Clarifying Giving Theology: Why Your Church Must Talk About Money

If your church doesn’t have a clear theology on giving—one that you consistently communicate—then you’re unintentionally allowing a free market of incorrect beliefs to take root and thrive. And that’s not healthy for your church.

It’s also unfair to suggest that people who aren’t giving are being disobedient if they’ve never been taught a biblical perspective on generosity. How can someone be disobedient to something they don’t know? If you have people sitting in your church who have never heard a clear, biblical teaching on giving, that’s not their failure—it’s yours. As a pastor, if you desire to preach the full counsel of God, you cannot sidestep the issue of money. Jesus certainly didn’t.

You need to talk about it, and your church needs a clearly articulated giving theology. Pastors need clarity. Congregations need clarity. Don't assume people already understand. You set the compass, and rather than letting the conversation drift, you must provide direction. A well-defined giving theology becomes the foundation for every conversation about money and faith.

Churches Are Not Talking About Money—and It’s a Problem

Many churches intentionally avoid conversations about money and faith. I’ve seen it firsthand. When I ask pastors, “What does your church believe about giving?” the answers often reveal a significant gap.

One time, I was with an executive team of six leaders and suggested a simple exercise: writing down what they believed about giving. The lead pastor stopped me and said, “We don’t need to do that. I already know we’re not on the same page.”

That was an eye-opening moment. There was no deep theological debate. No internal conflict. They just hadn’t had the conversation. The lack of clarity wasn’t because they disagreed—it was because they had never taken the time to define what they believed. And as a result, their congregation had no clear understanding of giving either.

This avoidance is one reason why giving has become so transactional in churches. If we don’t intentionally shape a biblical perspective on generosity, people will fill in the blanks with their own assumptions—and often, those assumptions are shaped more by culture than by Scripture.

Shifting the Conversation: From Transactional to Transformational

The way we talk about money in church must shift from transactional (“Give because the church needs it”) to transformational (“Give because God wants to transform your heart”).

When you start clearly teaching a theology of giving, you will draw out skeptics. Some people will push back. Expect it. But that’s not a reason to avoid the conversation—it’s a reason to lean in.

Paul models this in Philippians 4:17 when he thanks the church at Philippi for their generosity. He says, “Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account.” Paul wasn’t interested in their money—he was interested in their spiritual growth. He understood that giving wasn’t about funding ministry; it was about fostering a deeper relationship with God.

God uses money to transform us. He doesn’t need our dollars to sustain His church—He wants our hearts to be fully His. If we don’t teach this truth, people will default to thinking giving is just about budgets and expenses. And when that happens, money remains just money, instead of becoming a spiritual tool for discipleship.

Building a Clear Giving Theology

A strong giving theology provides a framework for your entire church—pastors, staff, long-time members, new attendees, and even skeptics. If your church lacks clarity, here’s how to start defining it:

1. Start with Ownership
   Everything begins with the fundamental truth: God owns it all. This is where you anchor your giving theology. Most churches agree on this, but it must be explicitly stated. We are not owners; we are stewards of what God has entrusted to us.
2. Clarify the Role of a Steward
   If God is the owner, then we are the managers. The Bible calls us stewards, which means our role is to manage His resources wisely—not in our own interests, but in alignment with His will. This is where the tension lies. It’s easy to manage money according to our personal desires; it’s much harder to manage it according to God’s purposes.
3. Get Leadership on the Same Page
   Gather your executive team, elders, or key leaders and ask them to articulate their beliefs about giving. Write them down. Compare answers. Wrestle with any inconsistencies. The goal isn’t to enforce uniformity but to achieve unity—a shared understanding that will guide your church’s teaching.
4. Tackle the Hard Questions

• What do we believe about tithing versus giving?
• What biblical principles should shape our generosity?
• What misconceptions need to be corrected?
• How do we teach about sacrificial giving in a grace-filled way?

For instance, many people use “tithing” and “giving” interchangeably. But biblically, a tithe refers to the first 10% of one’s income, while giving encompasses all acts of generosity beyond that. If your church uses the word “tithe,” make sure you define it clearly. Language matters.

5. Root It in Scripture
   A giving theology isn’t just a set of ideas—it must be anchored in God’s Word. Identify key biblical passages that support your beliefs and make them accessible to your congregation. When people see generosity in the context of Scripture, they will understand that giving isn’t a church-created obligation—it’s a biblical principle.

Embedding Giving Theology Into Church Culture

Once you’ve defined your theology, don’t let it sit in a document somewhere. Integrate it into your church’s DNA.

• Teach it regularly—not just during capital campaigns, but as part of normal discipleship.
• Reference it in multiple channels—on your website, in newsletters, in small groups, and in personal conversations.
• Model it from the top down—church leaders should be the first to embody and practice generosity.

When you consistently communicate a biblical theology of giving, it becomes part of the culture. Over time, your people will begin to see generosity not as a duty, but as an opportunity to grow in faith.

The Real Issue: Who Are We Serving?

At the core of this conversation is a spiritual reality: No one can serve two masters. Jesus makes it clear in Matthew 6:24—“You cannot serve both God and mammon.” Mammon isn’t just money; it represents the spiritual force that seeks to draw people’s hearts away from God.

If money has the power to become an idol in our lives, then pastors must confront that reality with clarity and boldness. And the way to do that is by teaching a theology of giving that prioritizes transformation over transaction.

If every conversation about money in your church is a request for funding, people will assume that’s all you care about. But if you consistently teach that generosity is about worship, trust, and discipleship, then people will see that God isn’t after their money—He’s after their hearts.

And that’s exactly what the Church should be after too.