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

 

            I’ve been talking about the importance of talking about money in church. An Article by Christian Stewardship Network says this:

            The average person spends 40 hours a week working to earn money,

at least a few hours a month planning and tracking their money, and a

significant number of hours spending it. Money is a significant part of

our daily lives, yet pastors think talking about it once or twice a year is

enough to help people manage it better.[1]

            This is so true! I’d like to add a couple of “editorial” comments, or, more accurately, my thoughts on the above statement.

·         For some people, working 40 hours isn’t enough to earn “enough”

·         Some people aren’t working even 40 hours, for various reasons

·         For those not earning a “sustainable” wage, less time is spent earning, and more tracking and planning

·         For some working 40 hours, it takes two wage earners to support a family

·         For some, budgeting works; others have never learned how to budget

·         When so much time is spent by the folks in the pews or in the community earning, worrying about, praying about, crying about, money, and we only talk about money once or twice a year???

 

What do I mean by that last statement? Well, that your money and your relationship to money isn’t important until it’s important to us. And it’s only important to us when we need it!

It is an awful way to understand money as a church, as The Church, as Christians, as followers of Jesus, as Disciples…

So:

Let’s re-think how we talk about money as a church.

Let’s change our own understanding of money as a church.

Let’s care more about our neighbor and less about ourselves!

            Reading back over this, it seems harsh, but, unfortunately, true. Please, please, look at your own personal relationship with money, work with your leadership on your church’s relationship with money, and reach out to your folks in love, with hands reaching out to hold a hand, to give a hug, and not to just receive an offering.

Less this:

 

More this:

 

 

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[1] Christian Stewardship Network Copyright 2022, all rights reserved.

 

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

 

            I’ve been talking about the importance of talking about money in church—the right way-- not being apologetic, but not focusing on the need of the church to receive.

            We need to provide an easy-to-understand process for folks who want to adjust their relationship with money and generosity. There is teaching about money and preaching about money. They are not the same thing. An article I recently read said it this way:

• ·         Preaching allows the Holy Spirit to bring conviction and inspire change for the hearer.
• ·         Teaching is about the practical ways to manage money

            I was recently teaching at Local Pastor Licensing School, and I shared the thought that while, traditionally, we have fall stewardship campaigns, where we encourage folks to give to God through the local church, or increasing the giving that they are currently doing, we cannot assume that everyone is at the same place in their life; in their faith journey; or in their financial situation.

            We forget that:

• ·         Some people are just out of school with student loan debt
• ·         Some have kids in college
• ·         Some have young children that require paid health care
• ·         Some are newly retired on fixed incomes
• ·         Some have credit card or other debt

 

If the only time we talk about money in church is to talk about their generosity and what we’re asking them to do, we’re missing the opportunity and the requirement to help them in their relationship with money. Everyone needs to learn and understanding how to steward what they have and understand what God would have them do with it.

Again, I recommend focusing, yes, on the needs of the people to give, that giving is a part of worship, but also to have a good and better relationship with money.

 

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

 

            I’ve been talking about the importance of talking about money in church—the right way-- not being apologetic, but not focusing on the need of the church to receive.

            I think a vitally important way to help people in the pews, or in the community, have a good relationship with their own money is to provide budgeting, getting out of debt, or other financial workshops.

            Good resources exist. One well-known one, of course is Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University.

Another one that I think is very well done and has relatively inexpensive workbooks is “Financially Freed Up.” That is their main program. They also have a workbook on getting out of debt, one for teaching kids, and one for seniors. They have good workbooks and good resources. They have also started an app-based program, so it works well virtually.

            Another program, recently released by Wespath, is Saving Grace: A Guide to Financial Well-Being. This is a new educational curriculum that seeks to support and strengthen clergy and congregations with a Wesleyan guide to improved financial planning.

            Both of these programs are well-written and easily useable. I encourage you to check into them and prayerfully consider offering financial training in your church!

 

 

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

 

     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 21^st 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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[1] Christian Stewardship Network April 21, 2022 blog

 

             TALKING ABOUT MONEY IS IMPORTANT – EVEN IN CHURCH

 

            Too often, we avoid talking about money in church, don’t we? Sometimes it’s because we’re uncomfortable talking about money at all; sometimes it’s because we’re in church; and sometimes it’s because people hate it when we talk about money.

            If we believe that what is said from the pulpit is important to people, then money should be talked about from the pulpit, because money is important. An article I read said when we don’t talk about money, we’re implying:

1.    Money isn’t important; or

2.    God only cares about the money you give; or

3.    We don’t talk about money in the church, so you’ll need to find out how to manage your money from the world.

Ouch! I’m not sure any of those implications is what we should be relying upon!

            I’m not saying we only talk about money, but people deal with money every day, and many times every day, so they need our help, our wisdom and our encouragement in handling and managing it.

            Jesus talked about money in his teaching about 15% of the time! So not talking about money takes a pretty good chunk out of the New Testament, doesn’t it?

            How about if we talk about money, sharing God’s financial principles and providing them with the tools that will help them fight against the world’s influence?

            I encourage you to think about sharing money in this way, instead of only doing it under protest, and only when we want money FROM people!

 

            It’s not too late to attend the Stewardship Academy. The next session is being held May 21^st 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)

 

                                        WITNESSING TO GENEROSITY

 

            When we give inside church, during worship, it is a matter of public worship, and we are witnessing to our generosity. When we can’t pass the offering plates, that public witness is much more subtle.

            How else can we witness to our generosity?

·         Testimonies

·         Telling stories of generosity

·         Telling what generosity accomplishes in service of God’s mission

            Don’t fixate on the face that offering plates aren’t being used like they used to be. I don’t know how to break it to you, but they may never be used the same way again!

            And that’s okay. We just need to provide opportunities to give in as many different ways as possible. There need to be a variety of ways to give. Have you noticed fewer and fewer people actually have a checkbook or cash on them now-a-days. That means passing the plate wouldn’t work, even if we could.

            There has been appositive result of the pandemic, and that is churches that hadn’t been providing online opportunities to give had to start online giving when their church buildings were closed.

            Let’s embrace new and varied ways of giving, but, most importantly, keep offering central to worship and invite everyone to give.

 

            REMINDER: The Stewardship Academy is being held April 23^rd, May 21^st, June 18^th and July 16^th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you are interested in a registration form or information on the academy itself, please let me know (susanranous@unyumc.org)

 

                    GIVING WHEN THERE’S NO OFFERING PLATE #2

            It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve offered a blog, but I wanted to continue our discussion on giving when there’s no offering plate.

            When we used to pass the plate, there was a little bit of peer pressure, and people knew (usually) what they were supposed to do: drop a little something in the plate. Some people didn’t like it. But there was something to be said for a connection with each person in the pew. When the person sitting right next to you is passing you the plate or basket, it can’t be ignored, can it?

            Now, the plate or basket may be placed at the door or somewhere else. For those of us familiar with that particular church, we know where to look. But what about others. My husband and I visited a church recently. We’d been there before, but that was back “before.” I had pulled the money out of my wallet and placed it just inside my purse so I could easily drop it in the plate when it came by. And then…I watched the usher stride up the aisle right to the altar table and place the offering plate there to be prayed over.

            I’d missed my chance! Steve looked at me and muttered “I didn’t even see where to put the money when we came in.” It probably was easily found, but, even now, stewardship or not, two years hence or not, I seldom think to look for the plate on the way in.

            Then there are those persons worshipping virtually. While we may give them QR codes or links to go to make an offering, there doesn’t seem to be much of a connection between the offering and the worshipper, does there?

            We have to make the offering, whether it’s in person or virtual; whether a plate’s being passed or stashed somewhere else; connected to everyone. The offering time isn’t just a throw away moment; it is a vital part of worship.

            It’s important and it should be joyful! I encourage you to go to Youtube and type in "church offering dance" and see what pops up! Wouldn’t it be exciting if offerings were done that way?

            REMINDER: The Stewardship Academy is being held April 23^rd, May 21^st, June 18^th and July 16^th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you are interested in a registration form or information on the academy itself, please let me know (susanranous@unyumc.org)