Keeping Stewardship and Gift Planning Gently Simmering All Year Round

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Keeping Stewardship and Gift Planning Gently
Simmering All Year Round

• Prepared by Jim Newman
• for
• The Leadership Conference
• Anglican Diocese of Niagara
• October 28, 2006

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We asked Synod delegates in 2005 . . .

• If we had a Culture of Stewardship in Niagara
• What would it look like?
• Are there barriers to developing it?
• What two things will you do in your parish to
  bring it about?

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What would it look like?

• They said
• Our focus would be on ministry and service
• Our churches would be growing
• More programs would be offered
• God would be working in peoples hearts
• Parish needs would be seen as opportunities, not
  challenges
• We would give with thankful hearts not out of
  duty
• Normal average giving would be 5
• Wed be working together as a diocese.

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Are there barriers?

• They said
• the plague of consumerism
• concern about how money would be used
• insecurity about unemployment
• a deep sense of scarcity
• uncertainty about the future of the church
• a lack of sound teaching on stewardship
  principles
• need for focus on mission and outreach
• a sense that the church will always exist and God
  will always provide

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What will you do at your parish? They said

• preach about abundance
• discuss year-round stewardship
• write follow up letters
• present a clear picture of parish finances to
  parish council
• question how others feel about stewardship
• encourage legacy planning
• publicize planned giving
• renew story telling
• articulate mission
• highlight accomplishments
• lead by example

• give a testimonial
• emphasize outreach
• review financial position
• create a will
• increase financial giving
• seek Gods will for tithes and offerings
• write cheques
• develop narrative budgets
• institute pre-authorized payments and commitment
  cards
• encourage more use of the Legacy Planner.

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A culture of stewardship . . .

• they described it!
• they named the barriers to it!
• they identified over 100 constructive steps and
  actions to bring it about
• But there are too many parishes still struggling,
  declining, or not reaching their potential!

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We also characterize effective stewardship
programs as . . .

• people giving to people
• investing in ministries (not about expenditures)
• building on the possibilities of compassion,
  community and hope.
• doing all this unobtrusively, all year round

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• What are we missing?
• How do we get there from here?

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What do the experts say?

• David Gordon
• Terry Parsons
• Kennon Callahan
• Universities and Hospitals

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David Gordons Stewardship Program

• God created everything
• Everything still belongs to God
• Our role is to be the caretakers or stewards
• Were stewards of our environment, our churches,
  others, and ourselves
• The church is the basic channel for our personal
  stewardship

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• Our offerings of time, talent, and treasure are
  offerings of ourselves in our role as stewards
• Our motivation comes from the realization of what
  God has done and continues to do for us
• Stewardship is a way of life
• (Of course we have the free will to respond, or
  not)

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David Gordons model includes

• A Stewardship Chair and committee structure
• A Stewardship Calendar
• Parish Planning Days to update the budget about
  parish needs
• A Parish Event to celebrate the response

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But the David Gordon program . . .

• was seen by many as repetitive and uninspiring
• lost momentum after a few years
• Technically, the DG program is complete. The
  real problem may have been in how it was used.
  Many Planning Days were poorly attended, and
  others tended to focus on capital improvements.

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Terry Parsons

• Stewardship Staff Officer for the Episcopal
  Church
• seven secrets to amazing stewardship
• (OSN Conference May 2005)

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Seven Secrets

• Pray - stewardship must be prayer based
• Engage the Gospel its more than reading and
  listening, What are you going to do?
• Rebuke scarcity and
• claim abundance
• Say thank you every chance you get
• Teach and nurture holy habits (e.g. praying,
  tithing)
• Set the example you want to see
• This is excellent advice to top up the DG
  Program!

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Kennon Callahan

• - Presbyterian pastor, researcher, professor,
  church consultant and speaker
• The churches that do the best in church
  finances have a rich, full, abiding passion for
  mission.
• They are motivated by a theology of service, not
  a theology of survival.
• Their compelling, driving spirit is one of
  giving, serving, loving mission.

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Callahan says

• People are motivated by a theology of service,
  not a theology of survival.
• They respond to the possibilities of compassion,
  community and hope
• More excellent advice!

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All of these experts programs

• Are scripturally based
• Are compatible with each other
• Combine to make a completely inclusive program
• Still, its not enough!

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Universities and Hospitals

• McMaster University
• - receives numerous gifts in the range of
  1,000,000
• - more than 1200 Presidents Circle members
• In 2004 McMaster received the largest single cash
  gift in Canadian history (105,000,000)!
• I am confident of McMasters ability to
  maximize the impact of this gift so that its net
  effect will have far-reaching benefits.
• Michael G. DeGroote

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• Your thoughts?

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Hospitals and Universities

• Understand the importance of building on the
  possibilities of compassion, community and hope
• Appear to use the Callahan approach
• Are wonderful story tellers
• Cant match churches for regular giving

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We seem to missing out on three things

• Advocacy-Leadership
• Public Relations
• Marketing

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Why Advocacy, Public Relations, Marketing?

• We cant deny parishes are declining or not
  reaching potential
• Parishioners and the un-churched - a quiet
  majority?
• Less than 50 are aware of all their parish is
  doing
• Parishes may not be paying attention to what
  people love and value
• The competition is fierce!

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Are some of you thinking . . .

• this sounds too commercial?
• this is too secular?
• . . . we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus
  Christ the righteous . . .
• Our model and reference point should be the
  incarnate Son of God

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So, whats missing?

• What would bring about a culture of stewardship
  in Niagara?
• What would break down the barriers that were
  clearly named by delegates to Synod in 2005?
• What would change your parish?

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Parishes need Leader-Advocates!

• To create common agendas
• To develop effective messages and dialogues
• To deliver the right message to the right people
• To create networks of more advocates

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What would they do?

• Mobilize parish leaders to speak out on behalf of
  parishes and their role in the community
• Ensure there is a positive public perception of
  parishes and their value
• Provide a forum for people to work in parish
  stewardship and financial development

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So . . . is the overall goal to

• To save parishes or to advance the Kingdom of God
  (the Great Commission)?

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Its both!

• A closed or declining parish is in no position to
  evangelize and advance the Kingdom

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Theres a role for Public Relations in a parish

• Getting the parishs message across
• This is who we are and what we do, this is when
  and where we do it, and for whom

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Theres a BIG role for Marketing in a parish

• Finding out what parishioners and potential
  parishioners need, and changing when necessary to
  meet those needs
• Who are you, and what do you need, how, when and
  where can we best deliver it to you, and what are
  you willing to support?
• We call it Evangelism

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And theres an even BIGGER role for
Advocacy-Leadership

• Marketing issues and causes
• Support, encouragement, backing, promotion, and
  sponsorship
• Building support and awareness incrementally
• Telling our personal and parish stories
• Creating conditions that allow others to act
• Expanding others experiences
• Evoking or creating memories
• Confirming your identity as a Christian
• Enhancing awareness and appreciation

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Advocacy-Leadership is . . .

• Exercising creativity and initiative
• Creating relationships, partnerships, and
  coalitions
• Respecting others views, priorities, and reasons
• Being responsible as leaders
• About potential and the future the surviving and
  thriving of parishes
• We need parishes FULL of Leader-Advocates

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Remember what Synod delegates said . . .

• Our focus would be on ministry and service
• Our churches would be growing
• More programs would be offered
• God would be working in peoples hearts
• Parish needs would be seen as opportunities, not
  challenges
• We would give with thankful hearts not out of
  duty
• Normal average giving would be 5
• Wed be working together as a diocese.

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So churches must be different!

• Leader-Advocates model a different kind of
  stewardship
• We have something in our faith that unlike a
  commodity, has real value

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Whats at stake?

• The future of our parishes as strong, viable, and
  valuable institutions
• People love their parishes, but parishes cant
  live on love.

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Are you a Leader-Advocate?

• - Do you have a similar understanding of the
  issue?
• - Do you agree that action must be taken?
• - Do you have time to dedicate to a serious
  parish stewardship effort?
• - Will you make the time?
• You dont need to be a silver-tongued,
  all-knowing, fearless person (certainly the
  Disciples were not all that). In fact, its
  better if you are not!

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Finding the courage to be an advocate

• Whats important to you about your parish?
• Knowing what you really believe and being
  passionate about that belief is the first step.
• The more you make your issue about others
  needs, it becomes less about you.
• If its not about you, whats there to be afraid
  of?

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Leader-Advocates

• Combine belief, passion, and courage
• Are example-setters, and pace-setters
• Use their spiritual gifts and their learned
  skills
• Are ordinary people doing extraordinary things
  through the Holy Spirit

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Leader-Advocates understand the environment

• Remember the barriers . . .
• the plague of consumerism
• concern about how money would be used
• insecurity about unemployment
• a deep sense of scarcity
• uncertainty about the future of the church
• a lack of sound teaching on stewardship
  principles
• need for focus on mission and outreach
• a sense that the church will always exist and God
  will always provide

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The barriers are strong!

• What points can you make that are more compelling
  than the parishs tendency to hang tough and/or
  preserve the status quo?

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We have lots of tools and resources

• What we really need are lots of Leader-Advocates
  who will keep stewardship and planned giving
  simmering all year long
• There are more than 85,000 registered charities
  in Canada! Asking people to give because our
  parish needs the money just isnt going to cut
  it!

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Engaging Support

• Start with your personal story
• Be prepared to tell it
• Help write the parish story
• Help develop it (i.e. year to year) via a
  narrative budget
• Assistance and tools are readily available
• Everything else builds on your updated narrative
  budget!

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We have lots of communication tools

• Word of mouth
• One on one meetings
• Telephone
• Group meetings
• Forums
• Letters
• Bulletin inserts
• Pamphlets
• News releases

• Invitations
• Thank yous
• Photos
• Special events
• Be
• Respectful
• Informative
• Specific
• Courteous

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And lots of Stewardship Tools

• Healthy Parish Check List
• Narrative Budget investing in your ministries
• Bulletin inserts and Ministry Moments
• Parish Assessment Tool
• Proportional giving guide
• Intention Card and PAG
• David Gordon program
• Terry Parsons seven secrets
• Kennon Callahan program
• Planned Giving methodologies and materials
• The Diocesan Website
• Assistance from the Diocesan Resource Centre

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No significant cost outlay is required

• Some of our most important and effective parish
  ministries dont require much in the way of funds
• The need is for volunteers who can coordinate
  activities and promote partnerships that involve
  compassion, community, and hope
• Example The Jamesville Community Centre

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Summary

• Effective stewardship programs are about
• Advocacy-Leadership
• developing a culture of stewardship
• people giving to people
• investing in ministries (not about expenditures)
• building on the possibilities of compassion,
  community and hope.
• doing all this unobtrusively, all year round.

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An effective leader-advocate

• Knows how to access and use resources
• Knows how to work with target groups
• Understands the importance of story telling
• Develops plans and strategies
• Speaks with authority and passion
• Develops effective communication materials

• Understands the environment
• Says thank you . . .often
• Understands the importance of timing
• Doesnt work alone
• Utilizes the DRC resources
• Understands the stakes
• Recruits others
• Makes it happen!

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Living In The Real World

• People love their parishes, but parishes cant
  live on love
• We must re-position our parishes effectively,
  reflecting that we do not have only our self
  interest and our traditional role at heart
• We must be mindful that there are more than
  85,000 registered charities in Canada vying for
  the treasures of Canadians

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Remember, we have lots of tools,

• What we need are
• lots of Leader-Advocates!
• A dozen in every parish hundreds across the
  Diocese!