NEXT SUNDAY

Shaping the Churches of Tomorrow, Today

Welcome to Next Sunday, more than just a podcast—it's your vibrant community of forward-thinking church leaders. Our episodes are crafted to serve as a dynamic field guide for bridging generations, cultivating generosity, and inspiring transformation within the church. Together, we will tackle challenges head-on, celebrate our victories, and possibly ruffle a few feathers because what happens next Sunday could change everything.

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BI-WEEKLY EPISODES: A NEW EPISODE IS RELEASED EVERY OTHER TUESDAY

MOST RECENT EPISODE

From Tax Deductions To Discipleship

Posted 3/3/26

Tax policy once served as quiet “training wheels” for church giving. But after the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, those wheels came off and many churches are now seeing a clearer picture of what’s really driving generosity.

In this episode of The Next Sunday Podcast, Jim Sheppard and Frank Bealer unpack how the shift from itemized to standard deductions changed the incentive landscape for millions of households and why that shift hits undeveloped givers hardest. They explain the difference between itemized and standard deductions, why charitable deductions influenced giving patterns more than many leaders realized, and how the “One Big Beautiful Act Bill” extends and reinforces those dynamics long-term.

Along the way, they explore what leaders may start seeing next: giving “bunching” (loading generosity into one year), more donor-advised fund (DAF) usage, and wider adoption of tax strategy thinking—especially among middle-class households. But the heart of the conversation comes back to discipleship: if government incentives are no longer propping up generosity, churches must return to teaching giving as worship, formation, and reverence before God.

The episode closes with a pastoral challenge for leaders and boards: don’t let tax strategy replace spiritual formation. Use Scripture to re-center the conversation, because the heart of the issue is always the heart.

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Why Church Giving ISN'T About the Economy

Posted 12/30/25

Church giving and generosity culture are often blamed on the economy, but this episode challenges that assumption head-on. Church giving and generosity culture are far more influenced by church leadership, vision, and what happens inside the walls of the church than by what’s happening on Wall Street.

In this episode of The Next Sunday Podcast, hosts Jim Sheppard and Frank Bealer unpack one of the most common phrases pastors use when giving declines: “It’s the economy.” Drawing on more than three decades of church consulting experience, Jim argues that while economic conditions matter, they are rarely the primary driver of church giving trends. Instead, the real issues are often internal—leadership health, vision clarity, trust, teaching, and culture.

Jim and Frank explore why churches so quickly default to external explanations when giving stalls and how a transactional mindset toward generosity fuels that reaction. They highlight real-world examples from economic downturns, the global pandemic, tax policy changes, and local church case studies to demonstrate a consistent truth: churches in the same economy can experience wildly different giving outcomes.

The conversation challenges pastors and church leaders to stop outsourcing responsibility to macroeconomic forces and start asking harder questions. Is there vision fatigue? Leadership burnout? Trust erosion? Poor communication around generosity? A lack of teaching that frames giving as transformation rather than transaction?

The episode also examines how churches differ from other nonprofits. Unlike most charitable organizations, churches have a weekly “home-field advantage”—regular access to their people to build trust, reinforce vision, and shape culture. When leveraged well, that advantage insulates churches from economic swings far more than leaders realize.

A particularly powerful section focuses on pastoral health as a generosity issue. Jim makes the case that the emotional and spiritual temperature of a congregation almost always mirrors that of its senior pastor. When leaders lead with passion and conviction, generosity follows. When leaders are weary or discouraged, giving often slows.

The episode closes with a challenge to church boards, elders, and leadership teams: if you want to mitigate financial risk, your first priority should not be spreadsheets—it should be the soul, health, and sustainability of the pastor.

This episode is a must-listen for pastors, executive leaders, and church teams who want a more honest, effective, and biblically grounded approach to generosity, leadership, and church giving—regardless of what the economy is doing.

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Giving Under Compulsion: Why It Is Not What You Think

Posted 12/16/25

In this episode of the Next Sunday Podcast, hosts Jim Sheppard and Frank Bealer take a careful look at the phrase “under compulsion” from 2 Corinthians 9 and why many churches have built entire giving moments around protecting people from pressure instead of equipping people for joyful participation. Jim shares how the text is often reduced to a single warning, which sidelines the larger invitation of the passage. The deeper goal is not less urgency; it is the right kind of urgency that forms disciples and honors the work of the Spirit in the room.

Together, Jim and Frank revisit the wider context of 2 Corinthians 9. Before Paul ever says “not under compulsion,” he celebrates a church that is ready. The Greek word behind “cheerful” carries two ideas: joy and readiness. Paul repeats “ready” and “readiness” throughout verses 1–5, which reframes cheerful giving as eager participation instead of guilt‑driven obligation. When leaders focus on readiness, generosity moves from a transaction to transformation and people learn to respond to God with freedom, clarity, and joy.

The conversation also corrects common habits that unintentionally push toward compulsion. Jim cautions against saying “we are here to take an offering,” and suggests “we are here to receive an offering,” because gifts are received, not extracted. Frank presses on how churches sometimes tell newcomers, “If you are new here, do not give,” which may silence what God is already doing in a guest’s heart. A better approach is simple and honoring: “Nothing is expected from you today. You are welcome to participate.” That language protects people from pressure without shutting down a Spirit‑prompted response.

Jim then connects Paul’s readiness theme to Exodus 35–36, where the people’s hearts were stirred and they gave so freely that Moses had to restrain them from bringing more. This story models a culture of willing gifts, not exactions, and shows what can happen when leaders teach readiness rather than fear. Frank and Jim encourage pastors to stop trying to “protect people’s wallets,” since people already manage their own money, and instead to equip them to become cheerful, ready givers.

If you lead in a church where money talk feels loaded, this episode offers clear language, biblical framing, and practical next steps. You will learn how to name healthy urgency without manipulation, how to replace pressure with invitation, and how to model receiving gifts as worship.

Most of all, you will gain a way to speak about generosity that builds trust, honors Scripture, and helps people grow.

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Frank Bealer

Frank is a distinguished leader and innovator in organizational leadership, church ministry, and family-centered development. As the Co-Founder of Phase Franchise Partners, Frank has demonstrated a profound commitment to creating environments that support family growth and community engagement.

He also serves as an advisor and Chief Strategy Officer at Generis. Frank leverages his diverse background to serve churches and non-profit organizations to help maximize their potential through effective stewardship and generosity strategies.

Frank is a devoted husband and father to six children with many other notable professional endeavors that have informed his extensive leadership. His family is at the heart of everything he does, inspiring his work and his dedication to creating positive change in the lives of others.

Jim Sheppard

Jim Sheppard is CEO & Principal of Generis, a consulting firm passionate about helping churches inspire and cultivate generosity through giving development, coaching, and strategy.

Jim is a student of generosity and is passionate about spreading it throughout the Church. For the last 30+ years, he has devoted his life to coaching pastors especially in navigating the resource limitations that restrict their ministry potential. Jim understands the financial challenges that churches face today; annual giving, debt, capital projects, and planned giving. He is a positive force in bridging these needs with the power of spiritually motivated stewardship. Cumulatively, Jim has partnered with his clients to raise over $2 billion for local church ministry. Jim is a frequent writer and speaker on generosity and ministry funding. He is co-author of Contagious Generosity: Creating A Culture Of Giving In Your Church.

Jim and his wife, Nancy, live in the Atlanta, GA area and they have two married daughters. He is actively involved in his church where he serves as an elder and provides guidance to the Generosity Ministry Team.

NEXT SUNDAY

From Tax Deductions To Discipleship

Why Church Giving ISN'T About the Economy

Giving Under Compulsion: Why It Is Not What You Think

FRANK BEALER &

JIM SHEPARD

Frank Bealer

Jim Sheppard

Accelerating Generosity Towards God-Inspired Vision