The Giving Path
LeadershipGiving is a spiritual discipline like prayer, Bible study and worship.
When we began to learn what life in Christ is like, did we start off praying for two hours, reading five chapters of a Gospel and worshipping for an hour? No. If we began giving as a child we probably began by giving a portion of our allowance. And we did so in a comfortable environment. Mom and Dad paid for food, clothing, shelter, transportation and everything else.
The point: We develop faithfulness by starting small and growing and finishing strong over time.
Start your members on the giving path:
· Step one is to give.
· Step two is to plan what to give for the year.
· Step three is to give regularly throughout the year.
· Step four is to increase giving each year.
· Step five is to begin to give a tithe.
· Step six is to encourage others to tithe.
· Step seven is to give beyond the tithe.
Create “on ramps” to giving that will encourage people to take that first step. Celebrate every year those persons who are starting out on the giving path, taking next steps along the path and finishing strong near the end of the path. Progress in our spiritual journey is very often in parallel with our movement along the giving path.
Please connect with me if I can assist you in finding new on ramps for giving in your ministry.
About Rusty Lewis
As a church leader, there’s nothing more frustrating than not having the funding to do what God’s calling you to do. But when you think about trying to address that problem, you feel overwhelmed, you dread the potential pushback from your congregation, and you’re not sure where to turn for help. Over the last 18 years, I’ve helped more than 120 churches close the gap between their current financial reality and what they need to move forward in ministry.