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)
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