Today’s blog comes to us from my friend and stewardship mentor Steve Stroope as an excerpt from his book, Money Matters in Church: A Practical Guide for Leaders. Steve is lead pastor of the multi-campus Lake Pointe Church near Dallas, Texas. Under his leadership, the congregation has grown from 57 members in 1980 to a current attendance of more than 11,000. Steve will be joining me as a speaker at the Church Systems Check-Up and Boot Camp this summer (see the PS for more details).

Without question the area where pastors feel least prepared to lead their churches is stewardship in general and church finances in particular. This is true regardless of the size of the church. Whether it is a congregation of fifteen people or fifteen thousand people, few leaders feel more than just adequate to lead in the financial aspects of their ministry.

The problem, however is that most churches expect and depend on their pastor not only to raise the finances but ensure that those finances are managed in a God-honoring way after they are collected. And if pastors don’t know how or can’t do it, then it won’t get done, at least not well.

Here’s the question: how many courses did you take in seminary on church finances? And for those of you who majored in pastoral ministries and leadership, how many of you took even a single course on church finances?

I know what you’re thinking: As a pastor, all I want to do is to teach and preach the Bible! I’m not good at arm-twisting and making people feel uncomfortable over money. And I don’t want to add to the perception of those who think the church is only after their money. That’s not who I am or what I want to do.

This is where some pastors who come from the business world may have an advantage over the seminary graduate. Those who lead in the corporate world are expected to have a good knowledge of finances in order to run their company, or their particular brand of a large company, with integrity and competence. There are aspects of church finances, however, that are foreign even to those who have advanced degrees in business and finance.

The Importance of Church Finances

Why is the topic of church finances so important? The church’s mission in this world, according to the Savior, is to make disciples (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15). As a part of discipleship, it is imperative that pastors hold their congregations accountable for their stewardship of God’s resources in the same way that they would hold them accountable for any of the other biblical admonitions on discipleship.

One writer states that there are more than twenty-three hundred verses in the Bible that address the topic of money. It’s been noted that in Matthew 6:19-21 Jesus warns us against storing up temporal treasure on earth. Instead, he commands that we seek to store up treasure in heaven. Then in verse 21, he explains why: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

How can we know where our hearts are? By looking for our treasure. And one key to discovering our treasure is what we do with our money. Sometimes people fool us. If we listen to them and watch what they do when they’re around us at church, they appear to have it all together. They seem to be spiritual giants. However, one of the true tests of where they are spiritually is to examine their checkbooks.

Congregational giving is about much more than simply giving money to the church. It’s a faith issue. It addresses matters of the heart. And a person cannot become a mature believer if his or her financial house is not in order. A leader’s responsibility is to set a good example by protecting and managing properly the resources entrusted to him.

Excerpt from Money Matters in Church: A Practical Guide for Leaders by Aubrey Malphurs and Steve Stroope

Your partner in ministry,

Nelson

P.S. – Meet Steve at Boot Camp!

Focus: Stewardship

He’ll be one of the keynote speakers at the three-day Church Systems Check-up & Boot Camp at Walt Disney World, Orlando. Steve will share his expertise in stewardship with practical and impactful next steps you can take to grow your ministry.

Time is running out to save big with the Super Early Bird Rate! Join me, Steve, Dr. Gary McIntosh and Kerrick Thomas for the all-new 2015 Church Systems Check-up and Boot Camp, July 22-24 at Disney World, Orlando. This year’s key theme is one of the most highly requested – STEWARDSHIP. You will discover how each of the 8 systems can raise the level of stewardship in your church. Plus, drill down on ALL 8 Systems of a healthy church with practical strategies you and your team can take back and start implementing right away!

Last Week for Super Early Bird Rate – Register Now and Save $350.00!

Click here to secure the lowest rate – must register by Friday, June 5th! 

© Nelson Searcy. All Rights Reserved.

About Nelson Searcy

Nelson Searcy is an experienced church growth strategist, pastor, church planter and coach, consulting with churches around the world. As founder of Church Leader Insights and the Renegade Pastors Network, he has personally trained more than 3,500 church leaders in over 45 denominations through live events, seminars and monthly coaching. Nelson is also the Founding and Lead Pastor of The Journey Church, with locations across New York City and in Boca Raton, FL. Nelson and his church routinely appear on lists such as “The 50 Most Influential Churches” and “The 25 Most Innovative Leaders.” He is the author of over 100 church growth resources and 18+ books, including The Renegade Pastor: Abandoning Average in Your Life, Ministry and The Difference Maker: Using Your Everyday Life for Eternal Impact, and At the Cross with the People Who Were There. He and his wife, Kelley, have one son, Alexander.