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Wednesday, May 4, 2022

 

     TALKING ABOUT MONEY IS IMPORTANT – EVEN IN CHURCH (cont’d)

 

            I started talking last week about the importance of talking about money in church.  I have to admit, the first time I remember hearing a pastor talk about money was on TV, when a televangelist was explaining to his listeners how important their money was. I have to admit, I don’t remember too much about WHY it was so important, but I do remember how uncomfortable I felt.


            I wonder if that’s why many pastors feel uncomfortable, because of how talking about money used to be done.

            I was reading an article the other day and it said “the problem is when your approach says, “I want something from you” instead of “I want something for you.[1]” The article went on to say that people really want to be part of what God’s doing through the church. This reinforces my understanding that we too often focus on the need of the church to get rather than on the need of the person to give.


            While this is a deeply held belief of mine, I also recognize that there are many people in our churches who struggle simply to have enough to eat and pay for housing, medicine, utilities, etc. When we avoid talking about money, we avoid sharing how money can be better utilized. There are practical ways of handling money that many people may not be aware of. What if a workshop was held for your people about how to get out of debt or how to budget? When people feel more in control, their generosity may increase even more than it would with the best preached sermon on giving.


            I encourage you to consider facilitating workshops in your churches for people in your congregation and people in the community. Generosity will suffer if people don’t “have enough”! Next week, I will share a couple of resources that I’ve come across that can held with these workshops and teachings.

 

            It’s not too late to attend the Stewardship Academy. The next session is being held May 21st at 10 a.m. via Zoom. If you are interested in a registration form or information on the academy itself, please let me know (susanranous@unyumc.org)



[1] Christian Stewardship Network April 21, 2022 blog

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