We end up focusing
on technology rather than addressing
broader cultural shifts. Consider, for instance, a church’s
website. On Saturday night, poten- tial visitors may visit the website to check what time worship begins. But a good website shares more than the time of worship, it tells engag- ing stories. Good websites engage visitors, cast a vision of the faith community and welcome others to join in God’s mission. How we address giving should be
Siburg notes that he and his par-
ents, all graduates of the same uni- versity, receive diff erent messages and invitations from their college to give, in part due to a compassionate acknowledgement of their varying abilities to give. Meyer takes a diff erent approach,
leaning on the small group ministry in his congregation. Jacob’s Well doesn’t connect its frequent money and faith sermon series directly to asking for money, though Meyer does address how giving should refl ect values. “If folks don’t have their fi nancial heads above water, then asking for money just makes them feel guilty,” he said. Instead, Meyer suggests folks
have conversations about specifi cs in their small groups. “In Group- Life there’s a friendly accountabil- ity. T ere they can talk with one another about what they give and why,” he said.
Author bio: Copeland teaches at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., where he is director of the Center for Stewardship Leaders.
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www.thelutheran.org Myth No. 5 Electronic giving is the tool.
More times than I care to count, church leaders assure me they’ve made great eff orts to respond to changing giving patterns by young adults in their congregations. “Oh, great,” I ask, “What have
you done?” “Well, you can give online now.” T at’s it. Certainly, providing easy elec-
tronic giving options is an important fi rst step, but it’s only that—step one.
Correcting myth No. 5
Means are important,
but so is the message.
Providing ways to give electronically is certainly an important step in the process of supporting young adults in our giving. But the question is why? If we make electronic giving an option simply to get more money for our church, we end up focusing on technology rather than address- ing broader cultural shiſt s. King warns: “T e tools used to engage millennials can’t be confused with the strategies to engage them.”
just as expansive. Elton praised her congregation
for engaging young adults by orga- nizing the time around the off ering with visuals and short testimonies explaining where the giſt s go. Pomroy also pointed out: “If you
don’t have a lot of money, you may care even more where that money is going.” So she encourages congrega- tions to show the measurable impact of their giſt s. Certainly, congregations need
to off er ways to give that fi t young people, like electronic giving. But it can’t stop at click-to-give.
T is article’s focus has been on
young adults and giving. But hope- fully you also see that millennials are less a cohort that causes head- scratching and more of what we are: a diverse group striving to be faith- ful amid the challenges of life today. Consider the fi ve myths and sug-
gested corrections, but also this sur- prising reality: the corrections may also apply to members of all ages. Examining these myths related to
giving may certainly have a posi- tive eff ect on young adult members, but this examination may also fi nd resonance well beyond those in the millennial generation. What an opportunity for us all.
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