__The responsibility of stewarding resources wisely can often feel like a lonely and isolating experience. That’s why givers around the country are coming together to form giving alliances and communities. Learn what can happen when givers join forces to solve a problem together.__

A community focused on a cause can involve inspiring each other and making a larger impact for God’s kingdom. When we give together, joy often results from generosity that is infectious and spreads to those around us.

Of course, [anonymous giving](https://www.ncfgiving.com/stories/the-anonymous-story/) has its place. In Scripture, God tells us, *“donot let your left hand know what your right hand is doing”* (Matthew 6:3). And sometimes, it’s necessary or desirable to give anonymously. People should give this way if God has called them to do so.

Yet, in Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus says to let your light shine and not hide it. He explains that no one *“lights a lamp and puts it under a basket.”* Let your light (in this case, your generosity) shine, and it will cause others who see *“to give glory to your father who is in heaven.”*

Giving generously and openly can catalyze an entire community.

#### Look at King David

By the end of his life, David had accumulated wealth beyond measure. He had united Jerusalem and established it as a mighty city. His dying wish was to use this wealth to build a temple for God. Although his son, Solomon, would later be the one to build the temple, [David’s story](https://www.ncfgiving.com/stories/the-first-truth-of-biblical-stewardship/) provides us with an astonishing model of public generosity. Not only did he commit part of the national reserves to the building of God’s house, but he also gave from his own stores of treasure. All for the joy of giving.

This act of generosity was so great that all the leaders of Israel were compelled to join him and give – not only their possessions, but also their lives to God’s will *“with perfect heart”* (1 Chronicles 29). This public outpouring of generosity set off a chain reaction. When the people of Israel saw it, they broke out in spontaneous and worshipful celebration.

You may not be the King of Israel, but you have influence in your own realm, and your giving can inspire others, too.

#### Modern-day “Davids”

At NCF, one of our roles is to be conveners, encouraging givers in all parts of the country to create communities around the causes they’re passionate about.

__Pacific Northwest__

In the Pacific Northwest, our NCF community has built a safe, encouraging atmosphere, where stewards gather regularly to discuss what the Bible says about living generously. Every few months, they meet in homes to share stories and struggles involved with giving.

A few years ago, the Northwest giving community received a call they weren’t expecting. A man most of them didn’t know had heard how they practiced generosity together and wanted to join them. “I already have a private foundation,” he said, “but, I’ve met a couple people in your giving community, and I just really want to be a part of it. What do I need to do?”

Their answer? Just come. Be part of the group.

A group of givers in the same community felt called to stop human trafficking in their state. As their group grew, they were able to encourage ministries – which had been working separately – to work together. The ministries now cooperate through an organization called [SAFE](http://safeinwashington.com/) – the Strategic Alliance to Fight Exploitation.

__SAFE in Central Florida__

In 2019, three retired friends and colleagues from Orlando attended an NCF event where they heard speaker Heather Tuininga talk about how [SAFE in Washington](https://vimeo.com/374026773) had been formed, had grown, and was working.

Having come from the business world, the three were familiar with the power of alliances and using the best of everyone’s skill set. But seeing this strategy applied to the nonprofit sector was revolutionary to them.

What opened their eyes and hearts even more was the revelation that their region ­– Central Florida – had the third-highest rate of human trafficking per capita in the country. A number of charities were working to solve the problem, but these friends knew really resolving it would require a joint, targeted effort.

Inspired by the alliance in the Pacific Northwest, these three NCF givers used their individual Giving Funds to launch [SAFE in Central Florida](https://www.safecentralflorida.com/) – an alliance of businesses, churches, and givers combating commercial sexual exploitation. Despite launching in the middle of COVID, this Impact Alliance now has 60 members. In 2022, they wrote more than $150,000 in grants and are on track to surpass that amount this year.

__Indiana__

In Indianapolis, IN, another group went about giving together in an entirely different way.

[Kaleo](https://www.ncfgiving.com/stories/called-together-to-strengthen-a-city/) grew out of a conversation between two women, friends and empty nesters, who realized they – along with many of their friends – were in a new phase of life. They recognized they had been given financial, spiritual, and relational resources for a reason, and there was a call on their lives because of it.

What began in 2005 has grown to a group of 279 women today who make a two-year commitment to giving $1,000 to the organization, which in turn invests it in ministries serving in the Indianapolis metropolitan area. What separates Kaleo from other giving circles is its urban workshop, which to date has matriculated 240 women through the eight-month intensive.

The women meet monthly for four-hour sessions and learn about those struggling in their community. They learn about kingdom theology and God’s heart for the poor. They take a bus tour of the city’s neighborhoods and visit ministries working there. One of the main goals, not only of the workshop but also the organization, is to build women up to be better stewards of what has been entrusted to them. Therefore, discipleship and spiritual formation in the context of relationship are also major components of the workshop. At its conclusion, members are challenged to invest their time volunteering and take what they’ve learned to their respective circles of influence. Since 2008, Kaleo has given away nearly $2 million to organizations working in the city’s urban areas and has funneled many Kaleo members into those organizations as regular volunteers.

They (with the help of NCF’s Indiana office) are bringing the Indianapolis community together to help marginalized women and children, fight generational poverty, care for the homeless and refugees, and strengthen the cause of justice in their city. They are actively recruiting the next generation of women to unlock their hearts to generous giving and their hands to generous service.

__South Florida__

With support from our South Florida office, a movement called Church United has become a strong support to their community. It began when a group of pastors who longed to be the hands and feet of Christ in their community came together to serve.

After the shooting that devastated Parkland, FL, in 2018, Church United worked together to create a prayer vigil for the victims’ families and friends. They worked together with givers, churches, and others throughout the area to renovate the campus at the high school where the shooting occurred and rallied to support families and friends of victims through sustained support that continues even today.

With more than 500 volunteers, their efforts caught on, and soon people were giving even more. Not only did they accomplish their original plan to renovate the campus, but they were able to pull together a teacher scholarship fund with the remaining donations.

The group, now about 150 churches strong, are serving in the aftermath of the devastating Hurricane Ian, having raised more than $750,000 to help meet the needs of churches serving families and other ministries in affected areas. Using a long-term strategy with players in multiple positions, they have seen the kingdom transformed and expanding during the recovery.

With NCF’s help, they’ve connected givers to their cause: To better the South Florida region and spread the name of Jesus. Even NCF’s South Florida office staff have joined in giving.

#### Together

From the Pacific Northwest, to the urban Midwest, to Central and South Florida, these groups have come together through NCF and worked together, inspiring others to join in their generosity.

A giving community really can rally around any good cause. Usually, they can do more than an isolated, individual giver can do alone, and the common purpose and camaraderie that develops among them can inspire others who see their good work and lead them to desire to join them.

When the generous and willing stand together with their lamps and say, “Let’s pool our resources, share our influence, and develop a strategy to obtain a better community,” God is glorified.

Consider starting a giving group in your community. Or, if you want to work together with others to strategize to support a cause (like they did in Orlando), learn more about [NCF’s Impact Alliances](https://www.ncfgiving.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Impact-Alliance.pdf) here.

__[Image](https://www.ncfgiving.com/stories/communal-generosity-the-power-of-giving-with-a-community/)__ used with permission

NCF helps people create a giving strategy based on biblical principles, so they can be wise stewards of all they have and experience the joy of greater generosity.

National Christian Foundation

Passions

The responsibility of stewarding resources wisely can often feel like a lonely and isolating experience.

Communal generosity: The power of giving in community

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” You may have even read it in Scripture. But does this mean Christians should never talk about their giving? I don't believe so.

### __6 Reasons Why We Talk About Giving__

__1. Jesus was focused on our motivation__

In  Jesus’ most famous sermon he taught his followers:

“When you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:2-4)

Jesus went on to teach his disciples to pray and fast in secret, yet none of us question if praying with others out loud is unbiblical. Jesus himself prayed publically. What we implicitly understand is that Jesus was not making an absolute command for every circumstance, but challenging the motivation of the hypocrites.

Hypocrites are attention-seeking givers. Their giving is an advertisement for themselves, not a spotlight shining back on God. Jesus wants his followers to avoid these traps of being outwardly religious, but inwardly self-seeking.

Those who follow Jesus are motivated to give by a reward that's better than the glory of men. Our reward comes from our “Father who sees in secret."

__2. Jesus also taught, “Let your light shine”__

According to Jesus, secrecy is not the answer in every situation. Earlier in the same sermon, Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Our fear of sharing our good works can be the equivalent of lighting a lamp and putting it under a basket. There are times when our good deeds should be done before others for God's glory. A.B. Bruce, a Scottish theologian, offered a great suggestion when he said: “Show when tempted to hide, hide when tempted to show.”

If your heart is pulling towards being recognized, be careful. But if you’re hesitant to be seen by others, you’re probably a bright shining lamp that needs to be put on a stand. Jesus' invitation is not to a formula, but to a living relationship with him.

__3. Jesus publicly highlighted generous people__

Jesus himself announced the generosity of others. He publicly praised the poor widow who gave her last two copper coins and took away her anonymity. (Mark 12:41-44)

Jesus also publicly praised the generosity of the woman who anointed him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment. He said, “Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.” (Matthew 26:6-13)

Jesus knew that we naturally follow examples. We need examples of generous people who are uniquely motivated by their love for Jesus. One reason more Christians are not generous is because few believers have been willing to let their light shine as models of generosity.

__4. The Bible names generous people__

It's good to talk about giving because generosity is the work of real people who choose to step forward in faith and give. And the Bible sees fit to acknowledge them by name.

Zacchaeus is introduced as “a chief tax collector and was rich.” Tax collectors were known for cheating people to claim more money for themselves. But through an encounter with Jesus, Zacchaeus was changed and publicly announced, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” And in response, Jesus doesn't say, “Shh. Zaccheaus, you shouldn’t talk about these things!” No! Instead Jesus says, “Today salvation has come to this house.” (Luke 19:9)

Zacchaeus’s changed relationship with money was the evidence of a transformed heart. It was good that Zaccheaus talked openly about his giving.

The New Testament names many other generous people too:

- Mary, Joanna, and Susanna are called out for providing for Jesus’ ministry. (Luke 8:1-3)
- Paul’s patron, Phoebe, is specifically named to the church in Rome. (Romans 16:1-2)
- Barnabas is named for his act of selling his field and donating the proceeds to the early church leaders. (Acts 4:36-37)
- The Macedonian Church is highlighted for their example of generosity. (2 Corinthians 8:1-5)
- The Philippian Church is acknowledged for their generous partnership with Paul. (Philippians 1:3-5, 4:14-18)
- Gaius is thanked by the apostle John for his generous hospitality to a few traveling preachers. (3 John 5-6)

It's good to talk about giving because generosity is the work of real people, who choose to step forward in faith and give instead of keep. Telling their stories doesn’t nullify their heavenly reward otherwise the Bible wouldn’t do it.

__5. The Bible records specific amounts of money given__

There’s a way to speak generically about generosity, but surprisingly in the Old Testament, we see that Nehemiah and David both shared specifically.

Nehemiah wrote, “Now some of the fathers’ houses gave to the work. The governor [Nehemiah] gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 basins, 30 priests’ garments, and 500 minas of silver. And the heads of fathers’ houses gave into the treasury of the work 20,000 darics of gold and 2,200 minas of silver. And what the rest of the people gave was 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas of silver, and 67 priests’ garments.” (Nehemiah 7:70-72)

David did the same thing with the offering for the temple, but began by sharing his own generosity: “I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, and because of my devotion to the house of my God I give it to the house of my God: 3,000 talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and 7,000 talents of refined silver, for overlaying the walls of the house…They gave for the service of the house of God 5,000 talents and 10,000 darics of gold, 10,000 talents of silver, 18,000 talents of bronze, and 100,000 talents of iron. (1 Chronicles 29:3–9)

David’s conclusion was that “the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the Lord.”

When our hearts are humble before God, there are times and ways we can give openly and speak freely about the amount of our giving without falling into the trap of the hypocrites.

__6. Generosity is a spiritual gift God gives__

Generosity is a spiritual gift God gives. Romans 12:6-8 says, "Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them ... the one who contributes, in generosity."

If we talk about the other spiritual gifts and train people to excel at things like teaching, leadership, and mercy, why not generosity? Many Christians have been given the gift of generosity, but for them to discover it and grow in their gifting, they'll need examples and conversations with others about it.

### __Love Is Our Motive__

From God’s perspective, love is the most important motive in giving. (1 Corinthians 13:3) One way to test our own hearts is to ask:

"Could I give joyfully if nobody but God ever knew about it?"

There are certainly times to give anonymously, as a pure act of worship and other times to let our giving be known to build others up. In it all, love, not self, is the best motive for every act of generosity.

__[Image](https://www.gospelpatrons.org/articles/should-all-your-giving-be-in-secret)__ used with permission. Illustrated by John-Mark Warkentin.

Behind every great movement of God are generous leaders who partner with those who proclaim the gospel. We call them Gospel Patrons.

Gospel Patrons

Articles

Here are six reasons that we should be willing to talk about giving...

Should All Your Giving Be In Secret?

__If you’ve never heard of a financial finish line, you may not know where to start or how it can impact your life’s purpose and direction. Cody Hobelmann certainly didn’t. When he and his wife, Stephanie, established theirs in 2020, they had no idea how it would transform their lives and provide Cody with a new passion. Now, he and his brother, Kealan, help others learn about this life-changing concept.__

Selecting a financial finish line is a personal process that is ultimately between you and your Creator. My brother, Kealan, and I set financial finish lines for our families before launching our website and podcast to help others do the same. But we each went about the process a little differently. Let’s start with Kealan’s story.

#### Kealan’s story: Planning for a unique financial path

Kealan is a surgeon. Doctors have a unique financial path through life. While most people start their career after college and slowly, steadily move up through the ranks, doctors wait longer to earn higher-level salaries.

For most physicians, it’s four years of undergrad, four years of medical school, and often a lot of student loans. After med school comes residency for another three to six years, making a modest salary of $50,000-$60,000. During that time, doctors have to start paying off those loans. And some residents’ loans are upwards of $400,000! Needless to say, med students and residents usually learn to live on very little at first.

As Kealan neared the end of medical school, he and his wife, Alison, wanted to avoid the roller coaster of lifestyle inflation that would inevitably come with all of those phases. They knew they were happy already and didn’t want to rapidly expand their lifestyle as their income increased. Thus began their search for some sort of a guardrail – what we now recognize as a financial finish line.

As Kealan moved from medical school to residency, he and his wife began to consider more deeply the question, “How much do we really need?” With tuition payments behind them, they wanted to begin giving more. To prevent the slow (or rapid) creep of lifestyle inflation, they looked for some sort of benchmark to measure their spending. They focused on trying to live at the median.

At first, they used a couple of websites and calculators made for tracking income data. But nothing quite seemed to account for the right factors. That’s how Kealan ended up creating the [system we use now](https://www.finishlinepledge.com/how-does-it-work/) at the Finish Line Pledge, based on U.S. census data and adjusting for family size.

They chose the 50th percentile (the median) as their benchmark and even in residency were able to start giving from their margin. And because the system accounts for family size, they’ve been able to adjust their line accordingly as their family has grown (they’re now a family of six!). You can find [more of their story here.](https://www.finishlinepledge.com/kealan-hobelmann-financial-finish-line/)

#### My story: Looking for a different angle


![](https://www.ncfgiving.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Cody-Hobelmann_finish-line-series-2.jpeg)


I resisted the idea of a financial finish line at first. I still had student loans, and I didn’t think my income was high enough to justify it. However, God kept chipping away at the barriers in my heart. In early 2020, my wife and I committed to a finish line, which has significantly changed our outlook on money.

For months, we struggled. It was difficult narrowing in on a line. We wanted to be sure we had enough to cover the things that were important to us, but we also wanted a line that would keep us focused on eternity.

We live in Maryland, which happens to host the second highest average income in the country (just behind Washington, D.C.). As a result, a number of my living expenses, most notably housing, were appreciably higher than other parts of the country.

One of the nice things about the system we use at the Finish Line Pledge is that it’s adjustable. Eventually, we were encouraged to go with our best instinct after laying everything before God in prayer. We would try it for six months and see what happened. We haven’t looked back.

#### Accounting for debt

One of the questions we get often (which was particularly relevant to my own story) is how to account for debt. Our student loans were a significant barrier initially, preventing us from diving deeper into generosity. However, as I started to see our debt as a major hindrance to us being able to give as we wanted, I realized a finish line could actually *help* us get out of debt.

When selecting our finish line, we actually ignored our debt in the equation (except for our mortgage). Our finish line created margin in our finances, which we used for tithing and paying down debt sooner than we thought possible. This step allowed us to get used to having a finish line while also getting rid of the barrier that debt imposed. Once our debt was paid off, that margin above our finish line was freed up for use in God’s kingdom as he led us. You can read more about our approach to debt [here](https://www.finishlinepledge.com/episode15/) and [here](https://www.finishlinepledge.com/addressing-debt-with-a-financial-finish-line/), though certainly others have used different approaches.

As we leaned into rapidly paying down debt, we started gaining momentum. That was also around the time we started the [Finish Line Podcast](https://www.finishlinepledge.com/podcast/), and I was hearing story after story of people doing amazing things for God’s kingdom through generosity. In order to get out of debt faster and move on to the exciting part of the story, my wife and I implemented what we called a “soft” finish line, a temporary finish line that was a bit more constrictive than what we would later use. It allowed us to have greater margin faster to pay off debt and begin to give at a greater level. We knew we couldn’t maintain it indefinitely, but it helped us in that season.

#### The finish line is the starting line

Setting a financial finish line isn’t the ultimate goal. At first, I thought it was. But I learned that it’s a simply the opening chapter of a much bigger story.

A financial finish line provides the structure for building financial margin into your life. As that margin accumulates and is set aside, you will start to become aware of all sorts of opportunities. Because you’re looking, you’ll see God inviting you into *his* story, the only true story.

Our financial margin has allowed Kealan and me to get creative. We created [Compound Impact](https://www.compoundimpact.org/), a non-profit real estate fund of residential properties, which we rent to incoming refugee families who have difficulty meeting typical tenant qualifications. Each property generates a significant profit, 100 percent of which goes into church-planting ministries in areas where there are unreached people groups.

People frequently ask us why we wouldn’t keep some of the profit, or at least ownership of the properties. But with a finish line in place, the answer is easy. It was never ours to begin with!

#### Tools for your journey

So, what’s your story? Could a finish line open the door to the next chapter of your God story? If you want to get started, here are some resources we’ve found helpful.

1. The [Finish Line Pledge](https://www.finishlinepledge.com/) is our website. There, in addition to podcasts and stories, you’ll find a [calculato](https://www.finishlinepledge.com/calculator/)[r](https://www.finishlinepledge.com/calculator/) to help you explore how different finish lines compare to the rest of the country (using census income data). You can scale your finish line by family size and plan for some expected life events.
2. The [SPRINT program](https://www.finishlinepledge.com/sprint/) is a small-group experience. It’s free, and it’ll help walk you through the process of setting your own financial finish line.
3. [John Cortines’](https://www.finishlinepledge.com/episode13/) and [Greg Baumer](https://www.finishlinepledge.com/episode19/)’s book, *[God and Money](https://www.ncfgiving.com/library/#resource-god-and-money-how-we-discovered-true-riches-at-harvard-business-school-2)*, looks at data and examines people’s experiences in order to provide some guidelines. Many have found this book really helpful.
4. Accountability groups (or as Cortines and Baumer call it, a “board of directors for life”). In the American church, we’re far more likely to share with others about deep addictions, lust, or pride than we are about our finances. John and Greg recommend finding a small group of trusted friends to whom you are regularly accountable with your entire financial life. This breaks the stigma of secrecy with money and helps you to stay on track with your finish line.
5. And if, after all of this, you still feel a little lost, then I recommend you check out one of our favorite podcast episodes, featuring [Todd Harper](https://www.finishlinepledge.com/episode25/), the co-founder of Generous Giving. He calls the financial finish line one of the most powerful tools of generosity there is. When we asked him where to start, he said, “Keep it simple.” Start with whatever you live on now and commit to living on that same amount for the next 6 months; then see what happens. As long as we’ve been on this journey, we’ve never seen someone turn back.
6. Once you have a finish line, you may want to follow it up with a [Journey of Generosity.](https://generousgiving.org/events/jog/)  These in-person or online groups help you discuss with a small group of peers what generosity looks like in the Bible and what it could look like in your life too. (There’s no cost, and you will never be asked for money.)

Are you ready to stop the endless race for more? Without intentional boundaries, the drive for money and success can consume all of the energy and resources God has given you to build his kingdom. But with a financial finish line, we hope you will find more freedom, more purpose, and more of God.

Read the other two stories in this three-part series:
- [Part 1: Should you set a financial finish line?](https://www.ncfgiving.com/stories/enough-should-you-set-a-financial-finish-line/)
- [Part 3: 3 real-life examples of finish-line giving](https://www.ncfgiving.com/stories/finish-line-giving-3-real-life-examples)

#### Connect with your NCF team today to start a conversation about your finish line

*Photo: Kealan and Alison Hobelmann and family*

*[Images](https://www.ncfgiving.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Cody-Hobelmann_finish-line-series-2.jpeg) used with permission. *

Legacy

Are you ready to stop the endless race for more? How can you create intentional boundaries?

How we set a financial finish line (and you can too)

__"General Fund" and “Tithes” are the most common designations churches use to support day-to-day operations like staff salaries, facilities maintenance, and outreach programs.__

These things, while perhaps not as tangible or inspiring as, say, digging a well in Somalia, are crucial. They *__ARE__ the cost of doing good. *

Here’s the problem: Most people want to gather and worship in a comfortable building, but donating to pay for air conditioning doesn’t necessarily feel like worship or meaningful impact. So they may relate these expenses to waste, inefficiency, overpaid pastors and unnecessary extravagance, or believe that such expenses divert resources away from the core mission of the church. Mostly they simply lack awareness of what it takes to do good at the level churches do it.

#### Addressing the Aversion to Operational Costs

What can churches do? Potential solutions to this challenge can raise additional questions. For example, will offering an array of direct-to-recipient giving options…

- Lead to givers choosing only these funds, rather than helping support the ministry as a whole?
- Become a focus on the physical over the spiritual?
- Create a "consumerist" culture in the church, where givers expect to see a direct return on their investment?

The answer is simply a matter of articulation: *__Make sure your members know the ministry impact of the General Fund or Tithes.__*

#### 3 Ways  to “Reframe” Your General Fund

You don’t have to eliminate your General Fund. You can simply demonstrate the impacts of the expenses it covers in terms of the benefits they offer. This can take some intentionality and effort, but by making the effort, you build trust and transparency, which encourages continued or increased giving.

__1. SHARE STORIES OF IMPACT__

A powerful way to demonstrate the impacts of gifts given to the General Fund is to share actual stories of those who have been helped. It’s even better if the person who was helped is doing the talking. Video testimonies are very effective at keeping members informed of good they may not have heard about at the church, and providing a positive feedback loop for givers.

__2. BE SPECIFIC IN YOUR COMMUNICATIONS AND ANNUAL REPORTS__

Whether in written or verbal form, make it a habit to convey, “When you give to our General Fund you are enabling our church to …”

For example, facilities expenses could be expressed in terms of:

- __Benefits:__ A welcoming gathering place for meaningful worship and connections, sharing the gospel, educating children, ministering to the hurting and providing resources for under-served groups. Givers will think of their gift not in terms of air-conditioning, but of investing in the kingdom.
- __Data:__ Professions of faith, people in need assisted, number of children taught in the kids and teens programs, meals served to the community, number of volunteers serving, wells dug, marriages saved, or any other metric related to your ministries. These are measurable impacts over time.

You can do the same with salaries or technology. Highlight how investments in staff have enabled the church to provide more robust services or programming for members and the community, or how investments in technology have improved efficiency and effectiveness.

__3. LET TECHNOLOGY DO THE TALKING__

In addition to other ways that giving opportunities are highlighted at your church, using an online giving page that includes a drop-down list of funds is a great first start. But if you want increase engagement, especially with new or younger givers, look for a solution that:

- Customizes your giving page to fit your church’s preferred giving language (i.e. Tithing + “Beyond the Tithe” gifts).
- Enables the use of images and descriptions to explain the impacts included in the General Fund (and other funds, if you so choose).
- Offers giving analytics for further demonstrating impact to your congregation.

Whether or not you offer additional funds, a description of the General Fund’s benefits embedded in your giving form communicates the idea that the church's mission is a collective effort, and that each member's contribution is vital to the success of that mission, as shown below.


![](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b28b3e945776e86f5212567/ecccbccc-5354-42fd-8149-3724ca8e65f9/onefund.png?format=1500w)


The *Learn More* button allows givers to explore specifics of what the church is doing and where they can get involved. This message and strategy can help create a sense of community and shared responsibility among members.

#### Bringing Givers Together

By framing administrative expenses in terms of their positive impacts, rather than simply as a necessary evil, churches can help to counteract some of the prevailing distaste for these types of expenses. Bringing givers together around the church’s broader mission can motivate greater generosity and connection that support the overall health and vitality of the congregation.

*__Article Contributed by our Friends at Vision2 Systems__*

*Vision2 is the comprehensive giving and stewardship solution for churches. Access CSN and Vision2’s joint 2022 Stewardship Survey results and resources to learn how churches are faring in the “new normal.” Or contact us at [letstalk@vision2.com](mailto:letstalk@vision2.com).*

. . .

*If you're a pastor or spiritual leader, consider joining our CSN community. We are a group of passionate Christ-followers with a burden to teach and equip God's people with God's financial principles so they can live purpose-filled and generous lives. Sign up for our mailing list to get new content from CSN directly to your inbox!*

We teach church leaders the biblical perspective on finances.

Christian Stewardship Network

Blog

Bringing givers together around the church’s broader mission can motivate greater generosity and connection.

The Problem with Your General Fund and How to Fix It

As you get older and presumably wealthier new avenues open up for ways to give. Rob West shares some ways to make the most of your giving.

FaithFi

The Faith & Finance Minute is a great way to be reminded of God's financial principles with actionable items you can easily apply to your daily life.

Faith & Finance Minute

As you get older and presumably wealthier new avenues open up for ways to give. Rob West shares some ways to make the most of your giving.

Finding New Avenues for Giving

At the end of the year, many people do extra giving, sometimes trying to take advantage of tax deductions, and sometimes just because they’re trying “catch up” with giving they intended to do earlier. Whatever the immediate motive may be, giving — for the Christian — should have a deeper motive. Today we'll talk about that on MoneyWise. 
<ul><li>Every so often on our Monday programs, we circle back to “first principles,” to the foundational teachings of Christian stewardship that should guide our everyday lives.</li><li>We like to revisit the five basic things you can do with money. Here they are: You can earn it, live on it, give it away, owe it to someone or the government, or you can grow it for the future by saving and investing.</li><li>Those five are easy to remember: earn, live, give, owe, and grow.</li><li>In this program, we're focusing on giving money away. There’s a good deal of emphasis on giving at the end of the year. A lot of that is because of the tax deduction allowed for giving. People want to get their giving done so they claim a deduction on their 2022 taxes.</li><li>The deduction has changed since last year. For tax year 2021, you could deduct $300 in charitable giving — $600 if you were filing jointly as a married couple — even if you didn’t itemize. But that was a temporary deduction that does not apply for 2022.</li><li>To get a deduction for giving you do have to itemize. But with the standard deduction being being much higher than it used to be, only about 12% of taxpayers still itemize.</li><li>There’s nothing wrong with taking a charitable-giving deduction if you meet the requirements, but whether or not you get a tax break should not be the deciding factor in whether to give.</li><li>That’s because, for the Christian, giving is a matter of the heart. It is a sign, or a demonstration, of our love for the Lord.</li><li>Giving a gift to a friend or family member is a way of saying, “I love you, and I am so glad you’re in my life.” Money has value to us. We work hard for it. So when we use it to buy a gift for someone, we’re saying, “I treasure you more than money.</li><li>The same is true of giving to God’s work — whether through giving to a local church or a specialized ministry — we’re saying, “Lord, I treasure you more than money.</li><li>It certainly seems providential that here in the U.S., our coins and currency have on them the phrase, “In God We Trust.” Every time we see that, it would be appropriate to say, “Amen!</li><li>Our attitude as believers is that our trust is in God, and not in the money we have. When we give, we offer testimony that we really do trust him — we trust him to meet our needs, and we trust that his grace is sufficient for us in every situation.</li><li>In 1859, French tightrope walker Charles Blondin walked above Niagara Falls on a tightrope — 1,100 feet from end to end. He then did it again, blindfolded. After that, he asked the crowd, “Do you believe I can do it again?” They had already seen him do it more than once! So they called out approvingly, “Yes, we believe you can do it again!</li><li>At that point, Blondin asked for a volunteer to climb on his back and go across the Falls with him. As you probably can guess, no one in the crowd volunteered. No one believed in him that much.</li><li>Well, when we give generously, from the heart and with the right motives, it’s like saying, “Lord, I do trust you that much. I believe that although I am giving this money away, you’ll take care of me and meet all my needs.</li><li>As you do your year-end giving, remember these two things. First, giving is an affair of the heart — it’s about what we truly treasure, and second, it is a sign of our trust in the Lord.</li><li>As we give, we reflect the heart of God, who gave us his only Son — the One whose birth we just celebrated.</li></ul>On this program, Rob also answers listener questions: 
<ul><li>If you are age 66 and have a 401k through work and a Roth IRA through Betterment, what is the total amount you can contribute to these accounts?</li><li>Is a target retirement 2025 fund an appropriate allocation to be invested in if you are age 66 but not expecting to need the funds for nine more years?</li><li>Are there any faith-based financial and legal institutions?</li><li>How can your husband build up his credit score of 650 if he recently took out a personal loan to pay off credit card debt?</li></ul>RESOURCES MENTIONED:
<ul><li><a href="https://www.joinchristiancommunity.com/">Christian Community Credit Union</a></li><li><a href="https://www.christiancreditcounselors.org/">Christian Credit Counselors</a> </li></ul>Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000 or email them to <a href="mailto:Questions@MoneyWise.org">Questions@MoneyWise.org</a>. Also, visit our website at <a href="https://www.moneywise.org/">MoneyWise.org</a> where you can connect with a MoneyWise Coach, join the MoneyWise Community, and even download the free MoneyWise app.

Faith & Finance is a daily radio ministry hosted by Rob West. The program offers a practical, biblical and good-natured approach to managing your time, talents and resources.

Faith & Finance with Rob West

At the end of the year, many people do extra giving. Whatever the immediate reason may be, giving — for the Christian — should have a deeper motive.

The Reason For Giving - Foundation Series

At the end of the year, many people do extra giving — sometimes trying to take advantage of tax deductions, and sometimes just because they’re trying “catch up” with giving they intended to do earlier. Whatever the immediate motive may be, giving, for the Christian, should have a DEEPER motive. I’ll talk about that just ahead. This is MoneyWise Live - biblical wisdom for your financial journey. 
<ul><li>From time to time on the program, we like to revisit the five basic things you can do with money. Here they are: You can earn it, live on it, give it away, owe it to someone or the government, or you can grow it for the future by saving and investing. Those five are easy to remember: earn, live, give, owe, and grow. On this episode, we're going to focus on giving money away. There’s a good deal of emphasis on giving at the end of the year. A lot of that is because of the tax deduction allowed for giving. People want to get their giving done so they claim a deduction on their 2022 taxes that they’ll be filing a few weeks or months from now.</li><li>You need to be aware that the DEDUCTION HAS CHANGED since last year. For tax year 2021, you could deduct $300 in charitable giving — $600 if you were filing jointly as a married couple even if you didn’t itemize. That was a temporary deduction that’s gone now and does not apply for 2022.</li><li>To get a deduction for giving you do HAVE TO ITEMIZE your deductions. Interesting fact - With the standard deduction being much higher than it used to be, relatively few (12%) taxpayers still itemize. That means that, for most folks, a tax deduction just doesn’t come into play when making giving decisions. </li><li>There’s nothing wrong with taking a charitable-giving deduction if you meet the requirements but whether or not you get a tax break should not be the deciding factor in WHETHER TO GIVE because, for the Christian, giving is a matter of the heart, a sign of our love for the Lord — much in the same way you probably just gave Christmas gifts to your dearest loved ones.</li><li>Giving a gift to a friend or family member is a way of saying, “I love you, and I am so glad you’re in my life.” Money has value to us; we work hard for it. So when we use it to buy a gift for someone, we’re saying, “I treasure you more than money.” The same is true of giving to God’s work — whether through giving to a local church or a specialized ministry — we’re saying, “Lord, I treasure YOU more than money.”</li><li>It certainly seems providential that, here in the US, our coins and currency have on them the phrase, “In God We Trust.” Every time we see that, it would be appropriate to say, “Amen!” Our attitude as believers is that our trust is in God, and not in the money that we have. When we give, we offer testimony that we really do trust him — we trust him to meet our needs, and we trust that his grace is sufficient for us in every situation.</li><li>A true story - in 1859, French tightrope walker Charles Blondin walked 1,100 feet from end to end above Niagara Falls on a tightrope. He, then, did it again blindfolded. After that, he asked the crowd, “Do you believe I can do it again?” They had already seen him do it more than once! So they called out approvingly, “Yes, we believe you can do it again!” At that point, Blondin asked for a volunteer to climb on his back and go across the Falls with him. As you probably can guess, no one in the crowd volunteered. No one believed in him THAT much!</li><li>Well, when we give generously, from the heart and with the right motives, it’s like saying, “Lord, I DO trust you that much. I believe that although I am giving this money away, you’ll take care of me and meet all my needs.” So, as you do your year-end giving, remember these two things:</li><li>	Giving is an affair of the heart; it’s about what we truly treasure.</li><li>	It is a sign of our trust in the Lord.</li><li>One more thing to keep in mind: As we give, we REFLECT the heart of God, who gave us his only Son — the One whose birth we just celebrated. </li></ul>Next, Rob answers these questions at 800-525-7000 or via email at Questions@MoneyWiseLive.org:
<ul><li>Since the colleges and universities are the entities that contributed to high education costs, should it be incumbent on them to help settle the student loan debt problem?</li><li>If you recently bought an I Bond but have received no paperwork indicating they have your money, should you be concerned?</li><li>Should you invest in Bitcoin as an investment?</li><li>Is there a biblical idea of retirement?</li><li>due to a change in your employer you want to roll your 401(k) over to a traditional IRA with about $250,000, what should be the cost of this?</li><li>What are Donor Advised Funds?</li><li>If you're retired from military and, including your spouse, you're making about $300,000 per year, you own a rental property and a primary residence and you're about to sell the rental to partially fund building your dream house and you plan to sell your primary half-way into building but wonder if you should sell now, how can you decide?</li><li>If your heirs are part of the rapture, how do you pass your estate on to them since there might not be a death certificate?</li><li>If you're 70 and your husband, who managed your finances, passed away 3 years ago and you're admittedly not a financial expert, you have about $300,000 in Edward Jones that you don't use for income, what is the best thing to do with this as you go forward?</li><li>Are Charitable Gift Annuities a good way to give to a ministry?</li></ul>Be sure to check out the rest of MoneyWise.org to connect with a MoneyWise Coach or access our books and our many free helpful resources. You can also find us on Facebook (MoneyWise Media) and join the conversation. Thanks for your prayerful and financial support that helps keep MoneyWise on the air. And if you'd like to help, just click the Donate tab at the top of the page.

Listen to MoneyWise Live each weekday at 4pm EST on Moody Radio.

MoneyWise Live

At the end of the year, many people give extra sometimes trying to take advantage of tax deductions, and sometimes just because they’re trying “catch up” with giving they intended to do. Whatever the case, Christian giving should have a deeper motive.

Are you afraid of giving? Rob West assures us that as believers we really do want to give back to God, but somewhere along the line we do not believe He will provide. Rob shares how to break out of this cycle of fear.

Are you afraid of giving? Rob West assures us that as believers we really do want to give back to God, but somewhere along the line we do not believe He will provide. Rob shares how to break out of this cycle of fear.

Fear vs. Giving

In this special message, Michael casts a broad vision to inspire us on how to be a living sacrifice in life  & money. He uses the scripture from Romans 12 in this sermon at Southwest Bible Church.

The Ron Blue Institute seeks to be a thought leader with great influence committed to changing the way Christians think, act, and communicate about financial stewardship, empowering the church, and changing the world.

Ron Blue Institute

Videos

In this special message, Michael casts a broad vision to inspire us on how to be a living sacrifice in life  & money.

Living Sacrifices

Early in February, I visited First Baptist Church in Leesburg, Florida, where I spoke on the subject of my book *[The Treasure Principle](https://store.epm.org/the-treasure-principle-revised)*. As I mentioned when I shared [the Q&A I also did there](https://www.epm.org/blog/2023/Feb/22/qanda-first-baptist-leesburg), I absolutely loved being there at this church. I spent a lot of time with Pastor Cliff and his wife Suzy—such wonderful people, as are so many others I met.


![](https://cdn6.bigcommerce.com/s-2s3kbsk/products/349/images/463/TP_new__31500.1499881902.300.400.jpg?c=2)


Years ago, I often spoke about giving and making eternal investments, but it’s been a while since I shared a message on this subject. I do remember speaking at Saddleback Church the year *The Treasure Principle* came out, in 2001, which was 22 years ago. I looked a little different then!

But the message is as true now as it was then: *Anything we try to hang on to here will be lost. But anything we put into God’s hands will be ours for eternity.*

In Matthew 6, Jesus says there is only one safe place to invest, and that is in the Kingdom of God. He says, in essence, “You can't take it with you,” but he adds a life-changing corollary: “but you can send it on ahead.”

The currency of this world—its money, possessions, values, fashions, and whims—will be worthless at our death or at Christ's return, both of which are imminent. This “insider’s tip” should radically affect our investment strategy. To accumulate vast earthly treasures in the face of this knowledge is equivalent to stockpiling Confederate money in a Union economy.

Financial planners have a hard time convincing people to look down the road instead of just focusing on today, this week, or this year. “Don't think one year,” they'll tell you, “think thirty years from now.” Then they'll share ways to prepare for thirty years from now by budgeting, saving so much a month, contributing to an IRA, investing in this mutual fund or that real estate partnership.

But it's only slightly less short-sighted to think thirty years down the road than to think thirty days. The wise man does indeed think thirty years ahead, but far more—he thinks an eternity ahead. He thinks not just to his retirement years, not merely to the end of his earthly life, but far beyond. He plans for the day that he will stand before the Lord, and he prepares for the eternity that will follow.

The unbeliever’s vision is restricted to the horizons of this world. But we have the big picture. We know this life is the preface to the book, the tune-up to the concert. If we are wise investors, we will spend our lives buying up shares in the world to come.

Hope you enjoy [this message](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a79Lt9NYhyQ):

*[Image](https://www.epm.org/static/cache/9a/22/9a225fb0e2655791ea01ab9f5341fe56.jpg) used with permission. *

*[Image](https://cdn6.bigcommerce.com/s-2s3kbsk/products/349/images/463/TP_new__31500.1499881902.300.400.jpg?c=2) used with permission. *

Eternal Perspective Ministries, founded and directed by author Randy Alcorn, is focused on investing in what lasts for eternity, and helping others to do the same.

Eternal Perspective Ministries

Anything we try to hang on to here will be lost. But anything we put into God’s hands will be ours for eternity.

Investments That Will Last Forever: A Message about The Treasure Principle

CHM member Jeff Christerson (Aptos, Calif.) was attending a music festival with his girlfriend and her family when the unthinkable happened: a shooter opened fire on the Las Vegas crowd, killing 58 and leaving more than 850 wounded.

Jeff explains how CHM members shared $11,000 and is grateful to God for his “second chance at life.”

Want to learn more about health cost sharing and CHM?

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Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM) is a budget-friendly, biblical, and compassionate healthcare cost solution for Christians in all 50 states and around the world.

Christian Healthcare Ministries

Jeff explains how CHM members shared $11,000 and is grateful to God for his “second chance at life.”

Las Vegas Shooting Testimony - Jeff Christerson

Nuts and Bolts - God’s Provision, Compass | Finances God's Way

Equipping people worldwide to faithfully apply God’s financial principles so they may know Christ more intimately.

Compass Financial

What does it mean when people say that God provides? Here's the foundational idea.

Communal generosity: The power of giving in community

Should All Your Giving Be In Secret?

How we set a financial finish line (and you can too)

The Problem with Your General Fund and How to Fix It

Finding New Avenues for Giving

The Reason For Giving - Foundation Series

The Reason For Giving - Foundation Series

Fear vs. Giving

Living Sacrifices

Investments That Will Last Forever: A Message about The Treasure Principle

Las Vegas Shooting Testimony - Jeff Christerson

God’s Provision - Nuts and Bolts