Inspiring Generosity, Thriving Stewardship

“Stewardship” is a church word frequently heard during fall pledge campaigns. Yet stewardship involves our whole lives. Every activity, every day, all year long. The annual pledge campaign is one tool to teach generosity. Congregations thrive spiritually and financially with a more holistic approach.

“Help us with stewardship”

This is the most frequent call I get from pastors and church leaders. They are concerned about their church giving. Usually, what they mean is: “help us with our budget’s bottom line.” Often they are looking for fundraising ideas for their church.

Church fundraisers are often seen as a good stop-gap measure for the church budget. Teaching parishioners to be generous people, however, is a more holistic approach.

Five Ways to Teach Generosity and Stewardship

  1. Leaders give sacrificially.
  2. Members are asked to pledge.
  3. Generosity is taught year-round.
  4. Legacy giving is encouraged.
  5. Capital needs are addressed.

I’ve highlighted year-round stewardship and generosity. Year-Round Generosity  and Stewardship helps the bottom line. I’ve seen churches gain a 10% to 42% increase with this approach. More importantly, it grows our faith.

You have the opportunity to learn how to teach generosity holistically in your congregation. The Center for Congregations is hosting me for a workshop, Inspiring Generosity, Thriving Stewardship. You can RSVP and save your spot here.

After attending this workshop, you will be equipped to:

  • articulate a spiritual basis for encouraging greater generosity.
  • name the six core elements of year-round financial stewardship and generosity.
  • use the three key measurements of generosity in your congregation.
  • establish a plan for an effective annual pledge campaign.
  • evaluate the effectiveness of the year-round program.

Indiana congregations can take advantage of this workshop at a very low cost. If you’re outside of Indiana, please contact me. I’d love to take this workshop on the road. Help me spread the word – “Where your treasure is, there you heart will be also.”