June 2012

In this series, I’ve been writing about accelerating generosity through story-telling.  I’ve explored the “why” in Part One and the “what” in Part Two, so now we’re ready to dive in to the “how.” In a later post I’ll tackle how to share stories, but first we have to find them.  Read more »

Let’s recap:

• Generally speaking, pastors don’t like to talk about money. So many don’t.

• That seems to work out just great because most church attendees don’t want to hear about money anyway.

• Except  . . . money is a spiritual issue, so the church can’t exactly ignore it.

Week in and week out, churches collect an offering. That might look a bit different depending on the context—from gold-plated trays passed with usher-assisted formality to “joy boxes” at the back of the room—but the great majority of worship experiences include a time to “give back to God.” The money’s collected, scurried away to a lockbox or safe . . .  and then what? Other than a letter and a few bar graphs included with annual giving statements (if that), the church family never hears a word about how the money was spent. They just get asked to give more. 

Now, if you’re looking to maintain the status quo, that’s a fine strategy. But if you’re looking to accelerate generosity and empower your church family to experience what it’s like to trust God with their finances, we have to think differently. Enter story.  Read more »