November 5thWebinar Encourages Generous Church Conversations
Money is often a difficult subject for us to talk about in church. Many churches only talk about money at one time—in church budget season—and in one way—with a sense of scarcity. How can we have better conversations in our churches around money?
This was one of the motivating questions behind a recent Mennonite Church Manitoba webinar with Lori Guenther Reesor, stewardship coach and author of Growing a Generous Church: A Year in the Life of Peach Blossom Church. Nearly two dozen people—mostly church treasurers and other congregational leaders—signed up to talk with Lori about money, giving, and the church.
“‘Don’t be afraid,’ angels say, and this is good stewardship advice too,” says Lori. “How can we nurture generosity as a joyful response to our generous God, giver of every good thing? How do we do this when we’re scared and fewer people attend church?”
The webinar was practical and interactive. People asked questions like, “What do we do with offering time on Sunday when most people are now giving electronically?” and “How do we respond to situations of household debt?” Other topics included legacy gifts, the relationship of giving and prayer, and whether pastors should know how much their congregants give.
Lori also gave advice on concrete actions congregations can begin doing immediately to encourage generous living and giving, such as writing thank-you letters to members for the various ways they have been generous, or inviting older members to tell the story of how they learned to give to the church. Developing stewardship committees can also make a difference in inspiring congregational giving and making it easier to have conversations about money.
Lori emphasizes that generosity is nurtured in gratitude; when we live a life of gratitude toward God and others, we will become more generous toward God and others. “God is the source of every good thing. All that we have are gifts from God,” she says. “And God doesn’t change. God is faithful today, next Tuesday, next week, and next year.”
This webinar was recorded, and if you would like to view it with your leadership team or stewardship committee, please contact Michael Pahl. If you’d like to give financially to MCM to support congregational resourcing events like this free webinar, see www.mennochurch.mb.ca/giving.