Time For a New Focus

by Jim Sheppard

Somewhere along the way, traditional fundraising crept into this church and thousands of others like it across the nation. Is there anything church leaders can do to bring change? Heavens, yes. Theologically, fundraising and stewardship are worlds apart. Fundraising focuses on obligation while stewardship emphasizes obedience. In fundraising campaigns, individual goals are suggested and solicited, whereas stewardship giving is inspired by God. Standard fundraising focuses on the financial needs of an organization, while stewardship focuses on the spiritual development of the individual.

Churches today can revitalize their congregations and coffers simultaneously by refocusing on the principles of Biblical stewardship. True stewardship offers the Christian the opportunity to render back to God part of what God has provided. It is an act of gratitude and worship and the result of discipleship. As an act of obedience, true stewardship should be accompanied by great joy.

Here are some practical ways to restore a spirit of stewardship within your congregation:

  1. Ask members to respond to God rather than responding to the budget. Financial leaders can develop the budget behind the scenes, but it should not be the basis for the congregation's response. Instead, teach the congregation about proportional giving without mention of a specific monetary goal.
  2. Keep financial stewardship separate from "time and talent" stewardship. Since these two areas are so different, it's best to emphasize them at different times of the year.
  3. Talk straight about money and possessions. Jesus spoke directly about money and ownership in 27 of the 43 parables in the Gospels. The world attempts to get in the side door of our wallets, and the church does not want to model itself after the world. Jesus spoke without apology on the subject of money, and He is our standard.
  4. Faithful stewards are the ideal stewardship coordinators. It is extremely important for the stewardship team to be faithful stewards themselves, as leaders cannot lead people on a journey they have not taken.
  5. Recognize and address a variety of motivations for giving. Kennon Callahan, author of Giving and Stewardship in an Effective Church, notes that congregational leaders are likely to respond to challenge and commitment, while the average lay person is more motivated to give out of compassion and community. Coordinating a campaign exclusively geared to one or the other set of motivators is like broadcasting radio signals on an FM bandwidth hoping someone with an AM radio will be able to pick them up.
  6. Attention-getting, informational materials are most effective. Supplement sermons and stewardship announcements with creativity, quality printed materials, drama vignettes and lay testimonies. Communication experts recommend telling a message at least five different ways to achieve maximum awareness.
  7. Campaign closures are as important as campaign kickoffs. During a stewardship campaign, publicize the method of making commitments, identify an emphasis Sunday and bring closure quickly by tabulating, announcing and celebrating the results. Celebrations feed the success of future campaigns. After the campaign winds down, the financial leaders can determine the budget for the coming year, rather than vice versa. This approach reduces the anguish of deciding how much to budget for the coming year because members have indicated the level of ministry they are prepared to support. After following these stewardship principles in their town, the Hallelujah Chorus Church is now singing the Hallelujah Chorus with joy again. Stewardship giving is dramatically greater, but more importantly...joy has returned and lives have been changed.

The pastor has discovered that leading the stewardship effort has been much more effective than pushing the effort. Lead on!