3 Common Misconceptions About Church Generosity & Stewardship
For many church leaders, cultivating a culture of generosity can feel like walking a tightrope—balancing biblical stewardship, financial realities, and the unique culture of your congregation.
At Elevate Group, we’ve worked with churches of all sizes and styles, and we've noticed that three key misconceptions often keep pastors and leadership teams from developing a thriving generosity culture.
Let’s clear those up—and share how you can move forward with clarity and confidence.
1. “We preach generosity once a year, that should be enough.”
Many churches rely on an annual giving campaign or a single generosity sermon series to inspire generosity. But the truth is: generosity isn’t just a financial issue—it’s a discipleship issue.
If we want our people to grow in faith, generosity must become a consistent part of the conversation. That doesn’t mean talking about money every week. It means regularly celebrating generosity stories, offering clear next steps, and helping people connect giving to vision and mission.
Pro tip: Build a generosity calendar that keeps generosity and stewardship visible, but not overwhelming.
2. “Our people just aren’t generous.”
It’s easy to assume a giving gap reflects a lack of generosity—but more often, it reflects a lack of vision, clarity, communication, or an understanding of true biblical generosity .
In our experience, most church members want to be generous. They just need help understanding why it matters, how to do it wisely, and what impact their giving really makes. When leaders paint a compelling picture of changed lives—and make giving easy and personal—people respond.
Pro tip: Share short, specific stories of life transformation and ministry impact tied directly to generosity.
3. “We don’t have time to build a full generosity strategy.”
We get it—you’re already juggling discipleship, preaching, administration, pastoral care, and so much more. But building a generosity strategy doesn’t mean reinventing your church. It means aligning what you already do with a few intentional practices that empower your leaders and engage your people.
In fact, the best generosity strategies don’t add work—they multiply impact by equipping others to carry the vision with you.
Pro tip: Start small. Identify 2–3 key moments in your church calendar where generosity naturally connects—and build from there.
Want to Learn More?
We’re hosting a free live webinar to go deeper on this topic:
🎙️ “Growing a Culture of Generosity and Stewardship in Your Church”
🗓️ Wednesday, May 21 at 1 PM Eastern | 12 PM Central
With Chris Willard (Elevate Group) and Bill Woolsey (FiveTwo)
You’ll walk away with:
✔️ A clear framework to guide your generosity efforts
✔️ Practical ways to engage leaders and inspire givers
✔️ A free bonus case study: “Revitalizing Generosity in a Large Multisite Church”
👉 Reserve your spot now → CLICK HERE>
Let’s move beyond the misconceptions—and toward a generosity culture that fits your people and fuels your mission.
