We place almost all the blame on the shoulders of tithers and givers (or non-tithers and non-givers), but we pay almost no attention to how well (or how poorly) most churches are managing the funds that are given to them.
Jesus said it best in the Parable of the Talents when he told us we have to be faithful in the lesser things (like money) before he will entrust us with greater things (like an expanded ministry).
Monetary stewardship is a test. A test of our integrity. A test that too many of us are failing. This may sound terribly unspiritual to some, but we can’t pray our way out of problems like this, because bad stewardship undercuts the impact of our prayers.
Churches must have more integrity in the way we manage the money that’s been entrusted to us.
The ministry of the church depends on it. The effectiveness of the church depends on it. The reputation of the church depends on it.
This is not a money issue. It’s an integrity issue. We need to do better.
Copyright © 2018 by the author or Christianity Today.
Click here to read our guidelines concerning reprint permissions.
Pivot is a part of CT's
Blog Forum. Support the work of CT.
Subscribe and get one year free.
The views of the blogger do not necessarily reflect those of Christianity Today.
Join in the conversation about this post on Facebook.
11 Self-Care Steps For Leaders Who Are Barely Holding On
Motivation is hard. And comfort food feels so good. But it’s more important now than ever to stay healthy.If “We Don’t Go To Church, We Are The Church” Is True, Why Do I Miss Going So Much?
We haven’t ceased to be the church. We’ll never cease to be that. But I miss the gathering.Please Don’t Make “How Many Watched Online?” Our New Ministry Metric
While necessary right now and important in the future, we can't close our eyes to the downsides of online church.I Just Subscribed To More Than 100 Church YouTube Channels – Here’s Why You Should, Too
Here's a simple way to help online churches reach even more people through YouTube.