Saturday, November 06, 2004
November E-News
Stewardship E-Newsletter
October 2004
Bob Tallent, rgtallent@Comcast.net, 856-778-6117
A young pastor got a call from a funeral director asking him to do a graveside service for a person who had no relatives or friends living. The pastor got lost on the way to the grave yard and after driving around a while finally saw a backhoe and workmen taking a lunch break. The diligent pastor went to the open grave and found the vault lid already in place. Taking out his book, he read the service and then preached an impassioned sermon. On returning to his car he overheard one of the workmen say, “I’ve been putting in septic tanks for 20 years and I ain’t never seen anything like that!” [Copied]
If you are having trouble with your computer maybe it is and ID ten T error. Try writing it down.
Must Reading: There is more conflict in churches than at any time I can remember. The latest issue of Leadership magazine (Fall, 2004) focuses on this subject and contains several excellent articles.
Evangelicals give 2.7% of their income to all causes. Non-church members give 2.1%!. [Barna]
Daryl Heald, President of Generous Giving* of Chattanooga, Tennessee, says “we have created and perpetuated a culture of tipping rather than generosity…Jesus talked about [money] more than any other subject. Why? Because He knew it had the greatest competition to lordship…I am very much a proponent of our core giving being to our church where we are worshiping every Sunday” [Baptists Today, Sept. 2004] *Check out their web site at www.generousgiving.org.
Barna also reports: Giving is back up from a low after the “9-11” attacks to previous norms.
How stewardship Changes the world: In 1965, Millard Fuller’s strong business ambition had taken a toll on his marriage. So he and his wife, Linda, made a radical decision to give away their wealth and focus more intently on God and family. In the process, they visited Koinonia Farms near Americus, GA. looking for some old friends. There they met Bible scholar and contemporary prophet, Clarence Jordan. The visit they expected to be a couple of hours, lasted six months. Out of it came “Habitat for Humanity.” In the coming year, this ministry is expected to complete its 200,000th dwelling for the poor which would fulfill Fuller’s lifetime goal of housing for 1 million persons.
How to do almost every thing in ministry: John Bisagno, long-time Pastor of FBC, Houston TX, has published a very through yet concise book on almost every task of a pastor: Letters to Timothy, a Handbook for Pastors, Boardman & Holman, 2001. Convention Press has a similar notebook: Toolbox for Busy Pastors, Campbell, 1998.
HOW TO PREACH ON STEWARDSHIP:
1. Deal with the issue in your personal life. Many pastors can’t talk effectively about stewardship because they have not conquered Mammon in their own life. You can never lead where you yourself have not gone.
2. Deal with your fear of the subject. Understand that you are called to declare the “whole counsel of God.” Understand that you are actually blessing your congregation when you share with them what God says about stewardship.
3. Saturate yourself with the scriptural teachings on the subject. Get the CD from our state office, “Stewardship Scripture Studies,” Cheek out the Thompson Reference Bible or a good topical Bible, or simply use a good concordance.
4. Preach to grow Christians not just to raise money. Include a holistic view of stewardship, not just money.
5. Use humor. Puncture the anxiety of tension surrounding this subject with a little levity.
6. Use a lot of enrichment: Stories, illustrations, statistics, needs, and applications. Include plenty of biblical illustrations.
7. Be specific. Don’t just talk in generalities. Help people to have certain definable “action plans” to do in regard to what you are teaching: i.e. tithe, pledge, “give off the top,” give systematically, give weekly to the church budget [“store house”], etc.
8. Pray! Before. During. And After!
# # #
October 2004
Bob Tallent, rgtallent@Comcast.net, 856-778-6117
A young pastor got a call from a funeral director asking him to do a graveside service for a person who had no relatives or friends living. The pastor got lost on the way to the grave yard and after driving around a while finally saw a backhoe and workmen taking a lunch break. The diligent pastor went to the open grave and found the vault lid already in place. Taking out his book, he read the service and then preached an impassioned sermon. On returning to his car he overheard one of the workmen say, “I’ve been putting in septic tanks for 20 years and I ain’t never seen anything like that!” [Copied]
If you are having trouble with your computer maybe it is and ID ten T error. Try writing it down.
Must Reading: There is more conflict in churches than at any time I can remember. The latest issue of Leadership magazine (Fall, 2004) focuses on this subject and contains several excellent articles.
Evangelicals give 2.7% of their income to all causes. Non-church members give 2.1%!. [Barna]
Daryl Heald, President of Generous Giving* of Chattanooga, Tennessee, says “we have created and perpetuated a culture of tipping rather than generosity…Jesus talked about [money] more than any other subject. Why? Because He knew it had the greatest competition to lordship…I am very much a proponent of our core giving being to our church where we are worshiping every Sunday” [Baptists Today, Sept. 2004] *Check out their web site at www.generousgiving.org.
Barna also reports: Giving is back up from a low after the “9-11” attacks to previous norms.
How stewardship Changes the world: In 1965, Millard Fuller’s strong business ambition had taken a toll on his marriage. So he and his wife, Linda, made a radical decision to give away their wealth and focus more intently on God and family. In the process, they visited Koinonia Farms near Americus, GA. looking for some old friends. There they met Bible scholar and contemporary prophet, Clarence Jordan. The visit they expected to be a couple of hours, lasted six months. Out of it came “Habitat for Humanity.” In the coming year, this ministry is expected to complete its 200,000th dwelling for the poor which would fulfill Fuller’s lifetime goal of housing for 1 million persons.
How to do almost every thing in ministry: John Bisagno, long-time Pastor of FBC, Houston TX, has published a very through yet concise book on almost every task of a pastor: Letters to Timothy, a Handbook for Pastors, Boardman & Holman, 2001. Convention Press has a similar notebook: Toolbox for Busy Pastors, Campbell, 1998.
HOW TO PREACH ON STEWARDSHIP:
1. Deal with the issue in your personal life. Many pastors can’t talk effectively about stewardship because they have not conquered Mammon in their own life. You can never lead where you yourself have not gone.
2. Deal with your fear of the subject. Understand that you are called to declare the “whole counsel of God.” Understand that you are actually blessing your congregation when you share with them what God says about stewardship.
3. Saturate yourself with the scriptural teachings on the subject. Get the CD from our state office, “Stewardship Scripture Studies,” Cheek out the Thompson Reference Bible or a good topical Bible, or simply use a good concordance.
4. Preach to grow Christians not just to raise money. Include a holistic view of stewardship, not just money.
5. Use humor. Puncture the anxiety of tension surrounding this subject with a little levity.
6. Use a lot of enrichment: Stories, illustrations, statistics, needs, and applications. Include plenty of biblical illustrations.
7. Be specific. Don’t just talk in generalities. Help people to have certain definable “action plans” to do in regard to what you are teaching: i.e. tithe, pledge, “give off the top,” give systematically, give weekly to the church budget [“store house”], etc.
8. Pray! Before. During. And After!
# # #
