This is long, but well worth the read...
The Handout
When Andy Stanley preached on money, he didn't ask for it - he gave it away
By Robert J. Tamasy
Stewardship: Few sermon topics evoke more emotion. After all, we're talking about money - our money. Some listeners respond with joy and enthusiasm, but many others react with discomfort and resentment.
When talk turns to giving, foreheads collectively crease, hands instinctively reach protectively toward wallets and or to push checkbooks to the depths of purses.
Andy Stanley, senior pastor of youthful (median age, 35) and affluent North Point Community Church in suburban Atlanta, was keenly aware of these sentiments in preparing for a series of messages on stewardship last fall. He decided an experiment, an unconventional approach, was in order. Instead of asking members of his congregation for money, Stanley and his worship-planning team agreed the church would turn the tables and give money to the members.
He began his four-part "Stewards R Us" series with a message aimed at one principle: Everything belongs to God. Stanley cited I Chronicles 29:11-12 in the Living Bible, which declares, "Everything in the heavens and earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. ... Riches and honor come from you alone..."
People often become uptight when giving is mentioned because they see themselves as owners, rather than stewards, of what God has entrusted to them. But Stanley wanted to make it clear that "Everything belongs to God, everything comes from God, and everything is distributed by God. We are not owners. We're stewards."
To underscore this point, he closed with "an opportunity to practice stewardship." He asked each man, woman and child in attendance to open envelopes they had received as they came in. Each envelope contained cash - a $5, $10 or $20 bill - and a green response card.
The money came with three stipulations:
· Everyone had to invest the money (adding to it if they chose) in God's work outside the walls of the church.
· They could not keep the funds, but they could pool the money together if they desired.
· They were not to give the money to the first street person they encountered. Instead, he asked them to pray until they sensed God's leading in how to use it.
"This money belongs to North Point Community Church," Stanley told them. "You are now the steward of it. You'll notice not everyone received the same amount - some got more than others did. It doesn't matter, because it's not your money."
The response cards were provided so that people could report on how the money was spent. Good-naturedly, Stanley pointed out, "If you're thinking it's not my business what you do with it, it is my business - because it's not your money."
More than $37,000 was given to about 6,000 people during that Sunday's two morning services. Stanley continued the "Stewards R Us" series over the next three weeks, and cards and calls poured in reporting how the church's money had been invested.
The response was "unbelievable," according to Stanley. "I had no idea it would turn out the way it did. I was amazed at how creative and spontaneous people were. They really got out of the box in their thinking about giving."
- One person applied her $5 toward the purchase of a Christian music CD for an unbelieving friend, who has since started attending Bible studies at the church.
- Six people combined their money to prepare 45 sack lunches that they distributed to homeless people in downtown Atlanta.
- Two children living in an orphanage gave the money to their grandmother, who can no longer care for them because of her financial hardship.
"We got thousands of those cards back, with letters and notes," Stanley said. "What is most exciting is people added very significant amounts to what they received. I told the congregation the original $37,000 had become more than $300,000 given for various needs. Isn't that a good investment?"
Although the stewardship experiment was a novelty (several churches have since tried similar ideas), Stanley did not intend it as a stunt. His rationale was twofold: Even though he had never given a stewardship message in his four years at the church, Stanley knew longtime believers in the congregation had heard many sermons on giving, so he wanted to find a fresh, different approach. And since North Point Community vigorously cultivates a seeker-friendly atmosphere, he did not want to discourage guests from coming back.
"The philosophy of our church is 'invest and invite.' Invest in the lives of unbelievers, and invite them to a relevant environment where they will hear the Gospel. I didn't want to give unbelievers an excuse for not coming back. Who can argue with a church giving them money?"
(When a church singles group went out to eat one Sunday evening, one of the men gave their waiter $5 - in addition to the tip - to come to church the following week. The waiter did attend and has returned a number of times since.)
An important aspect of the timing for "Stewards R Us," according to Stanley, was there was no urgency to raise money within the church.
"I'm not a good fund-raiser, and I have always said if I did a stewardship series it would be when we were not raising money for our budget or a capital campaign," said Stanley. "I wanted my congregation to know I had no ulterior motive in preaching about money. I simply wanted them to start seeing their financial resources from God's perspective."
Despite no mention of increased giving to the church, weekly offerings grew. The second Sunday of the series, the offering was about 40 percent more than usual, and overall giving has remained higher than normal.
Should stewardship committees in other churches consider this approach? "It might work in some cases," Stanley conceded, "but we didn't intend this as a gimmick. When people learn how to give Biblically, the organization that teaches them will benefit."
While this was his first stewardship focus during a worship service, Stanley often is asked what the Bible teaches about giving.
"People ask something like, 'Tithing - that's really an Old Testament thing, isn't it?' and they are thinking, 'Please say yes,' " Stanley said. "Or they ask, 'Do I tithe off the gross, or the net?' What they really mean is, 'How little can I give and keep God happy with me? I don't want to be greedy, but I want to know where the line is.'
"Basically, we're confused. We think we are owners, and we feel generous if we give God a little bit of what we have. But if we were owners, we would take our stuff wherever we go. In the end, when we die we give it all away anyway."
Admittedly, tithing is easier to accept for Stanley - son of noted Southern Baptist pastor and author Charles Stanley - and his wife, Sandra, since they were reared in families where "whenever there was a need, we gave." Once the "everything belongs to God" reality is grasped, however, a debate over tithing guidelines becomes moot, he said.
"It's like God giving you $10," Stanley said, "and you ask, 'What do You want me to do with it?' He answers, 'Just give me back one.' 'Only one?' 'Yes, I'm only asking for one.' Imagine being someone's financial manager, they let you keep 90 percent, and you have to invest only 10 percent."
Ultimately, the issue revolves not around percentages but rather a new way of perceiving material resources.
"Our whole lives we spend serving and taking care of our stuff," said Stanley. "Our attitude is, 'I'm the king of my financial world, and I'll spend it the way I want to spend it.' But when we think and prioritize our finances that way, we end up giving God only our leftovers.
"In our home, no matter how much food we have in the refrigerator, whenever we're having guests for dinner, my wife goes to the grocery store and starts all over. She prepares a great meal and then, after the guests are gone and if there is anything left, we save the leftovers and eat them the next night. That's the way it should be.
"But as Christians we go to the grocery store financially, prepare ourselves a fine meal and consume as much as we can. Then if there is anything left over, we say, `God, this is for you.' "
To overcome this "leftover mentality" toward giving, Stanley suggested a radical reversal of priorities. Financial consultant Ronald Blue says there are basically five ways to use money: spend it, repay debt, pay taxes, save it and give it. And the typical American utilizes money in exactly that order, according to Blue. In his final "Stewards R Us" message, Stanley exhorted his congregation to "reverse the order in a very practical way" to become a steward of what God has given.
"The Lord says, 'All the things you are so worried about - I know what you need. I know you have kids you want to educate, that you have bills and that you want to live someplace that is safe. But if you learn to prioritize your life as a steward and invest first in My Kingdom, I promise to take care of your needs.' "
The Handout
When Andy Stanley preached on money, he didn't ask for it - he gave it away
By Robert J. Tamasy
Stewardship: Few sermon topics evoke more emotion. After all, we're talking about money - our money. Some listeners respond with joy and enthusiasm, but many others react with discomfort and resentment.
When talk turns to giving, foreheads collectively crease, hands instinctively reach protectively toward wallets and or to push checkbooks to the depths of purses.
Andy Stanley, senior pastor of youthful (median age, 35) and affluent North Point Community Church in suburban Atlanta, was keenly aware of these sentiments in preparing for a series of messages on stewardship last fall. He decided an experiment, an unconventional approach, was in order. Instead of asking members of his congregation for money, Stanley and his worship-planning team agreed the church would turn the tables and give money to the members.
He began his four-part "Stewards R Us" series with a message aimed at one principle: Everything belongs to God. Stanley cited I Chronicles 29:11-12 in the Living Bible, which declares, "Everything in the heavens and earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. ... Riches and honor come from you alone..."
People often become uptight when giving is mentioned because they see themselves as owners, rather than stewards, of what God has entrusted to them. But Stanley wanted to make it clear that "Everything belongs to God, everything comes from God, and everything is distributed by God. We are not owners. We're stewards."
To underscore this point, he closed with "an opportunity to practice stewardship." He asked each man, woman and child in attendance to open envelopes they had received as they came in. Each envelope contained cash - a $5, $10 or $20 bill - and a green response card.
The money came with three stipulations:
· Everyone had to invest the money (adding to it if they chose) in God's work outside the walls of the church.
· They could not keep the funds, but they could pool the money together if they desired.
· They were not to give the money to the first street person they encountered. Instead, he asked them to pray until they sensed God's leading in how to use it.
"This money belongs to North Point Community Church," Stanley told them. "You are now the steward of it. You'll notice not everyone received the same amount - some got more than others did. It doesn't matter, because it's not your money."
The response cards were provided so that people could report on how the money was spent. Good-naturedly, Stanley pointed out, "If you're thinking it's not my business what you do with it, it is my business - because it's not your money."
More than $37,000 was given to about 6,000 people during that Sunday's two morning services. Stanley continued the "Stewards R Us" series over the next three weeks, and cards and calls poured in reporting how the church's money had been invested.
The response was "unbelievable," according to Stanley. "I had no idea it would turn out the way it did. I was amazed at how creative and spontaneous people were. They really got out of the box in their thinking about giving."
- One person applied her $5 toward the purchase of a Christian music CD for an unbelieving friend, who has since started attending Bible studies at the church.
- Six people combined their money to prepare 45 sack lunches that they distributed to homeless people in downtown Atlanta.
- Two children living in an orphanage gave the money to their grandmother, who can no longer care for them because of her financial hardship.
"We got thousands of those cards back, with letters and notes," Stanley said. "What is most exciting is people added very significant amounts to what they received. I told the congregation the original $37,000 had become more than $300,000 given for various needs. Isn't that a good investment?"
Although the stewardship experiment was a novelty (several churches have since tried similar ideas), Stanley did not intend it as a stunt. His rationale was twofold: Even though he had never given a stewardship message in his four years at the church, Stanley knew longtime believers in the congregation had heard many sermons on giving, so he wanted to find a fresh, different approach. And since North Point Community vigorously cultivates a seeker-friendly atmosphere, he did not want to discourage guests from coming back.
"The philosophy of our church is 'invest and invite.' Invest in the lives of unbelievers, and invite them to a relevant environment where they will hear the Gospel. I didn't want to give unbelievers an excuse for not coming back. Who can argue with a church giving them money?"
(When a church singles group went out to eat one Sunday evening, one of the men gave their waiter $5 - in addition to the tip - to come to church the following week. The waiter did attend and has returned a number of times since.)
An important aspect of the timing for "Stewards R Us," according to Stanley, was there was no urgency to raise money within the church.
"I'm not a good fund-raiser, and I have always said if I did a stewardship series it would be when we were not raising money for our budget or a capital campaign," said Stanley. "I wanted my congregation to know I had no ulterior motive in preaching about money. I simply wanted them to start seeing their financial resources from God's perspective."
Despite no mention of increased giving to the church, weekly offerings grew. The second Sunday of the series, the offering was about 40 percent more than usual, and overall giving has remained higher than normal.
Should stewardship committees in other churches consider this approach? "It might work in some cases," Stanley conceded, "but we didn't intend this as a gimmick. When people learn how to give Biblically, the organization that teaches them will benefit."
While this was his first stewardship focus during a worship service, Stanley often is asked what the Bible teaches about giving.
"People ask something like, 'Tithing - that's really an Old Testament thing, isn't it?' and they are thinking, 'Please say yes,' " Stanley said. "Or they ask, 'Do I tithe off the gross, or the net?' What they really mean is, 'How little can I give and keep God happy with me? I don't want to be greedy, but I want to know where the line is.'
"Basically, we're confused. We think we are owners, and we feel generous if we give God a little bit of what we have. But if we were owners, we would take our stuff wherever we go. In the end, when we die we give it all away anyway."
Admittedly, tithing is easier to accept for Stanley - son of noted Southern Baptist pastor and author Charles Stanley - and his wife, Sandra, since they were reared in families where "whenever there was a need, we gave." Once the "everything belongs to God" reality is grasped, however, a debate over tithing guidelines becomes moot, he said.
"It's like God giving you $10," Stanley said, "and you ask, 'What do You want me to do with it?' He answers, 'Just give me back one.' 'Only one?' 'Yes, I'm only asking for one.' Imagine being someone's financial manager, they let you keep 90 percent, and you have to invest only 10 percent."
Ultimately, the issue revolves not around percentages but rather a new way of perceiving material resources.
"Our whole lives we spend serving and taking care of our stuff," said Stanley. "Our attitude is, 'I'm the king of my financial world, and I'll spend it the way I want to spend it.' But when we think and prioritize our finances that way, we end up giving God only our leftovers.
"In our home, no matter how much food we have in the refrigerator, whenever we're having guests for dinner, my wife goes to the grocery store and starts all over. She prepares a great meal and then, after the guests are gone and if there is anything left, we save the leftovers and eat them the next night. That's the way it should be.
"But as Christians we go to the grocery store financially, prepare ourselves a fine meal and consume as much as we can. Then if there is anything left over, we say, `God, this is for you.' "
To overcome this "leftover mentality" toward giving, Stanley suggested a radical reversal of priorities. Financial consultant Ronald Blue says there are basically five ways to use money: spend it, repay debt, pay taxes, save it and give it. And the typical American utilizes money in exactly that order, according to Blue. In his final "Stewards R Us" message, Stanley exhorted his congregation to "reverse the order in a very practical way" to become a steward of what God has given.
"The Lord says, 'All the things you are so worried about - I know what you need. I know you have kids you want to educate, that you have bills and that you want to live someplace that is safe. But if you learn to prioritize your life as a steward and invest first in My Kingdom, I promise to take care of your needs.' "
