Your congregation can develop a culture of stewardship and generosity — all it takes is time and effort (but doesn’t everything?). Here, from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver, are Four Pillars of Stewardship. Solid, simple, straightforward advice. Now get to work.
As I work with congregations in their stewardship ministry, I’m always surprised how few annually ask members and friends of the congregation to increase their giving. Most people won’t increase giving if you don’t ask them to. “Because of God’s Great Mercy” is a complete program that provides everything a congregation needs to make a direct, respectful request, along with a simple way for people to calculate an increase of 1/2 of 1% of household income.” (Photo by Artotem, used by Creative Commons license)
Saying thank you promptly and regularly is one of the simplest and most effective things a congregation can do to reinforce good stewardship and enhance giving. This article from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership helps show you how. (Photo by Orin Zebest, used by Creative Commons license)
Sacrificial giving requires of us that we put God’s priorities before our own, that we put the support of God’s Church and its mission before our own pleasure and comfort. In other words, we give to the Church a planned, proportionate amount of our income in gratitude for all that God has given to us. This six-week program will give you all the tools and inspiration you need to bring this idea into your congregation. (Photo by Lisafx, via Bigstock.com)
