What is Thrive?
The Thrive Financial Initiative (TFI) is a program designed to help pastors flourish financially, physically, and emotionally in pursuit of greater ministry effectiveness, and longevity. Working together, the pastor and two key lay leaders in a local church collaborate to provide extra funds or resources to support the pastor, complete required financial learning journeys that will help the pastor and the local church, and enable the pastor to receive a matching grant of up to $2000 for their continued well-being. Key lay leaders are crucial to the success of the program in the local church. If your church is not yet participating in TFI, you can be the person who helps start the conversation.
How does it work?
1. Gather your Thrive Team
A Thrive Team is a pastor and at least two key laity who agree to collaborate together each year to learn more about the economic challenges facing their pastor and complete a simple TFI Well-being Development Plan.
2. Choose Well-Being Investment
To receive a matching grant the local church chooses a new investment in their pastor’s financial, physical, or emotional well-being (e.g., help reduce debt, larger pension contribution, needed family vacation, memberships to gyms, pay for counseling, etc.). The options for how a church can address the well-being for the pastor are nearly endless and give the church a lot of flexibility. The $500 investment from the Crossroads District for COVID-19 relief to pastoral families can be applied towards this total.
3. Complete Two TFI Learning Journeys
Participation in financial management education has proven extremely helpful to pastors and local church leaders. In the first year learning journeys, Thrive teams explore Ron Blue’s “God Owns It All” DVD curriculum and “Master Your Money” book.
4. Submit TFI Well-Being Report
To complete the process for receiving a matching grant, the Thrive Team submits a Well-Being Development Report about the outcomes of their experiences and the Well-Being Development Plan.
5. Receive TFI Matching Grant!
Thrive Teams that complete all the requirements each year can earn a $1,000 matching grant for their pastor. Often, TFI is able to create even larger matching grants. Many matching grants have been as large as $2,000
A Thrive Team is a pastor and at least two key laity who agree to collaborate together each year to learn more about the economic challenges facing their pastor and complete a simple TFI Well-being Development Plan.
2. Choose Well-Being Investment
To receive a matching grant the local church chooses a new investment in their pastor’s financial, physical, or emotional well-being (e.g., help reduce debt, larger pension contribution, needed family vacation, memberships to gyms, pay for counseling, etc.). The options for how a church can address the well-being for the pastor are nearly endless and give the church a lot of flexibility. The $500 investment from the Crossroads District for COVID-19 relief to pastoral families can be applied towards this total.
3. Complete Two TFI Learning Journeys
Participation in financial management education has proven extremely helpful to pastors and local church leaders. In the first year learning journeys, Thrive teams explore Ron Blue’s “God Owns It All” DVD curriculum and “Master Your Money” book.
4. Submit TFI Well-Being Report
To complete the process for receiving a matching grant, the Thrive Team submits a Well-Being Development Report about the outcomes of their experiences and the Well-Being Development Plan.
5. Receive TFI Matching Grant!
Thrive Teams that complete all the requirements each year can earn a $1,000 matching grant for their pastor. Often, TFI is able to create even larger matching grants. Many matching grants have been as large as $2,000
How do i get Started?
Starting Thrive is simple. Click the button below to complete your Thrive registration form. Once that is done you will be ready to start.
What exact steps do i need to take?
Once you have registered for TFI, you are ready to access the Thrive Team Resource Center. In the resource center you will find a yearly guide which provides a step by step pathway to completing your TFI journey. If this is your first time participating in Thrive you will utilize the year one tab on the main page of the resource center.
Finish your Annual Report (WDR)
Once you have completed all the steps for the year of TFI that you are currently in, you will be ready to submit your annual report, also known as the WDR. This form is essential to your Thrive Learning Journey as we cannot match any funds unless this form is completed on time. Click the relevant year below to complete your WDR
Year 1 WDR Year 2 WDR Year 3 WDR After Care WDR
Year 1 WDR Year 2 WDR Year 3 WDR After Care WDR
Frequently Asked Questions
I'm not a Pastor. How do I help?
Ask your pastor about participating. Recommend that the pastor participate. Encourage the church to provide some of the extra funds/resources needed. Volunteer to be a member of the Thrive Team or recruit another member for the Thrive Team. Overall, be and advocate for your pastor.
What is a Thrive Team?
A Thrive Team is a pastor and two key laity to who agree to work together each year to learn more about the economic challenges facing their pastor, lead the church to make investments in the pastor’s well-being, complete the learning journeys, and collaborate on a final report. Typical time commitment is approximately 10-12 hours per year.
How much money will my Thrive matching grant be?
Each pastor can submit up to $1,000 in a well being investment from their church. This investment in the pastor from the local church will be matched dollar for dollar by Education and Clergy Development at Wesleyan Headquarters. Then as long as the local church has invested at least $1,000 into the pastor for Thrive, the Crossroads District will give a $500 thank you gift into the matching grant check. Then most years Education and clergy development will match the $500 gift to make the total of the Thrive Matching Grant check $2,000.
What is a Thrive Well-Being Investment?
The first requirement for earning a matching grant is for the local church or district to make a new investment in their pastor’s financial well-being (e.g., help reduce debt, give a raise, larger pension contribution, etc.). The local church or district can also make an investment in another well-being category (e.g., emotional, spiritual, relational, physical, or intellectual) and have it count towards the matching grant too. Guides in the Thrive Team Resource Center can help you think about the investments for your pastor.
When is the due date for TFI in 2020?
Because of COVID-19 the due date for TFI has been extended to October 9th, 2020.
What are key characteristics of Churches that succeed at TFI?
The single, clearest defining characteristics of churches who have experienced successful projects is a collaborative spirit between clergy and lay persons. Rather than approaching the project with suspicion or attempting to assign blame, churches with collaborative environments start with openness to learn more about the problems and then work together to build collaborative solutions. Rather than just thinking about problems as clergy issues, successful churches view a thriving clergy as an essential ingredient in a thriving congregation. Additionally, successful churches almost always have a lay champion for TFI. The lay champion helps promote the project in the local church and advocates for supporting the pastor. The church does not need to know all the specific details about the pastor economic concerns. The church can just presume the pastor has some and that any help they can provide will be appreciated and beneficial.
Ask your pastor about participating. Recommend that the pastor participate. Encourage the church to provide some of the extra funds/resources needed. Volunteer to be a member of the Thrive Team or recruit another member for the Thrive Team. Overall, be and advocate for your pastor.
What is a Thrive Team?
A Thrive Team is a pastor and two key laity to who agree to work together each year to learn more about the economic challenges facing their pastor, lead the church to make investments in the pastor’s well-being, complete the learning journeys, and collaborate on a final report. Typical time commitment is approximately 10-12 hours per year.
How much money will my Thrive matching grant be?
Each pastor can submit up to $1,000 in a well being investment from their church. This investment in the pastor from the local church will be matched dollar for dollar by Education and Clergy Development at Wesleyan Headquarters. Then as long as the local church has invested at least $1,000 into the pastor for Thrive, the Crossroads District will give a $500 thank you gift into the matching grant check. Then most years Education and clergy development will match the $500 gift to make the total of the Thrive Matching Grant check $2,000.
What is a Thrive Well-Being Investment?
The first requirement for earning a matching grant is for the local church or district to make a new investment in their pastor’s financial well-being (e.g., help reduce debt, give a raise, larger pension contribution, etc.). The local church or district can also make an investment in another well-being category (e.g., emotional, spiritual, relational, physical, or intellectual) and have it count towards the matching grant too. Guides in the Thrive Team Resource Center can help you think about the investments for your pastor.
When is the due date for TFI in 2020?
Because of COVID-19 the due date for TFI has been extended to October 9th, 2020.
What are key characteristics of Churches that succeed at TFI?
The single, clearest defining characteristics of churches who have experienced successful projects is a collaborative spirit between clergy and lay persons. Rather than approaching the project with suspicion or attempting to assign blame, churches with collaborative environments start with openness to learn more about the problems and then work together to build collaborative solutions. Rather than just thinking about problems as clergy issues, successful churches view a thriving clergy as an essential ingredient in a thriving congregation. Additionally, successful churches almost always have a lay champion for TFI. The lay champion helps promote the project in the local church and advocates for supporting the pastor. The church does not need to know all the specific details about the pastor economic concerns. The church can just presume the pastor has some and that any help they can provide will be appreciated and beneficial.
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