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Wednesday, July 26, 2023

 

                          STEWARDSHIP AND DISCIPLESHIP TOGETHER

                       RELATIONSHIPS AND ORGANIC CONVERSATION

 

            Continuing my discussion on stewardship and discipleship, I want to shift focus to the keys to effective discipleship.[1]

1.    Create a safe space for relationships to form.

2.    Conversation should be organic.

3.    Customize teaching style to individual’s:

a.    Life stage

b.    Spiritual Maturity

c.    Financial Health/Season

            I will spend more time next week on the customization of teaching style. This week I want to concentrate on the first two statements above:

            We’ve been talking about stewardship during these summer months since most of our churches commence their stewardship programs in the fall. Too often I’ve found that the focus is completely on money, i.e. making the budget, paying the bills, slashing costs, etc. What if we focused on the people, or relationships, instead?

            If the only relationship someone has with the church is when they’re being asked for money, what kind of relationship is that? Relationships need to come first. See All the People talks about relationships as part of discipleship. So stewardship and discipleship and relationship are all intertwined together! Losing any one of the three cripples the entire “process.”

            The second statement above talks about conversation being organic. Have you sat in a room, maybe at a part, or at a meeting, or a class, and just talking to someone is a struggle? If you’re an introvert, this is easy to understand.

·         Questions asked get a very short answer.

·         Follow-up questions don’t happen.

·         Before you know it, silence reigns.

            Conversations about money, politics and religion (you know, all the topics you were taught not to bring up in public) can result in arguments, or hurt feelings as a minimum. So, talking about money in church combines two of those topics together. That leads to an uncomfortable conversation, at best. But if you have a relationship with some, then those difficult conversations can still happen.

            So forming relationships comes before anything else! How are you forming relationships in your church? Does your discipleship plan/program include relationships or just “doing.” Does your stewardship program just talk about money? Relationship needs to be cultivated first!

            Stay tuned for this ongoing stewardship conversation.

            If you wish more information on this, or would like to discuss stewardship and its relationship with discipleship, please feel free to contact me at (315) 427-3668 or sranousacctg@twcny.rr.com. I’d be happy to help.



[1] Stewardship Education that Builds Disciples, Furlong, Jessica and Dick, Don (Christian Stewardship Network), https://www.christianstewardshipnetwork.com.

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