Church Planting that Starts with Small Groups (Part 5): Tithe Early, Tithe Often, Give Generously
Here’s the next installment in Church Planting with Small Groups…look for 2-3 more. In some ways, this item could be the most controversial, based on the very different approaches I’ve heard suggested. Feel free to push back on me here or give your take.
________See also Intro, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 & Part 4________
Give at least ten percent of income to missions via responsible stewardship.
Almost every church planter would agree in principle that, As a church, we want to support the Great Commission from day one. Up for debate is when day one begins. The rub is that the new church can’t support new evangelistic efforts if the people aren’t supporting the church. So when the church starts via small groups, the question becomes pointed: At what point in the church’s life should “tithing” (or generous giving) begin? Answer: As soon as people buy in to the vision and commit to being part of it.
Generous donations to missions are indicative of a strong, sacrificial missional ethos, and cash flow sends a clear message to core members: We may be small, but we are confident in God’s ability to provide to grow his church and to provide for our needs; God is generous when we are generous, and we want to love lost people like he does. It is no accident that of churches that give ten percent or more of income to missions, 80 percent grow quickly.[1]
What constitutes a “church?” Simply put, the church is the people of God. A local church is a group of believers who commit to doing life together for the glory of Jesus and furtherance of the gospel in a given context–even if there are just a dozen of them. It follows that if your “church” can easily fit on three sofas, they should still be invited to give their time and resources.
The goal of giving generously and missionally presupposes that the church planter has taught his people to do these things. Money follows vision–so the planter will need to cast a kingdom vision that encompasses all of life and justifies the donation of wealth. On a nuts and bolts level, a long-term stewardship development program will enable the church to eventually become self-sufficient–which is in itself a significant factor contributing to the health and survivability of church plants.[2]
Discussing money in a small group setting may seem more difficult, but the leader will need to have a plan to transparently put finances on the table from day one. This is a topic that could be discussed individually with core members as they consider the prospect of the new plant, e.g., “We are looking for people who will help set the tone for our community: people who are humble, others-focused, and ready to generously support this new gospel work with time and money from the beginning.”
________See also Intro, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 & Part 4________
[1] Stephen Gray.
[2] State of Church Planting USA: Improving the Health and Survivability of New Churches, 3.
