3 Ways to Talk about Money in a Sermon
Psssst…in case you haven’t stumbled over the fresh flowers begging to be purchased in your grocery store, I have news for you…Valentine’s Day is on Saturday! It’s not too late to think of some quick and cute thing to do to recognize the day on Sunday, too. I mean, would you turn down a piece of Valentine’s candy, merely because it was a day late? Let’s get real. Bring on the chocolate in worship!
Speaking of bringing unexpected things to worship, how about talking about money in a sermon?
Uh oh, did the mere mention of money + sermon have you breaking out in a cold sweat? You, my friend, are not alone.
Too many of us (and I include myself, even as a lay person who loves talking about money) have been silenced.
Why?
- Televangelists. Especially those from the days of old who talked incessantly about their need for money, loaded up their messages with guilt for good measure, all while they appeared to live the high life.
- The Lone Voice in Your Congregation. That’s the person who saddles up and snidely remarks, “All the church ever talks about is money” when literally, you’ve only mentioned money in your one annual stewardship sermon. But nonetheless, it’s a criticism that you (understandably) take to heart.
- You. Fear sets in. You’re sure people will be upset. They’ll assume you’re only trying to raise money for your salary. Your own relationship to money is fraught. Maybe you’re the major roadblock.
Perhaps it’s time to reframe how you think about talking about money in a sermon.
Don’t wait for a Special Sunday. Think of ways to slip in the concept of generosity far more frequently than you do now. When you mention a ministry in action, talk about the generosity of the people who made it happen. Is there a sermon illustration that shows what faithful tithing can produce? When you talk about gratitude, be sure to throw in a good word for people who share their time, talent, and financial resources.
Give your testimony. And no, you will not be equated with a televangelist because you talk about how Jesus changed your life. This of course, does not need to be the sole focus of your sermon. But if people occasionally hear how you struggled to understand the concept of tithing and generosity, it will make their struggle seem not so out of the norm.
Follow the scripture. Since Jesus spoke about wealth, possessions, consumerism nearly more than any other subject, much of what is written about in the Gospels relates to money. When the Gospel (or the lectionary) naturally leads to one of these topics – wealth, possessions, consumerism – take the Spirit’s leading and preach about it.
Once again, no one is saying that talking about money is easy. But it doesn’t have to be nearly as scary or hard as it seems. Money, and how we use it, is a discipleship issue. I’m sure you want nothing more than to have faithful disciples.
That’s why it’s imperative that you preach about it throughout the year.
Here are some additional resources:
Leading Ideas: 5 Ways to Preach about Money More Effectively
UMC Discipleship Ministries: 10 Tips for Talking about Money in Your Congregation
Carey Neiuwhof: 7 Ways to Talk about Money in Church Without Being Awkward
Photo credit: Steve Biak Ling@ Upsplash.com
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Faith Foundation Northwest has a new resource: Clergy Tax Essentials & Church Financial Health
The Greater Northwest Area of the UMC is offering Get Ready for Grants on Feb. 26. It will be repeated on March 11.
Cesie Delve Scheuermann (pronounced “CC Delv Sherman,” yes, really) is a Stewardship Consultant for the OR-ID Annual Conference. She is also a Senior Ministry Strategist with Horizons Stewardship – helping with capital campaigns and encouraging more generosity. For 25 years, while working as a volunteer and part-time consultant, she has helped raise millions of dollars for numerous churches and non-profit organizations. She loves the word “literally.” Especially the way Rob Lowe says it.
You can reach Cesie at inspiringgenerosity@gmail.com, at CesieScheuermann.com, or at cesieds@horizons.net. Want to schedule a meeting? She’s got you covered!
Schedule a meeting now.
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