total stewardship. You have to have a long-term plan to teach total stewardship. Teaching stewardship is not going to drive people away if you do it correctly.
  4. Dedicate a whole series to stewardship. Barna studies have shown that series on stewardship are always more effective than a stand-alone sermon.
  5. Inspire them 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.
    1. Show them God’s blessing when we give – Jesus said, “Give, and it shall be given unto you…” Malachi says with regards to giving, God will, “throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”
    2. Help them see how their gift is making a difference– Studies have consistently shown that people give when they see the need and feel their gift will make a difference.

How long has it been since you last preached on series on stewardship? If you have to look it up then the answer is too long. Download my preaching tool now, The Forgotten Sermon: How To Preach Effectively on Giving at https://acts17generosity.com/shop/the-forgotten-sermon/

Mark Brooks – The Stewardship Coach

Smith, Christian, and Michael Emerson. Passing the Plate. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. 2008. 83

https://acts17generosity.com/shop/the-fully-funded-summer/

Are you ready to beat the summer slump in giving? Get my newest playbook, “The 15 Offerings of Summer: How to Reverse the Summer Slump in 60 Seconds,”

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