Think about this: if it is critical for leaders to understand data, why is it so common for many leaders in the church to ignore giving data or to not look at the data or to be nervous or afraid of the data?

We need to model that we are also being generous with the resources that God has entrusted to us. That modeling goes in a couple of ways: 1) how we are spending the dollars that God is entrusted to us and then 2) how we are releasing them into ministry elsewhere.

You know what’s weird about the church is that we have this model where one person stands in front of a group and talks to them all at once. The problem with that is you can never actually nuance your communication because you’re trying to communicate in a way that everybody understands. In giving, this can really be a problem.

It’s critical that you use an offering moment to tell stories, to share scripture, to use statistics that give people access to what they need to understand, and to teach them about generosity and stewardship and giving instead of just collecting an offering. Create a moment In your weekend experience to inspire, to encourage, to inform, and to engage people in the areas of generosity and stewardship.

If you have people in your church in leadership positions who are not intentionally growing in the areas of generosity, stewardship, and giving, you’ve got problems.