4. Never Asking People To Give
Many people have been guilted into giving in the past or have attended a church where it was all about the money. As a result, many pastors choose to not ask for money at all. Neither approach is correct. Jesus spoke of money or possessions in almost half of the parables. He spoke of money via the subjects of giving, stewardship, and sacrifice.
5. Failing To Equip People To Win With Their Money
Many leaders who are facing an under-funded vision do teach about money, but only from the perspective of giving. While it is extremely important to put God first, it is not the only key to winning with money God’s way. It is important to teach people that God is the owner (Psalm 24:1). Our church has led more than 9,400 people through personal finance curriculum and coaching.
6. Making Too Many Financial Asks
Some churches provide the opportunity to give to 15 to 20 different initiatives each year. While all of these represent a great aspect of the ministry, it prevents maximum giving and limits ongoing giving to the general fund. Why not consolidate all of the ministry initiatives into a single major offering? This prevents “donor-fatigue” and leads to a more fully funded vision.
7. Breaching Trust
A breach of trust is created when money has been collected for an initiative, but then the money is used for something entirely different without that reason being clearly communicated to the church. Some churches have had multiple collections for the same project, yet there is no money in that account because it has been used for something different. Without trust, nothing can stand for long. If this is among your church financial mistakes, be certain to clearly communicate WHY it happened. Apologize as necessary and move forward to establish a new foundation of trust.
