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Friday, November 19, 2021

 

                  YEAR-ROUND STEWARDSHIP #2

            I am continuing to share information about year-round stewardship that I started sharing last week. Last week, I talked about the first quarter of the year, and this week, I’ll talk about the second quarter (April, May and June).

 

April

  • ·         This might be a good time to hold an estate planning & giving workshop. Do you have a planned giving policy in your church? This is a specific plan that is one part of a “good” stewardship program. We usually do a decent job talking about operating or general fund giving, you know, the day-to-day operation so the church. And sometimes we do okay with a capital campaign when there’s a big building project. However, planned giving is different from both of those, but not necessarily separate. This is the type of giving that is after death, or trusts or estate giving. Having a workshop is a good way to introduce different ways of making gifts, which could include trusts, retirement accounts, life insurance, naming the church in their will, etc. Have you talked to some of your folks and discussed why they think it’s important to support their church with their regular giving? If supporting the church is important to them now while they’re alive, why would they change after they are no longer attending? The needs of the church aren’t going to go away. Create a flyer to talk about different ways of giving, have workshops to set up powers of attorney and other legal documents, or talk about them. Share the different ways someone can remember the church financially after their death.
  • ·         Have someone speak during a worship service this month about why the church is important to them.

May

  • ·         Mail a letter and/or send emails between Mother’s Day and Memorial Day to preview the activities planned for the summer months. Use color, different fonts, be positive and enthusiastic. Despite the “rumors” I’ve often heard that church is closed in the summer 😊 Ministry is still happening. Let people know what is going before they start making their summer plans.

·         Include an envelope with the letter, encouraging people to pre-pay contributions before they leave on vacation.

  • ·         The stewardship committee and finance committee should start planning their fall stewardship campaign!

June

  • ·         Send some thank you notes to givers or make thank you calls.
  • ·         The second of four newsletter articles should be published.
  • ·         The stewardship committee and finance committee should continue their work on planning their fall campaign.



This is work that needs to continue year-round. It cannot be limited to just the fall.

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