By Laura Stephens-Reed

It’s that time again! Many congregations launch stewardship campaigns in the fall to coincide with budgeting for the following fiscal year. Talking about money can be awkward for pastors because the largest portion of most church budgets is devoted to personnel costs. This is not a bad thing, by the way. Staff is the most consistent, forward-looking asset a congregation has.

It can feel self-serving to urge people to give more so that compensation line items, among others, are fully funded. Talking about money can be hard for parishioners because they don’t have enough for day-to-day expenses, they have accumulated significant debt or they have been taught that finances are private matters.

But in a world dominated by capitalism, most of us are hearing and thinking about money – and certainly spending it – every day. The Church shouldn’t be a haven where we don’t have to discuss it. Church should be the place where we learn how to utilize money in ways that are consistent with our faith. Here are some spiritual frameworks for addressing the spiritual side of stewardship:

We give out of gratitude for all that God has done for us. Through one means or another, everything we have began because of God’s abundant love for us. When we give, we acknowledge that we do not move through the world under our own power.

We give because God assigned us to care for all the Earth. As we note in Genesis, our role as good stewards of creation is woven into God’s design for the world. Stewardship implies responsibility for someone and something else. To be faithful, then, means using our resources in ways that benefit others.

We give as an expression of our faith. Just as God has accompanied us this far on our mortal journey, God will continue to be present with us. That means we don’t have to hoard all our resources. We can freely share because we know that God will provide, often in surprising ways.

We give because we envision a future shaped by God’s invitations. All is not as it should be, and we as individuals and congregations have roles to play in making things on Earth as they are in Heaven. When we pool our resources, we can partner better with God and push further and faster toward a world that honors everyone and everything in it.

We give because money is a useful tool for ministry. It is a currency through which we can buy faith formation materials, offer benevolence to those in need, pay staff to oversee ministry and care for the physical space where we are equipped to love and serve God’s magnificent world.

Noting how much money can tie into our discipleship, I’d argue for more than a couple of months’ emphasis on money. Let’s make it a year-round topic of conversation. That way, it simply becomes part of congregational culture, eliminating much of the discomfort of talking about it. There are even more benefits to it, though:

Talking about money can remind us to take stock of all of our resources. One of my favorite activities to use in congregational coaching is asset mapping. We think together about all the ways God has blessed individuals and the collective: money and the physical plant, but also leadership, partnerships, ministries, infrastructure, individual talents, personal power and much more. Most churches are delighted to name gifts they never thought of as such and to consider ways to use them toward the congregation’s vocation. This can move us off a scarcity mindset that can come when we think just about dollars in the bank.

Talking about money can open the door to pastoral and congregational care. We have all been hit by inflation. The job market has changed rapidly due to the pandemic and increasing globalization. Big, unexpected costs can come out of nowhere. These realities can prompt fear and anxiety. But when we can talk openly about what we’re experiencing, we can support one another emotionally and spiritually (and sometimes even financially).

Talking about money can make us more aware of systemic injustices. Some people are affected more than others by the fickle winds of economic fortune. Many don’t have money that has been passed down through the generations to them because their forebears were prevented from accumulating wealth. Opportunities to earn money in the present are not equally available to all people. These issues have personal impacts and structural origins, and our call to stewardship is a call to change unjust systems.

Talking about money can remind us that our worth isn’t in our portfolios. The amount in our accounts might change, but God’s love for us doesn’t ebb and flow. Each of us reflects the divine image, and that’s what makes us good. When we share generously, no matter our bottom line, we are embodying God’s goodness.

We’ve been taught that talking about money is taboo, but I think we’ve been misled. Silence around money is alienating. It causes those who are suffering for lack of money to do so alone and prevents those who have more than enough from experiencing the joy of sharing. But we are made for interdependence, not isolation.

Let’s kick to the curb the idea that financial conversations are something to avoid or dread and instead embrace the many opportunities for personal, relational and spiritual growth that come from talking honestly and faithfully about our resources.

Laura Stephens-Reed is a clergy and congregational coach based in Alabama. She has been credentialed as a Professional Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation and as a Certified Mentor Coach, and she sits on the faculty of two coach training schools. She has also been trained as a Congregational Consultant and an Intentional Interim Minister by the Center for Congregational Health.