• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Lifeway Research

Lifeway Research

Enlightening today’s church with relevant research and insights

  • Research
  • Insights
  • Resource Library
  • Fast Facts
  • Search

5 Faithful Ways to Use Your COVID-19 Stimulus Money

Insights| Church Life & Ministry | May 13, 2020

Jp Valery photo | Unsplash

By Juan Sanchez

As a part of the CARES Act, the government is sending Economic Stimulus Payments (ESP) to Americans who filed income tax returns in 2018 or 2019.

As pastors, we have a responsibility to shepherd our people to be faithful stewards with all that our Lord provides. 

To be sure, our people are free to spend their ESPs as the Lord directs. Still, there’s something about how we handle money that exposes where our hearts are. 

So then, how might we shepherd our people to be faithful stewards with this unexpected income? Allow me to suggest several ways you may lead your flock to spend their ESPs.

1. BASIC NEEDS

The purpose for which the ESP was designed was to cover the basic needs of workers who’ve been furloughed or laid off.

Unfortunately, the ESP won’t sustain anyone for very long if they’re unemployed or underemployed. 

It’s only provided to cover essentials in the short term. So, encourage those who’ve been furloughed or laid off to seek the unemployment benefits offered by your state. 

If they don’t qualify for unemployment, you may need to help these members through your benevolence fund.

2. HELP OTHERS

For those who are blessed enough to keep working and continue to receive their regular pay and also receive an ESP, one of the temptations they’ll face is to think of it as “fun” money—money you can blow on yourself or your family just for fun. 

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the blessings the Lord provides, like extra income.

But remember, this money is being provided to care for the basic needs of the unemployed and underemployed workers during this pandemic. 

If one has no immediate need for the ESP, why not encourage them to steward it to serve others? Maybe there’s a family member in need that they may help directly. Maybe a neighbor. 

Or, they can help you care for the members of your church who have financial or material needs by contributing to the benevolence fund.

3. DEBT

Perhaps you have members who continue working and are receiving your regular pay, but it’s been hard for them to make ends meet because they’re in a debt situation that’s difficult to manage. 

For them, the ESP may be a divine opportunity to attack debt. Help them consider this money as a gift from the Lord to help release them from bondage to a debtor.

4. EMERGENCY SAVINGS

Maybe you have members who are managing their debt well. Give thanks to the Lord! Do they have an emergency fund? 

Sometimes unexpected expenses will hit you like a punch in the gut—the car breaks down, the washing machine quits working, the air conditioning goes on the fritz in August. 

If your people aren’t prepared for these emergency expenses, they’re likely to incur further debt. Encourage them to establish a $1,000.00 emergency fund. 

Once they’ve done that, encourage them to start working on a longer-term emergency savings account that’ll equal 3 to 6 months of their salary.

That way, if they’re ever furloughed or laid off in the future, they may survive that period.

5. RETIREMENT INVESTMENT

Some of your people are likely able to meet their basic needs, they’ve been generous, they don’t have issues with debt, and their emergency fund is squared away.

But, have they planned long-term for their and their family’s retirement needs? 

The ESP is not a large amount, but it could be a useful starting point, especially if they haven’t thought about planning for retirement. You’re never too young to begin planning.

Again, as pastors, we don’t presume to tell our people how to spend their money. But, we do have a responsibility to shepherd our people in all seasons of life to be faithful stewards. 

So pastors, take this opportunity to shepherd your people well. May our Lord continue to be generous toward us that we may be generous in our giving and faithful in our stewardship.

JUAN SANCHEZ (@manorjuan) is husband to Jeanine, father to five daughters, senior pastor of High Pointe Baptist Church, Austin, Texas, and author of Seven Dangers Facing Your Church.

Dig Deeper at Lifeway.com

Find More Money

Art Rainer

See also  A Reason for the Weary World to Rejoice this Christmas
FIND OUT MORE

Related posts:

Young Adults, Including Christians, Have Complicated Relationship with Money watch clock end times Bible pastors researchWhat Do Pastors Believe About the End Times? What Do Pastors Believe About the Book of Revelation? 3 Ways to Reach Non-Religious People in Your Community

Primary Sidebar

Follow Us On…

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Popular

  • 7 in 10 Women Who Have Had an Abortion Identify as a Christian
  • Pastors Have Clarity on Same-Sex Marriage, Not the Role of LGBTQ+ People in Churches
  • Most Popular Sermon Passages, Topics in 2021
  • 7 Reasons to Praise the Lord
    praise

Join the Lifeway Research Newsletter

Lifeway Research: Enlightening Today’s Church with Relevant Insights.

Signup for email updates on our church and culture research.

Sign Up

Leader Resources

Bible
Clip Art
Classics
Clip Art
Current Events
Clip Art
Discipleship
Clip Art
Pastoral Ministy
Clip Art
Theology
Clip Art
VIEW ALL RESOURCES
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Custom Research
  • Resource Library
  • Search

Copyright © 2022 · Lifeway Research, a ministry of Lifeway Christian Resources