Teach your people to support God's work and His workers.

• If you feel awkward to ask them to give for your benefit, you might arrange with another teacher or pastor to teach this.
• On the mission field new pastors are sometimes hesitant to ask for themselves. A wise missionary will arrange for two pastors to teach in each other's church, in order to teach about pastoral support.

Find in 1 Timothy 5:17-18 guidelines for supporting those who shepherd the flock.

Find in 1 Corinthians 9:7-18 and 2 Corinthians chapters 8 - 9 guidelines for giving and supporting ministers.

Find in the book of Malachi several serious warnings of God, concerning stewardship.

How did some people in the Old Testament rob God, according to Malachi 3:6-12?

T&M Student Activity Guide page 34b

For hiring staff: Leadership Handbooks of Practical Theology, editor, James D. Berkley, Volume 3, section 18

If your church is new or small, determine if it is feasible to support a pastor or other staff as full time workers.

• Estimate the average income and report it back to the group.
• Then ask them to calculate how many persons it would take, giving a ten-percent tithe, to support a pastor or evangelist with a salary equal to their average. (The answer is always ten.)
• Then ask them to calculate how many full time workers they could support even now, if they were all to give a ten-percent tithe. The answer is always the size of the membership divided by ten.