Every Leader is a Stewardship Leader

Leadership in Stewardship

In many congregations, I hear it said that every member is a member of the membership committee.  This is a great message and I hope we all take it to heart.

Well, I’d like to suggest a related thought:  every leader is a leader in stewardship.  I’m talking about all lay and professional leaders, including the ministers and program staff, officers and board members, committee chairs, active volunteers, religious education teachers, members of the choir.  In any organization, it is important for leaders to lead by example, that is, to do the things we ask others to do – and to do them visibly and joyfully.   And this includes all things stewardship.

First and most basic, this includes giving as generously as we can and adhering to our congregation’s giving guidelines.  While we might not all have the means to be among the top givers in absolute dollars, we can all give an amount we’re proud of.   And if we adopt a progressive giving guide like the UUA guide, we can all be suggested fair share givers.

Second, and at least as important is talking openly about why we are generous contributors.  Sharing our motivations has a significant impact in helping others think about their giving.  And all leaders have to help make the case for generosity, explaining how financial resources further the congregation’s mission and ministry.   Making the case for generosity is too important to be left to a single team or committee.

Another important leadership role is thinking long term and broadly in scope, developing multi-year financial plans and budgets, and considering the totality of the congregation’s finances – endowment, reserves, debt, capital funds, other sources of income, in addition to the annual pledge drive.

Most important, leaders must link stewardship to the mission and goals of the congregation.   A key responsibility is to explain how additional dollars for the pledge drive or money for that building project or that new music initiative or social justice staff position will make the congregation more effective in carrying out its mission and living its values.

In most congregations, the board reviews financial reports pretty regularly.  Imagine going beyond that to examine stewardship deeply, asking how well are we engaging people and promoting generosity, how does our financial commitment level match our dreams and long range financial goals, and how can we articulate what responsible stewardship is all about.

Get in touch with us at team@stewardshipforus.com if you’d like to find out how we can work with your congregation or cluster on stewardship and leadership or other stewardship-related needs.

And by all means, let’s all be members of the membership committee, and let’s also be leaders in stewardship with all that entails.