Category: Inspiration

(NOTE: This article was originally published on SermonCentral.com as part of a four part series on giving to the church. Once you’ve finished reading this one, head over to Sermon Central for other great articles on church generosity!)

Working in business development for a church giving platform, I am often asked if there is a Biblical precedent for churches using digital technology to accept tithes and offerings; any scriptural evidence that “text-2-give is acceptable to the Lord? I’ll save you a concordance search: there isn’t.

In many ways, the Bible remains frustratingly vague when it comes to our most pressing questions about stewardship and generosity. This may explain why so much of our preaching about finances remains frustrating and vague.

How should we teach our people to give? How often? And how much? Do we teach that believers have to give to their home church? Or is it okay for our congregants to send money elsewhere? And what about tithing? Is that the minimum requirement for Christians or the maximum? Is it even relevant to New Covenant believers?

Over the years, many good-faith efforts have been made to answer these questions. More than a few pastors and theologians have attempted to codify the ABC’s (and $1.23s) of giving to the church. And yet, for pastors and parishioners alike, these efforts have provided little assurance. (more…)

What happens when 4 dudes get together in a hotel room to talk about generosity? THIS!!

Earlier this month, Kent Woodyard, Mogiv’s Director of Business Development, fled the Midwest to attend Exponential West, a conference for pastors and church planters in Irvine, CA. While there, Kent took a break from the sessions and the sunshine to meet-up with some friends to talk about generosity. The cameras caught everything on tape, and we want to share that tape with you!

“Generosity” is a pretty broad topic so it’s no surprise that it ended up being a broad conversation covering everything from church cultural concerns to examples of pastors modeling sacrificial generosity to stories of how generosity can serve as a gateway for The Gospel.  (more…)

Sometimes, when I talk about the feature of Mogiv that I want to tell you about today, it’s hard for me to not lapse into my cheesy “infomercial” voice.

“Are you tired of stagnant giving and unengaged givers? Have you tried everything you can think of to increase giving to your church with NO LUCK?? Well thank your lucky stars, because your ship has come in! Don’t stress about giving…GivUp!!”

Give up? No, no, no…not “give up” as in “quit.” I’m talking about “GivUp” as in the unique tool offered by Mogiv that lets you encourage your congregation toward sacrificial giving in a way that is both interactive and fun. Here’s how it works: (more…)

Can I tell you a quick story? It’s a story about giving. More specifically, it’s about a giver. Even more specifically, it’s about me.

It was late 2010, and – for what seemed like the 50th week in a row – my pockets were empty as I watched the offering plate come down my row. If it was a good week, maybe I’d have $10.00 I could toss in. More likely, though, I just let the plate pass by while making silent promises to do better next week. But then next week came, and…well…you can probably guess how that turned out.

It’s not that I didn’t want to give. It’s just that I – like so many of my peers – was still figuring out how to manage bills, student loans, savings, and a social life. All too often, it was my giving that got shortchanged. On top of that, I never carried cash, and I hadn’t seen my checkbook since college! So my giving habits ended up being determined by “whatever I have leftover.” This was hardly the life of faithful stewardship I had imagined for myself. (more…)

A powerful call to action, from one who exemplified it better than most.