News Flash: We are starting a year-long series of blog posts called Nurturing Stewardship. In it we plan to be comprehensive in our topics about stewardship in congregations and related organizations. You will recognize these blog posts because they will have the Nurturing Stewardship logo. We will continue to have other blog posts about topical issues that are not part of Nurturing Stewardship – just because we can!
It is impossible in a blog post to develop a lot of depth in a particular topic – posts are not textbooks. However, we want to at least touch on some of the salient points in each of the key areas of congregational stewardship. Our aim is to present both the philosophical and spiritual background under-girding a stewardship program, and the operational elements that will lead to success. Actually these two levels are intimately connected, as your organizational systems and even documents like your pledge form tell a lot about your underlying ideas and beliefs about stewardship.
The series starts with how stewardship fits in the rest of congregational life. It will cover everything from volunteer structures and roles, various types of campaigns, and minister & staff roles in stewardship, to communications messages & strategies. We expect it to last for a year or possibly even longer.
Central to the aim of this series is to get your feedback about how useful and applicable the information is. We have worked closely with congregations for years and continue to do so. Much of the information presented will be based on best practices from the fundraising and stewardship worlds, and also our own experience of what works in self-supporting communities like our congregations. Still we are continually learning from people in the thick of practicing stewardship and lay leaders like you, so chime right in.
Please submit your ideas and reactions in the Comments box below. Or you can also comment, ask questions, or make requests when we post the blog link on Facebook. We want to hear from you, so whatever works.
Mark Ewert is a stewardship consultant, a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® (CAP®), and a professional leadership and philanthropy coach (PCC) certified with the International Coaching Federation.
His experience includes founding a nonprofit, working as a fundraiser, and leading a national organization. Reach Mark at Team@StewardshipForUs.com
One of the big areas is how we can best guide congregants to use Stewardship as a way to align their values with their expenditures. How do we get people to really “buy into” the idea that supporting your church (and denomination) isn’t just a question of what’s left over after your “necessary” expenses? We offered a short course about this, “Money and Meaning,” a couple of years ago at our congregation. It gave us some good conversations, but of course no turnaround!
Diane, thank you for an excellent question and observation.
It’s a subject that is a bit longer than we can address effectively in this forum, but we would note that making improvements in a congregation’s stewardship environment is partly technical (better processes and tools, etc.) and partly adaptive, in changing mindsets and making that all important linkage you mentioned between stewardship and our values. This latter process takes time and consistency – having a good result one year does not necessarily mean the roots have taken hold – in most cases, I would expect a good, consistent process, using all our tools and resources to foster the process to take a couple of years to really become part of the congregation’s DNA, and that this rooting needs replenishment and support consistently thereafter. No fix it and forget it options here!