Breakthrough ideas with Greg:

• Opening your home, giving people access to you, can be a spiritual commitment.
• The second someone walks through the door into your home; people can sniff out love, acceptance, and grace.
• Could your home be a better place to invite someone than the church if you genuinely want to share the love of Jesus?
• The future of Jesus people in America may just be delivering the gospel life on life and kitchen to kitchen?
• Generosity is a family heritage that can be passed along from generation to generation.
• Fundraising is not just a Pastor’s necessary evil like taking your vitamins… it is a vital leadership discipline.
• Your congregation can grow spiritually when you call them to sacrifice financially.
• Generosity is a spiritual muscle that must be warmed and used regularly.
• Taking risks of faith reminds us that God is the great provider.
• Jesus is on to something here… Money matters.
• Jesus doesn’t need our money, but he does want our hearts.
• Money captures the heart of people; that’s why Jesus talked about it so much.
• Generosity and fundraising are categories of discipleship that create explosive spiritual growth.
• There’s something being a church that has enough critical mass and resources to serve the community but lives small enough to feel like a family.
• Most pastors are not trained to disciple people with whole life generosity.
• Every pastoral leader deals with the fear of talking about money; it’s not just you.
• Jesus doesn’t give us any right to not talk about one of the most significant sources of anxiety in the life of people: money.
• It is malpractice for a pastor to not address the topic of money and possessions in the lives and hearts of the people in their congregation.
• Jesus likes the topic of money… you are in good hands when you talk about money.
• Bring up money in a gracious, confident way and normalize the conversation about generosity. We cannot-not talk about money if we are going to lead people to dependence on Christ.
• Generosity and how we deal with our stuff is a daily topic, not an annual topic. Talk about it regularly.
• If you only talk about money in crisis or budgetary terms, what you are saying is that giving is a financial transaction. Jesus doesn’t allow us to see generosity as a transactional practice.
• Understanding the true nature of generosity is at the core of discipleship.
• How can you grow someone in their dependence on God and following of Him if you do not talk about their money?
• Breakthrough happens when generosity is normalized, as a part of people discipling – not church budgeting.
• Does the topic of generosity need to come up in sermons on marriage and work? If you are normalizing generosity, it does.
• Pastors need to share their generosity journey, their fears and struggles to normalize generosity.
• When church leaders are nitpicking about theology around the tithe and giving, they’re typically NOT seeking ways to be MORE generous.
• What if every member of your congregation acted as you do in the category of generosity? What kind of church would it be?
• Pastor, is your life, and your generosity, worth emulating by your congregation?
• Generosity affects every part of your ability to lead well in the church.
• God doesn’t need your money to do His work, but He sure seems to use it.
• Put money in its place and then continue to pursue what it means to live with generosity.
• What if there was a how-to guide for churches that are trying to run discipleship based capital campaigns?
• How do you lead a capital campaign? Here’s a step-by-step playbook.
• Every pastor can execute a capital campaign; it’s not that complex. Having clarity as to WHY you are running a capital campaign and HOW this connects to God’s better future is what makes a campaign successful.
• You can move from being intimidated about a capital campaign to being encouraged to fund a bigger dream for your church.
• Don’t be so insecure as a young leader; your identity is not found in being the hero… Jesus is the hero.
• You do not have to have every answer. Jesus is ok with the real you.
• Authentic relationships with people who know and love you serve to bring out the real, imperfect version of who you are.

Breakthrough resources:

Capital Campaign Playbook by Greg Gibbs

The Great Emergence by Phyllis Tickle

Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero

Greg Gibbs was raised in the Philadelphia area but set down roots in the suburbs of Detroit. As the son of an IBM executive, his instincts for leadership were shaped early. He studied Organizational Communication as an undergrad and holds a master’s degree in Theology.  After years of pastoral leadership in churches, Greg turned his attention to consulting and has spent time traveling the country working with church leaders.

Greg is both a practitioner and consultant. He holds an adjunct position as Director of Organizational Advancement for Kensington Church – serving his home church by leading Church Planting and Leadership Development initiatives. Kensington is a multi-site church and has helped fund and coach over 70 church plants around the country.

After 15 years of consulting and having helped raise over $150M for various churches, Greg joined Auxano in late 2016 as a Lead Navigator. He helps senior leadership with Vision Clarity, Long-Range Planning, and Resourcing through Capital Campaigns and Generosity Development. He is the author of Capital Campaign Playbook: An Insider Look at a Church Consultant’s Game Plan.

Greg has been married to Andrea for 28 years and they have four children, one daughter-in-law, two dogs named Walter and Gustavo, and like to roast their own coffee with beans they purchase at the Eastern Market in downtown Detroit.

 

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