creating an effective money ministry for our church

1. creating an effective money ministry for our church Insert name Insert date Insert title if appropriate

2. the debt problem: today.... • 386 people will go bankrupt / insolvent (1 person every 3.72 minutes) • 128 properties will be repossessed • CABs have 9,300 new debt problems • 2,090 people made redundant • 5.3m spend more than they earn • Average household debt = £57,900 • Average unsecured borrowing = £18,785

3. financial capability • 21% of adults have no savings • A third of adults, 12 million people, never budget • Two thirds had to put at least some of Christmas on plastic • Concerns for young people • Charitable giving is £9.9billion but half of this comes from just 7% of donors who give over £100pcm

4. the affluenza virus • Great expectations about our rising standard of living • Working harder to get more • Power of advertising to create discontent and discrepancies • The gravitational pull of wealth

5. “ Christians not excluded • We can’t assume debt is not an issue in our church • Christians can get affluenza: baptism does not inoculate us • Affects our discipleship: where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21

6. the biblical contours of money • 2,000 verses on money and possessions • God is owner and giver of all things • We are stewards, or trustees, of what God has entrusted to us • Every financial decision is also a spiritual decision.

7. why create a church money ministry? • Because debt is a problem and it will help us offer pastoral care in congregation and community • Because money is a discipleship issue for all Christians and it will promote biblical teaching • Because giving is a hallmark of faith and it will promote generosity • Because it will support and be accountable to our church leaders

8. what is a church money ministry? • a small team (sometimes an individual) working as a distinct ministry of our church • active in both congregation and community • two key aspects to the work • Money education: a rich, distinctive, biblical and practical approach to money • 1:1 Personal Budget Coaching • scalable and sustainable • Not debt advice and not just for those in debt

9. what will it do for our church? • Lead the church in biblically-based, holistic money education • Enhance pastoral care with the provision of confidential personal budget coaching • Local and personal – builds relationships and meets needs in church and community • Help build our church as a generous, giving community

10. support for money ministries • Web based support from Christian charity Stewardship • Free biblical and practical resources • ‘Ground Force’ action pack to get started • Personal budget coach training from Credit Action

11. give hope

12. a money advocate A committed individual who will: give time to serve the congregation Publicise debt and money matters in community Promote biblical teaching and gospel generosity in the church

13. first steps • Plan a Red2Black Sunday • Create awareness around debt • Lay practical foundations • Engage with congregation and community • Encourage people to talk about money in church • Launch Personal Budget Coaching • Lay biblical foundations using sermons, small group study, prayers, youth & children material