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Money, Spirituality, and the ChurchMany of us have a tendency to become uncomfortable when the pastor or someone else in the church begins to talk about money. While we recognize the necessity of funding the church’s programs, we would prefer not having to talk about it – or listen to sermons about it. Most pastors feel the same way – the majority would prefer not to preach about money! But the topic of money has to do with much more than the financial needs of the congregation. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament are filled with teachings about the use of material resources. There is a very direct connection between our use of money and the development of the spiritual life. Take a few moments for this short quiz on money and spirituality. Answers and further thoughts appear on the reverse side. All items should be answered true or false. Money and Spirituality__ 1. Only five percent of pastors across North America feel comfortable preaching about money. __ 2. Over 50% of the members in a typical church want to give more generously than they currently are. __ 3. Church giving as a percentage of personal income has been declining for years. __ 4. Most congregations don’t need an annual giving campaign in order to be financially strong. __ 5. Over the last 20 years, the purchasing power of most church benevolent funds has increased by only 10%. __ 6. Church members who talk together about the role that money plays in their spiritual lives generally feel good about the result. __ 7. Children should not be included as part of the church’s financial campaign. __ 8. Planned giving (through wills, trusts, etc.) is only for persons of great wealth. __ 9. Guilt plays a major part in most large gifts to the church. __ 10. Most people have at least some anxiety in their lives about financial matters. After completing the quiz, check here for the answers (no peeking!). For ideas on helping your congregation become financially strong, read the New Life Ministries report Developing a Financially Strong Congregation and see a list of web-based resources on stewardship. You are free to reproduce this quiz for use in your own congregation. It is also available in a Word document for reproduction as a bulletin insert. Thank you for giving credit to New Life Ministries, www.NewLifeMinistries-NLM.org |
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