I often teach that “Stewardship is Discipleship” and share the benefits to both your members and your ministry on using a stewardship system to cultivate giving in your church. Today’s guest post addresses this often taboo issue head-on. Brandon A. Cox is the editor of Pastors.com and author of “Rewired: Using Technology to Share God’s Love.”

As a pastor, I’m well aware of how many people have the assumption that “all pastors want to talk about is money.” The funny thing is, after twenty years in ministry and communicating regularly with thousands of pastors, I can firmly assert that talking about money is one of our least favorite things to do, especially in our culture where personal finances are very… personal.

But the Apostle Paul wrote to a younger Pastor in Ephesus named Timothy once and told him to “Teach and urge these things … there is great gain in godliness with contentment … but those who desire to be rich fall into temptation … for the love of money is the root of all evil. As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches” (1 Timothy 5:2-17 ESV).

In other words, good doctrine (which literally means “teaching”) demands that we address the issue of money. Here are several reasons why the church needs to talk about finances …

• How we use money is a matter of worship—it demonstrates our values and what is important to us.
• It is pretty obvious people NEED help in this area—we’re strapped and stressed because of terrible management.
• Generosity is a key value of the Christian life, for the church and for the individual Christian.
• Money needs to serve the needs of man and the causes of justice, rather than man serving under the tyranny of money.

To read this post in its entirety, click here.

Your partner in ministry,

Nelson

P.S. – What would your church look like if everyone tithed? How many more people would you be able to reach for Christ? My powerful book, Maximize, is the ultimate how-to book for pastors and church leaders who long for their churches to be fully resourced to carry out ministry initiatives without financial strain. And today you have a chance to pick it up for just $1.00.

This opportunity is a financial no brainer – even the shipping is included! But act now, I don’t want you to miss out – copies are limited.

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© 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.