Church Stewardship Ideas

Hundreds of churches are successfully using the "40 Day Spiritual Journey to a More Generous Life" Bible devotional to inspire greater generosity and increase giving. Using this in my own church, we our giving increase an amazing 41% in the weeks following sending the devotional to every family in our church and my preaching a financial sermon series! Pastor John Maxwell has taught thousands of pastors Biblical stewardship principles at Pastors' conferences he puts on. He says teaching an annual 4-message stewardship series is the single most important thing he does every year to help people grow in their spiritual and financial life. He has done this every year for 20 years. Only one of the four messages he gives specifically deals with giving money. Over the years, some of the month-long themes included: "God's Challenge, Our Choice," "Taking the Stew Out of Stewardship," "The ABC's of Stewardship," and "It's a Matter of Trust." Be sure to try and use real-life illustrations in your sermons. Tell people how the Lord has creatively provided for you and/or others you know who faithfully honored the Lord in their giving. When you teach from the head it goes to the head, but when you teach from a life it goes to a life. For resources that will help you put together financial or generosity sermons, go to: www.MAXIMUMgenerosity.org.

#2 - Outside Teaching Resources That Will Teach Christians How To Become More Generous and Better Manage Their Finances

Use teaching materials from one of the following sources:

MAXIMUM Generosity's "40 Days to a More Generous Life" Bible Devotional

"Financial Funnies" Cartoons to cause people to chuckle, think and become more generous.

Crown Financial Ministries

Willow Creek Association's Good Sense Ministry

Check with your denomination to see what they have to offer or would recommend.

Download the following National Report: "45 Best Practices to Inspire Generosity and Increase Giving": http://www.kluth.org/1NatlReport.htm

These excellent materials for small group financial Bible studies, Sunday school classes, stewardship campaigns, or seminars will help take people in your congregation to a whole new level of financial peace and Biblical generosity.

#3 - Personal Giving Testimonies

Before the offering is collected, have an individual or a couple give a personal testimony about how the Lord has taught them to give 10% or more to the Lord's work as their first and highest financial priority. Have them also briefly explain how they've felt about this decision and how the Lord has blessed them for their obedience. Some churches with video equipment have done these as taped interviews and then played them during the service. Use weekly questions from the www.GenerousLife.info devotional to help people develop their generosity story/testimony.

#4 - Designated Giving

Allow people to give designated "over-and-above-regular-gifts" to a building project, mission's offering or annual faith promise, renovations, or special needs. These usually do not have a negative impact on regular giving.

#5 - 90-Day Tithing Challenge

There is only one place in al l of Scripture that God invites us to "test Him" and that is in the giving of tithes and offerings. When John Maxwell was still pastoring, once a year, he would issue a 90-Day tithing challenge and promise to return any funds given during this period if people did not experience God's help in their financial lives. Following the month-long stewardship preaching series, his church would ask regular givers to turn in a card saying they will tithe the next year. He would ask non-tithers and new people to sign a card saying they would begin to tithe. The church offered a full refund to anyone who tithes for 90 days and then regretted this decision. For a sample policy from the MAXIMUM Generosity website, click here.

#6 - All-Church Tithing Sunday

Challenge everyone in advance to bring a full 10% of their income as an offering to church on a designated Sunday. A second option is to have people write on a card (without indicating their name) how much their tithe "would be" if they gave 10% of their annual household income to the church. Tally this information and report the totals back to the congregation. People will be amazed to discover that if they faithfully gave 10% of their income to the Lord's work in their local church, that they could expand the church budget 2-4x's for missions, staff, regular operations, and building/renovation projects.

#7 - Pre-Offering Bible Verse, Comments And Offertory Prayer By A Church Leader

I attended one church where a church leader or lay person would read an appropriate Scripture verse on finances, stewardship, or giving before the offering, make a few personal comments about why it was meaningful to him, and then pray for the morning offering. Give leaders a copy of Brian Kluth's internet handout (100 verses to encourage generosity) and try this in your own church. For a list of these verses, click here. To order a copy of these verses in weekly PowerPoint slides with attractive photos, click here. Some churches just show the one of the PowerPoint offertory slides just before the offering is taken and they have the person praying for the offering read the verse on the screen and then pray according to what the verse said.

#8 - Effective Use of Your Church's Giving Records

Put Biblical reasons "why to give" to the Lord on the bottom or back of your giving records. Send out quarterly giving record reports to your congregation with a financial newsletter. Encourage your congregation concerning the the value and importance of their faithful giving. For helpful articles, reports, and samples, click here.

#9 - Outside Guest Speaker

Bring in an experienced financial or generosity speaker. This can be done during a Sunday message, for a weekend seminar, or for a midweek estate planning session. A qualified and quality outside speaker can clearly teach God's word on a Biblical perspective to finances and generosity without fear or timidity.

#10 - Start A Christian Financial Counseling Ministry

Have a lay person in your church begin a Christian financial counseling ministry to help families in trouble. As families begin to get their finances in order, they'll begin to faithfully give to the Lord's work.

SPECIAL NOTE: The author has seen churches that have used just 3 or 4 of these ideas increase their giving 10%-25% or more!!!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Brian Kluth is a national and international speaker and writer on Biblical generosity and financial matters. He is also a church pastor and the founder of MAXIMUM Generosity, a public ministry dedicated to advancing Biblical generosity through inspirational preaching, leadership training seminars, writing, resources and the media. Brian�s written materials have been distributed to more than 350,000 Christian leaders in more than 100 countries .For additional materials or to contact Brian, email: bk@kluth.org or visit: www.kluth.org

� www.kluth.org. Copyright reprint permission for non-commercial purposes can be purchased for $20 to photocopy, fax, email or print this materials for 1-25 people, $50 for distribution to 26-500 people, $75 for 501-999 people, and $100 for distribution to 1000 or more. To purchase the required reprint permission, go to the products page on this website (www.kluth.org), call 1-888-443-7407, or email: bk@kluth.org

► INTERNATIONAL RESOURCES: Availability of Brian's materials in 21 languages (from Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia, India)

CONTACT INFO: ►Cell: 719-930-4000 ►Fax: 719-634-7933 ►bk@kluth.org ►5201 Pinon Valley Road ►Colorado Springs, CO 80919

(c) Brian Kluth. All articles and products copyrighted. For permission to reprint Brian's materials for for personal, committee, church or ministry use, click here.

What are the themes/topics covered on the 1000+ pages on this website? This website had resources, materials, articles, cartoons, quips and quotes, and sermons that address matters of Biblical stewardship, generosity, giving, tithing, tithes and offerings, fundraising, building fund pledge drives, church capital campaigns from a Biblical/Scriptural perspectives. Hundreds of Bible verses and reference are included on this site for pastors, churches, ministers, Sunday school directors, teachers, curriculum writers. On this site you will find some of the best practices used by churches, parachurches and denominations to encourage giving and generosity among congregations, parishes, and constituencies.

How do the materials on this site help churches, ministries, parachurches, nonprofits, Christian organizations, mission agencies, and denominations? The generosity and giving material on this website will help any church or groups inspire greater generosity, increase giving, grow their budget, raise funds for church building fund capital campaign projects, teach the Bible and Biblical truth on finances - debt - generosity - savings - giving - offerings - investments and much, much more.

Who are some of the people that have endorsed Brian Kluth or his materials? Howard Dayton (and the late Larry Burkett) of Crown Financial Ministries and Christian Financial Concepts, Ron Blue - founder of Ron Blue & Company and CFPN Christian Financial Professionals Network (now called Kingdom Advisors), Fred Smith of The Gathering, Bob Buford of Half Time and Leadership Network, Dr. Tony Evans of the Urban Alternative, Lyle Schaller, George Barna of Barna Research, Dick Towner of Willow Creek Association Good Sense Ministry and movement. Brian has also worked with Generous Giving (Daryl Heald), National Christian Foundation that serves clients all over the country through Christian Community Foundations, Willow Creek Association (WCA), Forrest Reinhardt (formerly of Saddle Back Community Church where Rick Warren is the senior pastor), Christian Stewardship Association, Dr. Scott Preissler, Professor of Stewardship at Southwestern Southern Baptist Seminary in Fort Worth, TX. Stan Toler formerly of John Maxwell's Injoy Ministries, John Perkins of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA), Dr. Gene Getz of Dallas Theological Seminary, Richard Hammer of Church Treasurer's Alert. Brian also had Randy Alcorn speak at the Christian Stewardship Association conference while he was president of CSA.

What organizations or groups has Brian Kluth been part of or spoken for: Christian Stewardship Association (CSA), National Religious Broadcasters (NRB), National Association of Evangelicals (NAE - Board member), Christian Camp and Conference Association - CCDA (formerly known as Christian Camping International - CCI), Gospel Music Association (GMA), Evangelical Free Church of American (EFCA), Willow Creek Association (WCA), Good Sense Ministry at the Willow Creek Association, ABHE (formerly the The Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges or AABC - the organization was called the American Association of Bible Colleges). World Evangelical Fellowship (WEF) - - now called the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) while Dwight Gibson was the USA Director (Dwight Gibson is now with Geneva Global). Brian attended Asbury Seminary's Beeson Institute for 3 years. He has spoken at Bethel College and Seminary (now Bethel University), Northwestern College, and University of Wisconsin Inter-Varsity campus groups.

Has Brian's work been covered by the media: Brian has been interviewed for articles and programs or provided material for Kiplinger magazine (circulation: 1 million), NBC Dateline, an NBC TV affiliate, CBN TV 700 Club, Moody Radio Network's Open Line, HCJB World Radio International Friendship Program, REV! Magazine, (the former) Moody Monthly magazine, Crown Financial Ministries Money Matters radio program heard on 1000 stations, KYCC Radio based in Stockton, CA, Christianity Today's My Church, Colorado Springs Gazette newspaper, the Christian Report, Willow Creek Association (WCA) Seeds ezine, The Christian Post (as a top story), REV! Magazine; Church Executive Magazine, CCM Magazine, UPI - United Press International, USA Religious News, Christian Newswire, Christian Headlines, Google News, Yahoo News and MSNBC News.

What themes/topics are Brian's cartoons about: Brian has developed cartoons on stewardship, cartoons on giving, cartoons on church offerings, cartoons on money, cartoons on finances, cartoons on wealth, cartoons on charity, cartoons on debt, cartoons on shopping, cartoons on credit cards, cartoons on borrowing, cartoons on church building campaign projects and fund drives, cartoons on philanthropy, money cartoons, offering cartoons, tithing cartoons, generosity cartoons, banking cartoons, finance cartoons, budget cartoons, budgeting cartoons, stewardship cartoons, debt cartoons, credit card cartoons, charitable giving cartoons, cartoons on tithes - tithing - offerings. In addition to cartoons, Brian also has financial - generosity - debt - giving - tithing - money - credit card - philanthropy statistics, facts, figures, stories, sermon illustrations, quips, quotes, and Scripture verses on his website.

Can you highlight information Brian has put on this website on his "Getting Your House In Order Christian Planning Guide" (renamed: "Because I Love You Christian Planning Guide")? The main themes are faith issues, medical issues and health care directives, funeral planning, estate planning guide, family tree, medical information, family and life legacy and heritage issues, choosing children's guardians, helpful information for caregivers - retirees - aging parents, charitable giving, form for writing a budget, form for debts and liabilities, form for charitable and Christian giving, wills - trusts - estate planning guidance, seasonal household projects, checklists of important names - numbers - family information - legal documents - financial records - bank statements. Click here for more info or sample downloadable Getting Your House in Order manual (i.e. forms and checklists for getting your household information and estate and family affairs in order).

If Brian's website had an internet tag cloud, what would the key words, topics and themes associated with this website? Bible scriptures truth church generosity giving stewardship Brian Kluth philanthropy finances pastors money sermons messages contributions generous life - stewardship campaigns - cartoons teaching giving financial statistics church treasurer finance committee - stewardship committee - building fund drive committee executive pastor church administrator stewardship cartoons - wealth tithing tithes charity ministries fundraising non-profits nonprofits quips quotes church building fund campaigns pledge drives 40 day help resources generous giving curriculum churches budgets finances humor stories sermon illustrations messages poverty house in order budget crisis problems increase offerings giving best practices churches.

Contact information: Brian Kluth | 5201 Pinon Valley Road | Colorado Springs, CO 80910 | 719-930-4000 | Email