1. How do we talk about money?

2. When the Bible talks about money, it almost always talks about how the use of money impacts ones relationship with God.

3. In the Bible Money is a threat to a persons relationship with God. Money is a threat to a persons relationship with God. Money brings with it a duty that flows from a persons relationship with God.

4. How do we talk about money in the church? Most often we talk about institutional needs. Most often we talk about institutional needs. Most often money talk is not spiritual, but is rather about the business life of the congregation/synod/churchwide organization. Most often money talk is not spiritual, but is rather about the business life of the congregation/synod/churchwide organization.

5. Do you and does your congregation most often talk about the need of the church to receive or the need of the giver to give?

6. What would it look like if we embarked on a conscious effort to never talk about the institutional needs of the church to receive and always talk about the spiritual need of the giver to give? (How about almost never?)

7. Some practical applications How/why do we report giving/spending to the congregation? What are some unintended consequences of how we do this? How/why do we report giving/spending to the congregation? What are some unintended consequences of how we do this? Nature of annual stewardship response program. Nature of annual stewardship response program. Timing of annual stewardship response program. Timing of annual stewardship response program. Budgets – type of budget, place for budget Budgets – type of budget, place for budget

8. Some practical applications – 2 The pastors role in stewardship ministry is vital The pastors role in stewardship ministry is vital Preach it. Preach it. Model it. Model it. Lead it. Lead it. The dynamics of small membership congregations make money talk more difficult. The dynamics of small membership congregations make money talk more difficult. Power issues Power issues Survival/fear issues Survival/fear issues