November 13th-14th | Saddleback Community Church | Lake Forest, California

A Simple, Practical Model

Preach It
A 2-week stewardship series every January will not build a generous culture. First-century preachers did not hesitate to take the message of generosity to the pulpit, so to speak, and neither should pastors today. Whatever other facets there may be to a church stewardship program, one non-negotiable is the preaching of generosity from the pulpit by the minister. Learn how you can continually cast a vision for generosity and lead your church to greater giving. (I Timothy 6:17-18; 2 Corinthians 8:7)

Teach It
Our society is the most affluent in the world, yet the average person today gives a smaller percentage than the average person in the depths of the Great Depression. The average person has $12,000 in credit card debt. What’s wrong with this picture? Unlike preaching, teaching contexts provide opportunity for detailed instruction in the ins and outs of God’s Word. Learn some of the best practices used by churches to help their people understand a biblical view of possessions. (Exodus 18:20; Matthew 6:1-4; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2)

Celebrate It
The church’s unique mission involves not only teaching and preaching but also worship, which is simply the celebration of God and His works. How often do we celebrate what God has done? Learn how you can celebrate in new ways to encourage your congregation. The Lord loves a cheerful giver and celebration is contagious!  (2 Corinthians 9:13; Romans 16:9a; Romans 6:17)

Apply It
Like it or not, pastors live their lives for all their people to see. And if a pastor wants to convince people that they should give generously to the Lord, he had better be prepared to do so himself. Learn how the pastor and leaders of the church can take the lead in giving, thereby demonstrating the principle with their own lives. (I Timothy 3:1-3; Titus 2:7)