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Tuesday, November 9, 2021

 

                               YEAR-ROUND STEWARDSHIP #1

            Earlier in the year, I shared information about fall stewardship campaigns and how important they are, and how work should be started well before the fall. I wanted to also share information about how our stewardship work cannot stop there. We must “do stewardship” year-round.


            That is not to say that every week, you’ll get in front of the congregation and ask for money. Stewardship is so much more than money. It is includes time, talents, worship, and service. Also, different voices are important to be heard. How often do our fall campaigns include the same voices again and again. It may be the finance chair or the treasurer or the pastor or someone else that is willing to get up in front of the congregation and speak. And I am not saying to stop that, but I am saying other voices need to be heard as well. Those voices could be a youth, a Sunday School teacher, a choir member, someone who went on a mission trip. The list goes on and on.


            In much of the information I subscribe to and read, year-round stewardship calendars are included. I am going to spend my next few blogs working through the year. Stewardship does not end when the fall campaign is over.

            So how should you start your “stewardship year”?


January

  • ·         The annual giving statements are mailed with a cover letter expressing thanks and how their generosity enabled ministry to happen. This is the letter that is required by the Internal Revenue Service for tax purposes. While it has a secular purpose, use the paper to thank your folks!
  • ·         Look at your budget and start discussing short-term and long-term plans and goals. This includes your finance people but should include others. Our mission and ministry should never be handicapper by money!
  • ·         Create a calendar and start scheduling monthly ministry moments or stories. These would be short, maybe three to five minutes each. Start out monthly if this is something you haven’t done before. Tell the story. Communicate and inspire.


February

  • ·         Have your first ministry moment during worship.
  • ·         Start watching the “Wesley and Giving” videos from UMC Giving. Start with your financial people watching this video and discuss it. Should others be invited to watch?
  • ·         If you haven’t done a narrative budget before, start researching narrative budgets and how you could do this. If you have done one, put your current year’s narrative budget together and send it out to your folks.
  • ·         Review your policies and procedures, including accounting and financial, endowment and gift acceptance policies. If you don’t have any, start working on this.


March

  • ·         Publish a newsletter article, talking about a ministry that has happened because of the generosity of your church. Include pictures.
  • ·         Consider scheduling workshops, including personal financial worships or estate planning and planned giving workshop.
  • ·         Review the church website and Facebook pages for how money is talked about and what resources are provided.

            I know it seems like a lot of work, but start working on some of these items now. It doesn’t all have to be done by one person, but stewardship and everything that is part of that must be celebrated throughout the year.


 

 

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