In many churches, the way we talk about money is rarely reviewed. But culture changes over time, and it is important to evaluate the way we speak about finances, and update long-standing practices that may have lost their impact. Below, I offer three examples on this theme of the language we use and the messages that we unknowingly communicate.
Receive vs. take
I was visiting a church one Sunday morning when the worship leader invited the ushers to come forward to “take up” the offering. The phrase left me confused. As a visitor, and someone who is very conscious of “money talk,” I found it uninspiring and even unbiblical.
First, offerings to the Lord need to be given freely and with a spirit of gratitude. Offerings are best given as a delight, rather than a duty. The imagery of something taken for God and God’s mission gives the impression of it being an obligation instead of a pleasure – as is intended. In 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, we are called to be cheerful givers who freely offer their gifts to God.
Our language matters and sets a tone. It educates and instructs – for ill or good.
The worship service as a whole is a time when tithes and offerings are received as an act of our trust in God as our provider, and as an expression of our gratitude to both Christ and the local congregation. The words shared from the pulpit have the ability to shape the minds and attitudes of our members.
Maybe it’s time to review what is said about your offering and what it communicates to members and visitors alike.
Giving plan vs. budget
I like to use the phrase “giving plan” when talking about a congregation’s management of financial gifts offered to the local congregation. It makes clear that funds given are intended to be passed on and not kept indefinitely for some purpose yet known.
All financial gifts to the church should directly or indirectly support the local ministry of the congregation or the broader ministry of the Church. The language we use about the tithes and offerings of God’s people should reflect this. Funds set aside for compassion ministries, renewal and replacement of facilities, etc., should have a cap to limit what is stored. The church is not a bank which has long-term accounts that sit unused, only to “rust and decay” (Matthew 6:19).
Carrying over some funds from one year to the next is prudent. But continuing to store up end-of-year overage year after year can be a form of hoarding and suggests we don’t trust God to meet our annual needs. Setting a policy on percentages or total amounts the church can keep on reserve for future needs or as a rainy-day fund is a good practice that helps leadership think through the difference between a giving plan versus a budget.
There are congregations that have way too much money sitting in reserve because they can’t agree on what to do with it. By referring to a budget as a giving plan, we can shift our thinking from storing up treasures as a church to that of being a conduit through which tithes flow to build up the ministry and mission of the Church. Consider the Prayer of Agur on this matter, which can be found in Proverbs 30:7-9.
Maybe this concept of a giving plan is the way we should view our personal money management. The church can help make this a teachable topic by leading the way and the discussion about how we view the money God has given us all to steward.
Maybe it’s time to review what is said and done with your offerings and what it communicates to members and visitors alike, including how much is our personal or congregational “enough”?
Connecting mission with money
The church needs to be a model for members concerning what it means to be a good steward. We are all called to be a priesthood of believers, to be disciples of Jesus and this includes using our money for more than our own good, but for the good of others. In Matthew 6:1-4, Jesus commands his followers to give to the needy:
“So, when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Notice the word “when.” Jesus assumes that his followers will be generous givers, especially to those in need. Alms was a specific type of gift to be shared with widows, orphans, strangers and the poor. A model of being a good steward is to be a generous giver. All are expected to give beyond themselves – including the local congregation.
Our language shared from the pulpit, in congregational meetings, and in our on financial reports should all point to this biblical mandate. Church financial statements are a great place to include your congregational mission or vision statement as a reminder of why we give and to what end. After all, isn’t giving about more than keeping the lights on? The congregation receives gifts in order to fulfill God’s mission in our community and around the world.
Maybe it’s time to review what is said and done with your offerings and what it communicates to members and visitors alike, including how church leaders model giving.
Reflection questions:
- How are we setting an example of stewardship for our congregation?
- Have we had conversations about our church’s finances with the wider congregation?
- How do our individual opinions about money affect how we lead our congregation?
- How do we encourage our congregation to give cheerfully?
- What actions and attitudes are we promoting when we talk about giving?