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Why congregations seem to avoid church during giving series
Study the scripture before you recite it
Paige Peterson
July 18, 2024
You can’t build a culture of generosity in your church without talking about giving.
But what happens when you announce an upcoming giving series? For many church leaders, they see a decline in attendance.
Giving is a cornerstone of the faith journey — it says so in the Bible. So why do people avoid the messages that can spark the heart transformation that comes with being a faithful giver?
From our perspective, it’s not an issue of faith or commitment. It’s a communication problem.
The double-edged dilemma
Communication has two sides — and so does the issue of teaching generosity in the church. Pastors and the congregation both play a role in overcoming the dipping attendance numbers during the giving series.
Historically, many church leaders have missed the mark when it comes to embracing the transformational mindset when teaching about giving. By taking transactional approaches, the congregation becomes wary of future giving-centered messages, the sermon feeling more like a shakedown than a guide on the faith path.
This creates tension and stubbornness to receive the message.
On the other hand, pastors and church leaders are also often ill-equipped to share the message of God in terms of giving. Rather than arming their sermons with Bible verses already provided by God to teach on the giving topic, they might prepare information on budgets and goals or share verses needing translation and framing to fit the message at hand.
With the congregation’s stubbornness to receive and the church leader’s lack of biblical equipping, of course, the conversation feels awkward.
Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be. There is a solution.
Action Items:
1. Read the Bible
This one may seem obvious — but according to a recent study by Pew Research, there isn’t a single demographic in which more than 35% of Christians read their Bible more than once or twice a week.
Before we can start debating on the interpretations of the Bible, we have to read the word itself. When you teach giving, there is no need for interpretations. God shares messages directly in the Bible about giving. Let the text speak for itself.
2. Keep the focus on transformation, not transaction
When teaching about giving, focus on the heart transformation, not the transaction. Start by reading the Bible and knowing God and what he has to say. Be open and honest with your congregation about the topic and your goals.
Start off by addressing the topic — yes, we will be talking about money and giving — but qualify your message by sharing your goal: To transform the heart.
You can do this literally by telling your congregation something like:
“We aren’t talking about money because of budget. Our budget is fine, we don’t need money. We want to see your heart transform with giving, whether you’re giving your money here or elsewhere in God’s name.”
Challenge your scripture understanding
Sometimes Christians seek answers to their questions in the scripture (as they should), but misinterpret the word of God. Church leaders aren’t immune to misinterpretation, especially regarding difficult topics like money.
Hold yourself accountable for challenging your beliefs on the meaning of texts by asking others, diving into research, and collaborating with fellow church leaders.
Does that verse really mean what you think? Or have you interpreted it to mean what you want it to?
Never be ashamed to learn, grow and apologize where necessary.
The money talk is challenging for many reasons. But it’s even harder when the transactional approach has your congregation skipping giving series. By being honest, relying on the scripture (not interpretations) and encouraging regular Bible reading, you can shift further towards the transformational approach and transform more hearts along the way.