Called
to Give Stewardship Program
Articles
for leaders to generate more interest in the work of your church
1)
Does Your Congregation Have a Wish List?
This
idea comes from my good friend Bob Berger, formerly of Euclid, Ohio. Bob is one
of those inspirational guys with all sorts of great ideas and feedback. He reminded
me that a year or so ago when I visited with his congregation, we talked about
a "wish list" as a means to generate enthusiasm and giving.
Euclid
Lutheran Church received over $10,000 that year as a result of simply publishing
some things that the congregation needs/wants for ministry, but did not include
in their budget. This is money that would probably have otherwise not been given.
One
approach is to simply provide a list of ministry needs for people to consider.
Little or nothing is said about this list, but it is placed in a visible place
(or places) throughout the church. Whenever anyone gives to any item, a line is
drawn through it. This list dwindles throughout the year, and money that would
ordinarily not be given is received.
Be
sure to include two or three benevolence items on the list ... and please don't
forget your Synod and ELCA.
2)
What Panics You?
(by
Robert "Rip" Hoffman)
But
watch the panic set in when the budget is not met! This is the real tip-off
related to priorities and the confusion of ends and means.
Our gifts,
added to gifts from others and used faithfully, accomplish far more than we realize,
which is the satisfaction of Christian giving.
3)
E-mail from a colleague
(by
Eugene Grimm)
I
received the following e-mail recently from a pastor in one of our Ohio Synods.
The questions were so good, and not uncommon, that I wanted to share it with you:
Dear
Gene,
I am writing you at the request of our church council. We have seen a
steady drop in the number of families at our church who pledge. Over the last
four years, we've seen about 25% fewer families submitting a pledge. Families
still support the church, and the amount actually pledged by the remaining folks
is growing. But our leaders are concerned about the trend.
I
would like to ask you to answer several questions for us if you can.
Q.
Is our experience reflective of a larger trend, or are we unique?
R.
It does not appear to be a trend. We see a few congregations dropping, but most
remain about the same or grow a bit in the number of pledgers. Several factors
may impact this. First, the response program used may have a major impact on the
number of commitments received. Have you used the same program over a number of
years greater than three? Has the program been home brewed, or is it a published
(thereby tried and tested) program? What type of programs in particular have you
used?
Q.
Is there a known generational shift in the willingness of families to make a pledge
commitment to a congregation?
R.
No! At least, I don't believe so. Yes, generational issues are important, and
some believe they do have an impact, however, the key issue behind stewardship
is commitment. If members are committed, they will give (provided there is adequate
stewardship education and ministry interpretation). It is my contention that those
who taut generational issues as a reason for falling income are 1) looking for
a scapegoat, and 2) treating stewardship as though it is merely fund-raising.
When stewardship is lifted up as part of our commitment to Christ, then pledging,
commitment, and growth in income do occur.
Q.
Are you aware of any studies that suggest that those who do pledge support their
church at a higher level (i.e. is it productive to put lots of effort into trying
to increase the number of families that pledge)?
R.
Absolutely! Glad you asked. Fact is, those who estimate their giving (pledge)
give twice as much as those who don't. But here's the kicker: those who estimate
their giving based on a percentage of their income, give three times as much as
those who don't pledge.
Q.
Can you suggest any proven resources that effectively educate congregational members
about the merits of pledging?
R.
I've put together a Year-round manual for stewardship education and ministry interpretation.
Also,
some stewardship programs are just better at this than others. If your church
has not tried the Consecration Sunday Stewardship Program, by Herb
Miller, I highly recommend it.
In
congregations where I've led this program, members increased their giving by an
average of 28% over the previous year. Other programs do get good results too.
But some of those are better for a given congregation than others.
4)
Grade Your Congregation's Stewardship
Every
fall when schools start up, one topic every student has to consider is grades.
But have you ever considered grading your congregation's stewardship performance?
We're
aware that there are differences of opinion as to what makes good stewardship
in a congregation. However, there are some standards that hold up pretty well.
Give
yourself a grade on the ten principles used by congregation's with high levels
of giving. A report card might look something like this:
1.
Are we basing our stewardship on a sound, positive biblical foundation rather
than on a budget building or institutional foundation? Grade ______
2.
Do we have a holistic understanding of stewardship in our congregation?
Grade
_______
