Why talking about money in church is important

So much of our life revolves around money. Whether we don’t have enough or more than we need, money can be a distraction.

Many people grow up with limited training on basic money management, and all they hear about money from the church is that we should give more to support the ministries of the congregation.

Clif Christopher, a respected writer and speaker on stewardship, has been so bold as to suggest, If the only time we talk about money in the church is when we need it, that’s congregational malpractice! Whether we agree with this statement, it should make us think.

Most people want to be more generous than what they can afford. Part of the problem can be their own financial house isn’t in order, which limits their ability to be charitable.

Is it the work of the church to help people be better money managers? If we as church leaders are willing to pass an offering basket every Sunday and ask for people’s donations, we should also assume some responsibility to help people become better financial managers of what God has placed into their care.

Here are three perspectives on why teaching about money management is an important aspect of personal discipleship.

• The practical aspect: This involves teaching people how to organize their finances and manage their money. Scripture includes multiple stories and parables where money is a common theme as the source or solution to life’s many challenges. In Luke 10, the Good Samaritan not only gave of his time, but was willing and able to give financially to a stranger in need. He obviously had saved money for this unforeseen need. Because he was a saver, he had a surplus from which to express his generosity to the wounded traveler. So many additional biblical cases could be highlighted.
• The emotional aspect: Studies on the emotional impact of money in our lives suggest that up to 80% of our financial decisions are rooted in emotional needs or impulses. The fact that so many people are in debt is a testimony to the fact that people act not so much out of reason as they do out of emotion. When it comes to money, if the heart overrules the head, the result is frequently disastrous.
• The spiritual aspect: An example of how our relationship to money impacts our spiritual lives is found in the parable of the four seeds and the four soils in Mark 4. Beginning in verse 18, Jesus explains the meaning of the third seed: “Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.” Don’t miss the critical message! A wrong relationship with money chokes out a desire to be in relationship with God over and above the enticements of wealth and worldly pleasure.

Jesus goes on to offer us good news in explaining the fourth seed: “Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop –some 30, some 60, some a hundred times what was sown.”

Teaching our people to resist the deceptive power of wealth and manage money well is a spiritual practice. The stakes are high. We cannot leave our people lacking a clear understanding of the spiritual implications of their relationship with money.

If we build a healthy stewardship culture, our congregations will mature and grow. Your people will grow closer to God, your congregation will experience more spiritual vitality, and greater resources will be unleashed for kingdom impact.

Talking about money should not be perceived as a burden of ministry. It should be treated as a core discipleship practice and training for becoming a faithful follower of Jesus.