Every church planter/pastor should read this book. I have been encouraged, confronted and helped by this timely resource. The authors share helpful wisdom for those following in their journey of church planting. The book details several mistakes planters make in years 2-10. Each chapter seeks to address these pitfalls by providing helpful paths around or sometimes through them.
“It’s not about what the church needs; it’s about what the Lord wants.”
This is the best line of the chapter hands down. The issue is not what our budget is, but faithfulness. Whether we are making budget or not, if our people are not being faithful stewards, God is not being honored with our money. This phrase has shaped how I think about money in our church and in our discipleship. God’s budget for the church might be higher (or lower) than our budget for the church. Faithfulness needs to be our goal, not meeting budget because it’s about what the Lord wants, not what the church needs.
Stewardship is a discipleship skill and needs to be taught.
Sometimes, pastors challenge people to give without helping them with a holistic lifestyle of faithful stewardship. What results is flash in the pan giving rather than consistent, intentional giving. At Exodus, we want to provide training and counseling so that our people can be faithful stewards of God’s money. This has proven invaluable as we seek to help our people be faithful stewards of what God has provided. We want his for them, not from them.
We don’t need to be afraid.
I have never met a pastor who didn’t struggle with the fear of man – ever. Somewhere in his heart that temptation to be a man pleaser lurks waiting to spring to life and bring death. The issue of money is one of the crevices through which this issue springs. If we are afraid of our people, we will not help them be faithful. If we don’t equip them to be faithful, we are not being faithful. Because we fear God, we don’t have to be afraid of men – even as we talk about money.
At Exodus, we have seen God do some amazing things in our series on Money. Praying that God would continue to make us people who are faithful with what He has provided. I hope this resource is helpful to you in your journey.
