Like most pastors, Dave Cox dreaded churning out his obligatory, annual tithing sermon. He was usually just glad to get it over with.

That is, until Dave says he woke up to a hard reality: His church was neglecting to teach and train people how to live a lifestyle of biblical generosity -- and his people were suffering.

"I had been a coward," admits Dave, senior pastor of Westside Family Church in the greater Kansas City area. "I had shrunk back from what God's Word had to say. I was afraid, and I didn't know how people would react when we challenged them to do away with a self-serving way of life.

"People were making more money than ever before. But it was tearing their families apart and they were giving less to the kingdom." It was then that Dave and the leadership of Westside made a decision that many innovative churches are making in the area of stewardship and generosity. They put in motion a comprehensive, strategic and intentional plan -- and the resources to go with it -- that would teach their congregation how to live as "managers" of all God has given them, rather than owners.

A quick rundown of 10 resources utilized most often by churches that are leading the way in developing lifestyles of generosity and biblical stewardship: Journey to True Financial Freedom Seminar The most popular church seminar, with several held every month around the country. Financial Peace University This 13-week video series by radio personality Dave Ramsey is a biblically based accountability class designed to teach families how to get out of debt and stay out of debt. Click here for eight more . . .

Church leaders who focus on generous giving find that once-a-year pledges or capital campaigns don't do enough to foster the lifestyle they want to see reproduced in their people. Without practical, focused tools to teach the principles and practices of a generous life, church members will likely remain unchanged in this matter of the heart.

"We have never shied away from talking about money," says Terry Busch, executive pastor of Centre Street Evangelical Missionary Church in Calgary. "However, I think we've frustrated people by talking about what they could do and should do without giving them the tools they need to learn how to do those things."

For church leaders who echo Terry's sentiments, there is good news. The storehouse of tools to teach generous giving and biblical stewardship is rapidly expanding -- with solid off-the-shelf resources that are being refined to meet the needs of modern-day churchgoers.

Churches that are ahead of the curve in developing the teaching component of a generous culture start their teaching at the top with staff and leaders. And they address a full . . .