Contagious Generosity by Chris Willard

Author:Chris Willard [Willard, Chris; Sheppard, Jim]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-310-89314-1
Publisher: Zondervan
Published: 2012-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Consider Other Ways to Communicate

As we have suggested already, the church has no platform more persuasive than the pulpit, and the senior pastor is the authoritative voice that guides the church through contemplation and action. But there are also times when pastors should consider giving a platform to people who have allowed generosity to shape and transform their lives. A life of generosity becomes even more compelling when people see someone “like me” recounting how God has moved their heart and how their life has changed because of what they’ve learned. While the pastor bears the primary responsibility for communicating the message of generosity, not every idea or message about generosity has to come directly from him. In fact, having other people share their stories and insights might help to convince the skeptic who believes that any conversation a pastor has about money represents a conflict of interest, something done with selfish motives.

There may be times when you want to consider inviting a guest speaker who has knowledge of a specific aspect of generosity or who has an exceptional story to tell. We recommend that you do this sparingly, for there will always be the temptation to off-load the responsibility for preaching about money to someone else. Nevertheless, occasionally bringing in other voices can be effective and inspirational, especially when someone can share how an act of generosity has led to a changed life.

Finally, don’t let the weekend experience be the only time when you distribute a message or series among the community. Use whatever technology is available to you to interact and dialogue with your members throughout the week and to empower them to share your message with their personal networks, ensuring that the conversation doesn’t end when people leave the church campus. Incorporating technology into your overall generosity strategy can greatly extend the investment you’re making to create a powerful, meaningful, and interactive weekend experience. Some pastors further connect with and speak to their congregation through regular video blogging. Others share information about life change during midweek e-newsletters. Established social media channels like Facebook and Twitter let people see how the pastor operates in everyday settings and add credibility to what he says in the pulpit each weekend.

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