"When you think about the churches you work with, what are some of the things you ask pastors to change about the way they approach giving and generosity and what are the things you tell them to keep the same?"
We asked Rusty Lewis, Vice President of Generis and a church consultant with decades of experience in generosity and stewardship, this question during our recent interview. He pointed to 3 things he sees over and over again:
- Language: Giving is not about funding budgets. It’s about resourcing ministry. Instead of saying "budgets," try using "Ministry Fund," or "Ministry Resource Fund." It typically translates better for folks, making us think less of turning on the lights and paying the staff and more about funding a ministry.
- Frequency: Churches must increase the frequency with which they engage in discussions about stewardship and generosity. It’s often much too infrequent. Pastors simply don’t talk about it as much as they should.
- Story: Most churches aren’t telling stories often enough or well enough. Tell me, as a giver, how my giving is making a difference in the life of this church, in the lives of people. This is especially important if you have millennials in your church.
Watch the full interview below to hear Rusty expand on these points and offer great insight into many others:
Like what you heard? Grab a copy of Rusty's guide, Leveraging Technology to Accelerate Giving, to dig in deeper!
If you want to get in touch with Rusty, he'd love to hear from you! Shoot him an email at rusty@generis.com.
