The Generous Church: A Guide for Pastors

Our possessions can create unbearable weight and affect our ability to serve and thrive. How do we defy gravity and find freedom? In this 4-week small group study and stewardship campaign, pastor and author Tom Berlin explores what is required to sustain a vibrant life, what we need versus what we want, and what we can do to avoid being pulled into the orbit of materialism.

The Generous Church helps the pastor and leadership team think strategically about financial planning and giving beyond the annual campaign vision. Tom Berlin believes and teaches that the church, in order to inspire generosity in individuals, needs to be seen and understood as generous. People will embrace giving if they see the ways their gifts are used in the community and the world. Generous church… generous people. Sermon helps and fresh illustrations will be included, broken down into four segments:

• Think About It – How do I think through the key aspects of our church’s financial reality and plan?
• Communicate It – How do we tell our story so the whole congregation shares a vision who we are, what we do, and what changes we can make in the world with our people and resources.
• Plan It – What’s the short-term campaign plan, the annual plan, and our long-term plan for the financial and spiritual life of our congregation?
• Manage It - How do we set up processes, reports, goals, and metrics to stay true to our plan?