Why Didn’t Members at Your Church Give More on Sunday?

Squeezing coins. Photo courtesy of Jakub Krechowicz

I met a pastor recently who never discusses finances with his church. He believes the members of his congregation have been hurt so much by our culture, the constant asks of para-church ministry, and “money-grubbing pastors”, he doesn’t want to add to their pain.

How about you?

I was surprised by this pastor’s observation, but perhaps I shouldn’t have been. Itinerate pastor and author, Aaron Armstrong blogged about five reasons church members don’t give or give less. Here are two of his observations.

They’ve been hurt by the world
Some folks—maybe because of  a business deal going bad, poor life choices, or student debt—are in a really bad spot. They went to college, got a degree and are working at Starbucks or McDonalds while paying off $60K in student loans. Their business went belly-up and they’re stuck paying off the creditors while trying to avoid foreclosure. Their reasonably well-paying job was eliminated and so they’re scraping everything they can together to keep a roof over their family’s heads and food on the table. They might very likely have a desire to give generously, but the means simply aren’t there. They need time, assistance —maybe your church offers financial counselling and coaching?—and a great deal of encouragement as they strive to get onto solid ground.

They’ve been hurt by the church
Depending on your situation, you might be seeing a lot of transfer growth, people joining your church from other churches. While many people transferring are healthy and ready to serve—perhaps work, family, or other situations not related to some sin issue necessitated their leaving their previous church—others are coming in banged up, hurt and nervous. These people need time, love, and patience while they get things figured out, get the help they need, and eventually start to give.

Read his full blog post here.

What have you found in your church?
Why do your members hold back their generosity?
Please leave a comment below.

He Hid it in the Garage

from Mark Whitlock

Year’s ago, my wife and I were involved is a small group Bible study with a successful neonatologist at a leading children’s hospital. Only my wife’s father had a richer, gentler bedside manner.

One night, our group met at his home. As our wives caught up in the kitchen, my friend motioned all of us husbands to follow him. He took us into his garage. The lights were off and we were all disoriented. He flipped on the lights to reveal a gleaming new sports car painted in British racing green. High fives, oohs, and ahhs echoed off the concrete floor. One of our group grabbed the doctor and tried to wrestle his keys from him.

I remember thinking, “No one deserves this car more.”

The doctor, however, was embarrassed. He had ordered the car months before and was committed. He really wanted the car, but as the calendar flipped each month, he grew more and more convicted. He used the car as an object lesson that night in our lives. He said:

Guys, I’m glad you like the car. I do, too. I can’t wait to take you for a spin… one at a time of course. But every time I see this car, I think of something else. Five years ago, my wife and I decided to give more purposefully. We decided since God had blessed us so much, that we should give more. So, each year for the past five years, we’ve increased our giving by 1%. We’re now giving 15%. Plus, we’ve set aside another 5% of our income to give as the Lord leads… when missionaries come to town and we’re moved by their work… when a member of the youth group can’t afford to go on a trip… when we hear of a family who’s been impacted by a fire…

Men, I know we come from very different backgrounds. It doesn’t matter how much we make. What matters is what we do with what God has provided.

Oh that God would raise up more men like my friend, the doctor… not only to give, but to challenge others to give.

How do we teach generosity to ourselves? Our children?
What lessons have been effective in your church?

Please comment below.