Where There's Slack There's Lack - Part 6 of 8

SYSTEM #6: THE STEWARDSHIP SYSTEM

Wednesday has rolled around again! Time for the weekly installation of our eight-part “Where There’s Slack There’s Lack” series. I’m particularly excited about the system we are looking at today. It’s a crucial system and one that’s surrounded by a lot of questions and misconceptions…

Have you ever had a hard time getting new believers to tithe? Have you ever wished you had more faithful givers? Of course you have. We all wrestle with the money issue. That’s where The Stewardship System comes in. This is the system that asks, “How do you develop extravagant givers at your church?”

Stewardship is a tough issue. That’s why most of us, as church leaders, tend to separate it from other spiritual disciplines, like praying, reading our Bibles and going to church. We are afraid to hold our attenders accountable in the personal area of money.

But, let’s face it – money is not only essential to Kingdom growth, it’s also an essential factor in the spiritual growth of our people. We will never develop strong disciples until we learn to develop strong givers.

How effective is the stewardship system you have in place? To get an idea of how things are going, ask yourself these questions:

Are you modeling extravagant giving?
How do you know when someone gives a gift for the first time? How do you respond?
When was the last time you taught on the spiritual discipline of giving?
Have you given your people a tithe challenge in the last year?

Most new givers – and even a lot of more seasoned givers – don’t understand the importance of bringing the full tithe. There is a path we have to lead them down, as they mature in their understanding of stewardship. That kind of growth doesn’t happen haphazardly. But as God blesses and works through the Stewardship System, we can build churches of faithful, and even extravagant, givers.

This week, spend some time with your Stewardship System. Think through your process for explaining the importance of giving. Think about how you follow up with those who give. Write out your own financial testimony.

If you will give this system some true attention, you can begin to recast the sticky issue of money as the important spiritual discipline it really is.

Nelson

P.S. – If you haven’t already, make sure you download the free Church Systems Report, to learn more about the eight church systems and how they work together for the healthy growth of your church.

P.P.S – To dig deeper into this issue of developing extravagant givers, check out The Stewardship Seminar.

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.