Stewardship Archives - Louisiana Baptists

Once Upon a Time…

Louisiana Baptists — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 20:13:41 +0000

Note: Louisiana Baptists have partnered with Compass Financial Ministry to provide churches inspiration and resources relating to Biblical Stewardship and Financial Discipleship. See the end of the article for more information.

What comes to mind when you hear those words?

It usually means it’s story time! It may be familiar or it may take you someplace you’ve never imagined.

Jesus told many parables, or “heart stories”, intended not for entertainment but for enlightenment. Many of these parables dealt with issues related to the conditions of our hearts that often dealt with the stewardship, or management of our time, talents, and treasure.

In many ways, your life is a story of stewardship that unfolds day by day. Your schedule, your priorities, your language, your budget all tell a story that provides a window to your heart – to what’s important to you. Your story is tied to your heart, and your heart is tied to your treasure (See Matthew 6:21).

This summer, invite God into your story. Ask Him to show you how to include others in the story He’s telling in your life. Ask how He can include you in the story of His blessings in another person’s life. When we share our possessions, we become a conduit and partner in God’s generosity to bless others.

To learn more about Biblical stewardship and ﬁnancial discipleship, visit LouisianaBaptists.org/stewardship or contact Rhea Fix at rhea@compassﬁnancialministry.org

Rhea Fix

The Executive Director for Compass Financial Ministry serving Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and West Tennessee. She has over ten years teaching financial literacy and discipleship.

compassfinancialministry.org

What Would You Do If…

Louisiana Baptists — Thu, 14 May 2026 19:31:39 +0000

Note: Louisiana Baptists have partnered with Compass Financial Ministry to provide churches inspiration and resources relating to Biblical Stewardship and Financial Discipleship. See the end of the article for more information.

… you could eat whatever you desired without gaining a pound (or clogging your arteries)?

… you had the resources to travel anywhere in the world?

… you doubled or even tripled the number of tithers in your church?

In a recent survey, Louisiana pastors and church leaders were asked what the impact would be if more households in their church started tithing. Would they add staff? Would they build a building? Seventy-nine percent (79%) indicated they would increase community outreach and seventy-two percent (72%) noted they would invest more to the missions efforts of others! Now that’s Kingdom impact!

Giving isn’t about meeting a budget; it’s about multiplying Gospel impact. Every dollar given becomes a tool God uses to reach neighbors, support missionaries, and expand His Kingdom. Generosity opens doors, equips leaders, and meets real needs in Jesus’ name.

Through the prophet Malachi, God challenged His people, including us, in this area.

“’Test me in this,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.’”
Malachi 3:10, NIV

Consistent, intentional giving allows believers to partner with God in life transformation. Giving today may open the door for the Gospel tomorrow.

What could you do if …

Rhea Fix

The Executive Director for Compass Financial Ministry serving Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and West Tennessee. She has over ten years teaching financial literacy and discipleship.

compassfinancialministry.org

2026 Stewardship Survey

Louisiana Baptists — Thu, 14 May 2026 19:09:40 +0000

Pastors from across Louisiana recently participated in a stewardship survey designed to help us better understand the opportunities, challenges, and needs churches are facing today. We are grateful for the many pastors and ministry leaders who took time to share their insights and experiences. By listening to pastors and learning from their experiences, we can better serve churches as they disciple believers, encourage faithful stewardship, and advance the mission of reaching people across Louisiana and beyond.

Below you’ll find a summary of the survey responses and some key takeaways from what pastors shared.

Q1 – What is your role in the church?
52% of respondents said their role was “Other”, 30% indicated they were the pastor.
Q2 – How important is it to teach members/guests to give financially to the Lord through the church?
97% of respondents said it was important/very important to teach members/guests to give.
Q3 – When is financial giving to the Lord best taught?
79% indicated lessons in Sunday School/small groups were the best place to teach about stewardship/giving followed by 54% – Sunday morning sermons and 45% who said mentoring (followed closely by 41% who said separate lessons on finances).
Q4 – How often do you preach/teach financial giving to the Lord?
30% of respondents said they preach/teach on stewardship twice a year, followed by 23% who do so three/four times a year.
Q5 – What personal financial management classes have you offered in your church?
40% said they have used Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace curriculum while another 40% indicated this question was not applicable. 35% said they’ve used Crown/Compass or Other/developed their own material.
Q6 – What percentage of households/family units give regularly to the church (your estimate)?
Almost 43% of respondents believe between 26-50% of their households/family units give regularly to the church while almost 21% believe 0-25% do so.
Q7 – What would be the impact if more households in your church tithed?
79% said they could increase community outreach, followed closely by 72% who indicated they would invest more to the missions efforts of others.
Q8 – Which of the following BEST describes the majority of households/family units in your church?
54% selected “Stable” (they consistently make ends meet) and another 30% described their members as “Solid” (can meet discretionary and non-discretionary expenses).
Q9 – Which of the following best represents where your church is located?
35% of those responding to the survey said their church was located in a small town (5,000-25,000 people) followed closely by 34% who said their church resided in a community in a rural area of less than 5,000 people.
Q10 – What is the biggest obstacle to encouraging stewardship and giving?
Click on this link to view those open-ended responses.

Work. It. Out.

Louisiana Baptists — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:45:10 +0000

Note: Louisiana Baptists have partnered with Compass Financial Ministry to provide churches inspiration and resources relating to Biblical Stewardship and Financial Discipleship. See the end of the article for more information.

How are you doing on those resolutions you made in January?

If one of those resolutions involved exercise, you probably experienced some soreness from using muscles you may not have used in a while.

Obedience can sometimes feel like an underused or infrequently used muscle. When God’s Spirit prompts us to be obedient, especially in the area of finances, it’s not unusual to experience some discomfort. We’re not used to tithing. We’re not used to staying within a budget. We don’t enjoy saying no to a purchase when we’re used to saying yes – even if we really couldn’t afford it.

The benefit of exercising the “obedience muscle” in our finances, is it begins to affect other areas of our lives. We begin telling our money where to go rather than letting our desires do the talking. This in turn develops our witness, grows us in spiritual maturity, and increases our generosity towards the Kingdom.

One of the more important aspects of financial discipleship is learning how to make giving, saving, and spending decisions with obedience.

Helpful Resources:

Your Money Counts
This month, we’re sharing Your Money Counts a free eBook written by Howard Dayton that provides an overview of what the Bible says on money. (https://compassfinancialministry.org/product/your-money-counts/)

Want a paperback copy? Louisiana Baptists is offering $5 off for paperback copies. Use code LBC5OFF when you place an order for a hard copy.

YouVersion Reading Plans
YouVersion Financial Discipleship Reading Plans from Compass offer over forty topics to help you learn and apply what the Bible says about handling money. Got the YouVersion Bible App? Search for “Financial Discipleship” and look for the Compass icon.
(https://compassfinancialministry.org/read-biblical-financial-literacy/)

To learn more about Biblical stewardship and ﬁnancial discipleship, visit louisianabaptists.org/stewardship or contact Rhea Fix at rhea@compassﬁnancialministry.org

Rhea Fix

The Executive Director for Compass Financial Ministry serving Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and West Tennessee. She has over ten years teaching financial literacy and discipleship.

compassfinancialministry.org

What I Wish My Parents Had Taught Me

Louisiana Baptists — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 20:12:03 +0000

Note: Louisiana Baptists have partnered with Compass Financial Ministry to provide churches inspiration and resources relating to Biblical Stewardship and Financial Discipleship. See the end of the article for more information.

Flash Back–

on purpose—for just a moment. Now that you’re an adult, what is one thing you wish your parents had taught you about?

According to some financial consultants, the number one answer is: “I wish my parents had taught me what it meant to handle money God’s way.”

As adults, we recognize patterns of poor financial choices that could have been prevented. Even those raised in Christian homes often only know the world’s way of handling money-and many don’t realize they have another choice.

It comes down to viewing finances through a discipleship lens.

Families that are spiritually disciplined and financially healthy help create churches that are missionally generous and economically sound. Financial discipleship is more than getting people on a budget or out of debt. It is also about introducing people to Jesus so they can grow in their relationship with Him and build His Kingdom.

Helpful Resources:

Compass Podcasts
If you are a podcast fan, this is the month for you. Listen to Compass Financial Ministry speakers discuss a variety of topics that may further your financial discipleship walk. Explore Podcasts Page.

The Compass Curriculum
A terrific study for young adults ages 16-22. This Award-Winning resource is available in soft cover and Compass has made the eBook completely FREE to encourage young adults to gain a biblical perspective on handling finances. Please share the link with your Youth Director and with the students’ parents.

Give, Save, Spend Course
This class has been taught as a 3-credit course at Asbury University for over 10 years. When the KY state legislature passed a bill to require a financial literacy requirement for high school students, Asbury quickly moved on the opportunity and made this course available as a dual credit course for rising Kentucky High School Juniors and Seniors. Learn more about this dual credit option and how a student may enroll.

To learn more about Biblical stewardship/ﬁnancial discipleship, visit louisianabaptists.org/stewardship or contact Rhea Fix at rhea@compassﬁnancialministry.org.

Rhea Fix

The Executive Director for Compass Financial Ministry serving Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and West Tennessee. She has over ten years teaching financial literacy and discipleship.

compassfinancialministry.org

Financial FAQ’s

Louisiana Baptists — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 19:40:47 +0000

Note: Louisiana Baptists have partnered with Compass Financial Ministry to provide churches inspiration and resources relating to Biblical Stewardship and Financial Discipleship. See the end of the article for more information.

Looking for answers?

Whether you’re a church or an individual, we all have questions related to money.

A recent search engine inquiry found that nationally, student loans were top of mind for most people. In Louisiana, the same question generated interest related to budgeting.

Common questions related to finances:

Should I give when I am paying off debt?
Should I pay off credit cards first or save for retirement
What steps should I take to prepare for the unexpected
How do I instruct my kids (and grandkids) to manage their money well?

We live in an age where we can buy groceries on installment payments, place sports bets online, apply for credit for small home repairs, or transfer money to friends (and even strangers) with only a phone number. We need God’s timeless truths to light the way!

What does Scripture say?

Did you know Scripture contains over 2,350 verses about money and possessions? Biblical principles are truths that never change, so we can act with confidence when we consult God’s Word on finances.

Prosperity is not about income — it’s connected to obedience.

If you would like a FREE resource relating to the 2,350 verses on money and possessions, visit compassfinancialministry.org.

If you’ve got questions, God’s Word has answers. This year, let God’s Word help you manage finances His way.

To learn more about Biblical stewardship/ﬁnancial discipleship, visit louisianabaptists.org/stewardship or contact Rhea Fix at rhea@compassﬁnancialministry.org.

Rhea Fix

The Executive Director for Compass Financial Ministry serving Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and West Tennessee. She has over ten years teaching financial literacy and discipleship.

compassfinancialministry.org

God Doesn’t Need A Good Economy

Louisiana Baptists — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 22:32:47 +0000

Note: Louisiana Baptists have partnered with Compass Financial Ministry to provide churches inspiration and resources relating to Biblical Stewardship and Financial Discipleship. See the end of the article for more information.

A new year!

It is the season of resolutions and new beginnings. New goals, new tax laws, and new budgets. We’re already seeing predictions about this year’s economy and how to navigate it. But what about God’s economy? What if 2026 was the year we decided to turn from handling money the world’s way and chose to handle it God’s way! Scripture is packed with over 2,350 verses about money and possessions. In fact, Jesus talked about it more than any other topic, except for the Kingdom of God.

God knows what lies ahead.

He doesn’t need good circumstances to provide for His people.

He delights in overcoming the odds of bad situations by showing up and providing more than what is needed. So, how do we tap into this power? By drawing close to Him—in prayer, through the living Word, and in living out His commands to love God and to love our neighbor.

As we learn God’s ﬁnancial principles, apply them in our life, and share what the Lord is doing, we become a ﬁnancial disciple of Jesus Christ.

That could mean sharing how the Lord helped you work through a ﬁnancial challenge, extending generosity towards someone in need, or providing biblical counsel as the Lord opens the door.

Handling ﬁnances His way means asking Him what He would have you do with what He has entrusted you and being obedient to do what He tells you to do.

Building Financial Discipleship

Discipleship doesn’t happen in one conversation or message. It’s a journey that explores what it means and looks like to live out the Christian life. Financial discipleship is a discipline built over time just like prayer, fasting, and other spiritual disciplines. This year, make a plan to build financial discipleship by refreshing your understanding, then sharing those foundational practices and teachings.

We’re here to help! Louisiana Baptists and Compass Financial Ministry are partnering to offer resources and messages you can use to strengthen the life of your church and family, and counter the world’s teaching about money.

To learn more about Biblical stewardship/ﬁnancial discipleship, visit louisianabaptists.org/stewardship or contact Rhea Fix at rhea@compassﬁnancialministry.org.

Rhea Fix

The Executive Director for Compass Financial Ministry serving Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and West Tennessee. She has over ten years teaching financial literacy and discipleship.

compassfinancialministry.org