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Teaching Baby Boomers to Tithe
by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson
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on Colossians after Easter
How can you teach tithing to baby boomers without making them
feel too uncomfortable? Here's a tried and true approach we dusted
off to use in a new church.
After Easter last year we set aside the last Sunday in April as
"Tithing Demonstration Sunday." We introduced an adventure
to see how big an offering we could give together if everyone
tithed one week's income and gave it on April 28th. This is how
we proceeded each week in the month of April:
Week One
I distributed a "guessing sheet" on Sunday, April 7th
which I asked people to calculate our potential giving on April
28th. I gave them quarterly figures for weekly attendance, average
weekly giving, and average per capita giving. I had hooked their
interest and sense of adventure. They guessed between $1,400
and $1,800, though we were only receiving about $750 per week
at that time.
That week I sent the first of three mailings--personalizing a
photocopied letter with salutation, underlinings and my signature
in contrasting ink. In this letter I told them how to calculate
a tithe. I used the annual ABC stewardship stationary, envelopes,
"hang-overs," etc., to tie the theme together.
Week Two
I sent another letter discussing principles of tithing out of
Malachi 3. I didn't want to preach on tithing--I thought it would
be too heavy--so I explained it in a letter. I also included
a whimsical Bible study sheet with many scriptures on "Principles
of Giving" with multiple-choice answers and a self-scoring
key at the end.
Week Three
All I mailed was a blue "reminder" post card. "Of
course, this is entirely voluntary," I wrote. "That's
what makes it fun," and signed each card personally.
Week Four
On Tithing Demonstration Sunday I was amazed to see our attendance
at a high--50% above normal. We took the offering and announced
the total at the close of the service: $1,525. Everybody clapped.
It worked! Not the size of that offering especially, but the
instruction. Since then, offerings over all ave been up 65% (though
we had a low month in October). Teaching tithing as an adventure
and a discovery is lots more fun than a heavy, heavy sermon.
Copyright © 1985-2010 Ralph F. Wilson. <pastor
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