[1]NASHVILLE (BP) – Americans gave 3.02 percent of their income to the church in 1968. By 2017, it had declined to 2.13 percent. If this trend is not reversed, by 2050 it is projected to decline to 1.66 percent.
This money does not belong to people to keep in their pockets, because all money belongs to God. We are called to honor God with at least the first 10 percent of all God has entrusted to us in life. This practice is to be ongoing weekly, not weakly.
The greatest financial security for all Christ-followers is to practice God’s financial plan by following a biblical pattern to carry out personal stewardship.
[2]Your personal financial posture and your church’s financial posture does not improve by keeping money and hoarding what you may think is yours. Conversely, your personal financial security and your church’s financial security is more certain when you follow God’s financial plan found in the Bible.
Six-week sermon series and curriculum series
That is why I have written a Bible-based, theologically sound stewardship emphasis which is designed to include two resources every church can use regardless of size or location:
[3]- A six-week sermon series
- A six-week curriculum for Sunday School or small groups
While the pastor preaches in the worship service that “God Is the Owner of Everything,” each of your small groups, Bible study classes and Sunday school classes teach the same.
Your team of laypersons or staff can easily transfer these principles so they can be simultaneously taught to all of your students, children, and preschoolers. If you do not teach them, no one will. Everyone, at all stages of life, needs to be called to biblical stewardship.
Six biblical principles
The six principles I am encouraging you to teach your people are proven. They are biblical, strategic and practical.
- God Is the Owner of Everything
- We Own Absolutely Nothing
- Honor God with at Least the First Ten Percent
- Bring the Full Ten Percent to the Church
- Practice Over and Above Giving
- Focus on the Great Commission Always
These six principles are steps to giving your church members a biblical way to look at their entire lives, including the finances that God alone has entrusted to them. Each church can and should do the same.
A Digital Church Kit is now available for free.
There is no cost to you or your church for this resource. Everything is downloadable at: SBC.net/stewardship [4].
The Digital Church Kit includes:
- A PDF copy of the book which you can distribute to all in your church
- Promotional graphics for use in your church
- Bulletin inserts for use in your church
- PowerPoint slides for your sermon series
- Social media graphics
You can request this free digital church kit here [5].
Why six weeks?
You may question why you would focus six weeks on a series like this. I believe we need to stop making excuses for not teaching stewardship because of fear or worry about what someone thinks. Why would you not teach about this subject? Given the infrequency of church attendance today, your best church members may be in church only two or three weeks over a six-week period of time.
Pastor and church leader, let’s emphasize the biblical principles of stewardship, standing upon the Bible’s authority in the name of Jesus, teaching them to give to your church in the power of the Holy Spirit. Laypersons and church leaders must echo these Scriptural teachings and loudly proclaim a hearty “Amen!” with the way they give of the resources that God alone has entrusted to them.
If a pastor and his church leaders do not teach principles of stewardship to the entire church in an ongoing manner, then we are not helping people and families, or discipling them to be all God wants them to be in their lives. This needs to change and change now.
TEN PERCENT: A Call to Biblical Stewardship is provided to help you personally and your church collectively. In addition to the digital download, we have a limited number of physical copies available. They may be ordered here [6]. However, with this limited number, I encourage you to utilize the digital download [7] if you are able.
Get this resource now and begin utilizing it to encourage your church to live biblically with the financial resources given to them by God.
Now is the time to lead.