What is TFI?

The Thrive Financial Initiative (TFI) is a program designed to help pastors overcome economic challenges that affect ministry effectiveness. Working together, the pastor and 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 receive a matching grant. TFI is a program of the Education and Clergy Development Division of The Wesleyan Church with the help of a generous grant from The Lilly Endowment. Any pastor serving in a local church in the denomination can participate. Districts may also create some custom approaches to TFI. TFI’s aim is to promote thriving clergy, thriving congregations, and thriving communities.

Why TFI?

Thriving clergy display well-being spiritually, emotionally, relationally, physically, intellectually, and financially. But do you know the most common financial challenges facing clergy? Neither did we until we surveyed our pastors.

Click below to learn more about each of our three TFI Programs

How it Works

The Five Steps You Need to Know

Register
Your Team

Invest in Your Pastor

Complete Two Learning Journeys

Submit the TFI Well-Being Report

Receive TFI Matching Gift

How it Works

The Five Steps You Need to Know
Step 1 - Register Your Team

Visit the TFI Thrive Team Registration Form to register your team!

Step 2 - Invest in Your Pastor

Download this document for great ideas for investing in your pastor.

Step 3 - Complete Two Learning Journeys

Take the first step on your Learning Journey

Step 4 - Submit the TFI Well-Being Report

To receive a matching grant, the Thrive Team must submit a Well-Being Development Report (WDR). The report must be a collaboration between members of the Thrive Team.

The report will ask for specific details about the investments made, the learning journeys completed, and the impact of the process. The WDR is due 30 days prior to your District Conference. Note: The WDR form will ask you to affirm that the Thrive Team collaborated to produce the final report.

Step 5 - Receive TFI Matching Gift

TFI Stories

Thrive Financial Spotlight: Asdrubal Chacon

Having been an active participant in the El Monte Wesleyan Christian Church (EMWCC) in El Monte, California for over twenty-six years, Rev. Asdrubal Chacon is familiar with the unique blessings of a life of service. “I started attending this church as a regular...

Thrive Financial Spotlight: Frankie Rodriguez

For Pastor Frankie Rodriguez–senior Pastor of Iglesia Wesleyana El Camino in Greenville, South Carolina, the Thrive Financial Initiative (TFI) offered a chance for vulnerability that enriched his relationship to his congregation. 

Thrive Financial Spotlight : Mark Leist

During the first year of TFI, Leist and his leadership team turned the TFI materials into a teaching series for their congregation.

Thrive Financial Spotlight: Florida District

This role is important, because—according to Styers—the problem with executing clergy care is not a lack of concern, but a lack of time on the part of district leaders. “We try our very best to not let people fall through the cracks…

Thrive Financial Spotlight: Daniel Mottayaw

When asked what he’d say to those considering TFI, Daniel says, “The TFI money is pretty much dependable; but what I’ve really learned in this process beyond that is how God can provide in so many ways you can’t even count on or be sure of… so there

Thrive Financial Spotlight: Amon Chidongwe

As Pastor Amon works through TFI’s first year, he will receive (from the grant) a match of up to $1,000 of what Horizons church has invested in him. In addition, TFI will match another $1,000 from another source that elected to invest in…

We want  to hear from you!

Email us at tfi@wesleyan.org or use the form below:

Share your questions and stories:
Contact us at 317-774-3911

TFI Dashboard 2022 Report

Thrive Teams Earning Grants So Far

Districts With Participants to Date

  • Total Contribution to Pastors – $2,200,000
  • Local Churches to Pastors – $1,055,000
  • Grants to Pastors – $930,000
  • District Contributions For Pastors – $215,000
  • Average Total Benefit to Participating Pastor Each Year – $5,000