One of the most difficult things for anyone to understand is the role that giving to the church plays in our understanding of faith. I’ve been thinking about how we can encourage our kids to have an understanding of financial giving. It is difficult though. We don’t pass offering plates in worship in the Warehouse for good reason and I feel the same should be true in the Greenhouse. I don’t want a child to feel pressured to give money but I think it’s important to model. As parents we are responsible for teaching and modeling financial giving for our children. That being said, the Greenhouse wants to partner with you. Beginning this month, there will be an offering box placed near the check-in table in the Greenhouse. This allows an easy place for Greenhouse volunteers and parents to place their offering and communication cards, but it is also a place for kids to give their offering.
So how do we help our kids understand this idea of giving?
Dave Ramsey has taken his Financial Peace philosophy and created an easy way for parents to begin to lay a foundation of financial freedom in the lives of children. He suggests that kids can earn money through chores or allowance. Once they have earned money, they are then encouraged to divide that money in 3 ways. They can ‘Give It’, ‘Save It’, and ‘Spend Wisely.’ I encourage you to think about this concept and how you might teach and model this financial freedom and giving with your children. My hope in the coming months is to provide more information on these three areas and offer suggestions of how to encourage your child to understand them. If you would like more information on Dave Ramsey’s parent curriculum, feel free to ask me or check it out on his website.
Like I said at the beginning, my hope is that this provokes us all to teach and model financial giving in the Greenhouse and at home.
Partnering with you!
May 11th, 2010 at 11:36 pm
Chris: I agree Children learn by modeling after adults and children need to establish habits early in life. I like the fact of children giving the same method as adults. But, there needs to be a set amount such as a dollar or .50. This relates back to my childhood where some of us were lucky to give a dime. It was embarassing where the dish was passed and I gave a dime and some others were able to give a dollar. Some food for thought.
May 19th, 2010 at 5:29 pm
Tom: Thanks for your comment. I hear what you are saying. My hope is that kids do not feel ashamed by what they bring. Since we are doing things the same as in the warehouse with providing a box. Kids probably won’t see how much money another kid places in the box. I think the amount that a child gives should be determined by conversation that takes place between a parent and child not by how much the children’s ministry says they should bring. My goal is to provide an avenue for help parents talk to their kids about money and giving to the church. I think of it as a partnership and with that there are things that we as a church are responsible for but the there are also things parents need ownership of. I enjoy the conversation. Thanks!