Are Your Church Members in the Statistic
Pastors have tremendous responsibilities, not only to themselves, but to their membership. According to Scripture, they must give an account for the souls of those who call them Pastor (Heb. 13:17). The Greek word for soul in that verse is not the spirit of the person, but the mind, will, and emotions.
Most of the Pastors in the USA do a great job at getting people saved and ready for heaven. Unfortunately, only a few prepare their members for day-to-day living, especially in the financial arena.
According to some surveys, 80% of Americans could not successfully navigate a 500 dollar emergency. This means they would have to use a credit card, borrow money from family or lending institutions to survive, or suffer the consequences of the emergency. The Apostle Paul said that Christians should be sanctified (set apart; venerated) wholly (complete—mind, soul, body, and spirit). Venerated means respected. How can Christians be respected when they cannot pay their bills and barely survive payday to payday?
Pastors, if we must give an account for their souls, many of us are failing miserably if we are not preparing our members to be respected in every area in our communities—especially when it pertains to finances.
What is a Pastor to Do
Many Pastors across America teach their membership that the Pastor is supposed to be blessed. This is true, Biblical teaching. Those that labor in Word and doctrine are worthy of double honor (1 Tim. 5:17). The Mace New Testament translation of this verse says those who are employed in preaching and instructing should receive double pay.
I am all for Pastors being blessed financially. However, we should not leave our membership behind, creating a tremendous amount of financial disparity between the pulpit and the pew. We must teach our members true Biblical economics.
When I say Biblical economics I am not talking about falsely promising your members that if they give $1000 in the offering, they are going to get a check in the mail for $30,000, $60,000, or $100,000. There are people in our pews who listen to a Pastor say this and use it as a Biblical lottery, waiting to hit the jackpot, only to become frustrated and stop tithing and giving. This teaching has created more mailbox faith, than God faith.
I believe strongly in tithe and offering. I also believe that God will open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings to those of us who are obedient in our giving. Jesus told us that He would cause men to pour our blessing into our lap (Luk. 6:38 Mace NT). Therefore, when God gives it back to us, through others, it often comes in the form of opportunities and dreams that we must act on. Unfortunately, many won’t teach that because some of their members may not give, if they feel they have to work for the return.
We have preached enough to the Choir (the Saints). Many attending Church week to week, hear the same salvation message every Sunday. How many times can we get them born again, again? We should be getting people to accept Christ, but in the Church setting we should be instructing the Saints how to live in the real world, and they in turn can get their peers born again.
The Blessings of Teaching Biblical Economics
Pastors need to teach their congregations how to get grants, start businesses, and become financially independent. Any Pastor that would begin correcting his or her members’ financial status would never have to worry about the Church finances.
If the congregation had an abundance of finances, there would never be a lack in the Church budget. Any Pastor, whose members are financially sound, never has to worry about ministry, or paying the Church bills.
This is where we come in.
How We can Help
Chitwood & Chitwood is the ultimate Church Management Company in the USA, and maybe the world. We know things others do not know, and therefore are a one-stop resource for everything a Church or Ministry needs.
One of our specialties is showing Christians how to get government money to set up their own non-profit, and in some cases for profit, business. Once they experience the freedom of being financially secure, they will have no problem blessing their local Church and Pastor.
Let us teach your people how to enjoy financial independence rather than barely surviving. If you would like to schedule a Wisdom and Wealth, or Millionaire Boot Camp for your Church, call us at 800-344-0076. You will be glad you did.
For us this is “A Ministry—Not A Job!”
