Stewardship
We hope in this space to begin a larger conversation about the spirituality of stewardship and the ways it forms us as disciples of Christ. At the same time we seek to support you in managing the practical demands of financial stewardship by providing best practices and resources for conducting meaningful and successful campaigns.
You’ll find many stories and ideas exploring Episcopal Church Foundation’s Vital Practices.
We welcome your comments, insights, and suggestions at any time.
The Episcopal Network For StewardshipRecommended Stewardship Resources
TENS is an association of church leaders who understand, practice, and proclaim God’s call to generosity and financial stewardship. Visit the TENS website at www.tens.org.
ECF Vital Practices
ECF Vital Practices offers vestry members and other congregational leaders the resources and tools to respond to the changing needs of the Church. Visit the ECF VItal Practices website at www.ecfvp.org.
United Thank Offering’s Stewardship Guide
Click here for Building Gratitude and Generosity TogetherGenerosity Together: A Stewardship Guide for Congregations rooted in gratitude from the United Thank Offering
Stewardship 101
The video series Introducing Stewardship with Kristine Miller from ChurchNext provides an excellent introduction to stewardship, including best practices and common mistakes, and would be time well spent for any stewardship campaign chair or members of a stewardship committee. Allow 45 minutes to one hour.
Year-Round Stewardship
In his article Transformative Stewardship Calendars, Chris Harris writes, “At its heart, stewardship calls us to a lifetime of discernment around the following question: How do we steward (put to good use) the gifts we’ve been given in all their many forms to do the work that God has given us to do? Many, if not most, parishioners associate stewardship with the church’s fall financial stewardship campaign. How can churches expand the meaning of stewardship and continue teaching about stewardship throughout the year? Chris Harris’ article provides creative ways to incorporate stewardship teaching throughout all the seasons of the church year. Read more >
Theology of Money
How do we become good stewards of our financial resources? Even Jesus Needed Money by Dennis Maynard is an easy-to-read guide for congregations and families who are seeking a theology of stewardship-healthy, realistic practices around spending, saving, and giving. The book would be a great choice for a parent’s forum and could be a recommended resource for individuals or families in need of financial guidance.
The article Dollars and Discipleship says “Stewardship is about using the gifts God gives us to do the work God calls us to do.” How do we align our use of money with our theology and values? How can we shift from “transactional” to “transformational” giving in our churches?
Annual church stewardship campaigns are the primary way churches raise funds to pay for church operations and building maintenance. While these are key reasons for fundraising, regular stewardship campaigns serve the greater work of enabling churches to fulfill their missions and strive to toward their visions of building up God’s kingdom. The stewardship resource New Consecration Sunday describes three types of giving in churches:
Annual Stewardship
Does your church have an annual giving campaign? Have you discovered campaign strategies and/or best practices you would like to share? We would love to post them here.
Stewardship Campaign Resources
Project Resource offers resources on types of giving and strategies for planning a successful annual stewardship campaigns.
The Diocese of Virginia creates wonderful annual campaign resources each year, which are available here.
The Stewardship System from Church Development encompasses a full range of materials for supporting annual stewardship campaigns. It includes a philosophy of giving and useful language for helping parishioners understand the importance of stewardship for their faith journey.
New Consecration Sunday teaches stewardship from a spiritual rather than fundraising perspective, asking the question, What is God calling me to do? Resources include a Guest Leader Guide, Team Member Manual, and CD.
The Best Practices below are drawn from resources provided by the Episcopal Church Foundation.
Best Practices
Before you Begin
The resulting three-part statement leads with the statements, “We believe,” “We commit,” and “We invite.” Read more about process for developing a statement >
In the Beginning
Throughout the Campaign
At the End
During the Year Ahead
What to Do When Pledges Fall Short
Not every stewardship campaign is successful, but there are concrete things you can do to understand why, regroup, make up budget differences, and plan for a more successful campaign next year. Read more now >
Brueggemann, Walter, Money and Possessions, Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2016.
Clif, Christopher J., Not Your Parents Offering Plate: A New Vision for Financial Stewardship, Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2015.
Freeman, Henry B. Unlacing the Heart: Connecting with what Really Matters, Richmond, IN: H. Freeman Associate, LLC, 2015.
James, Russell, Inside the Mind of the Bequest Donor: A Visual Presentation of the Neuroscience and Psychology of Effective Planned Giving Communication, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2013.
LaFond, Charles, Fearless Church Fundraising: The Practical and Spiritual Approach to Stewardship, Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse Publishing, 2013.
Mesler, Joseph B. translator, Moses Maimonides’ Treatise on Tzedakah: Laws Concerning Gifts to the Poor, Department of Religion, College of William and Mary, 2003.
Nouwen, Henri, The Spirituality of Fundraising, Nashville: Upper Room Books. 2011.
Robinson, Kerry Alys, Imagining Abundance: Fundraising, Philanthropy, and a Spiritual Call to Service, Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2014
Shaw, Haydon, Generational IQ: Christianity Isn’t Dying, Millennials Are Not the Problem, and the Future Is Bright, Carol Stream, IL, Tyndale House Publishers, 2015.
Slaughter, Mike, The Christian Wallet, Westminster/John Knox Press, 2016
Smith, Bradford, Shue Sylvia, Vest, Jennifer Lisa and Villarreal Joseph, Philanthropy in Communities of Color, Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1999.
Walker, Wyatt Tee, Common Thieves! A Tithing Manual for Black Christians and Others, Martin Luther King’s Fellows Press, 1991.
Cultures of Giving: Energizing and Expanding Philanthropy by and for Communities of Color: http://www.latinocf.org/ pdf/Cultures-of-Giving_Energizing-and-Expanding-Philanthropy-by-and-for-Communities-of-Color.pdf
Philanthropy and the Black Church: https://www.learningtogive.org/resources/philanthropy-and-black-church Generational Characteristics from 2001 to 2017 http://www.pewresearch.org/category/publications/
Further Reading
Rethinking Stewardship: Giving in a Changing Landscape
Conference Videos Conference Resources Since 2016 the fundraising landscape changed significantly–especially for faith-based communities. New donor motivations for giving have emerged, giving trends have dramatically changed, generational characteristics vary from …