O Come O Come Emmanuel--but not. like. this.

Today, the 4th Sunday in Advent, could also been known as Mother’s Day. It’s a mother’s day in the Gospel, as we hear of the angel Gabriel coming to Mary, “Rejoice o highly favored, for God is with you. You shall bear a child and His name shall be Jesus, the chosen Son of God, most high.” It’s a mother’s day in our Psalm, and in our hymn of praise, as we hear Mary’s song, The Magnificat, “My soul proclaims your greatness oh God, and my Spirit rejoices in you. You have looked with love on your servant here, and blessed me all my life through.” Emmanuel, God with us, has come among us. It’s a mother’s day.
But it’s not a Halmark style mother’s day. It’s not the kind of mother’s day where preschool children gift their mothers with dirt caked flowers in plastic cups, decorated with glitter glue and markers. It’s not the kind of mother’s day where adult children gift their mothers with a triennial pilgrimage to church, dressed in freshly pressed Brooks Brothers shirts and neckties for good measure. It’s a mother’s day with a pregnant, unwed teenager living in a culture where unwed pregnancy was grounds for stoning the woman to death. It’s a mother day in a world in which the single most dangerous thing a woman would do in her lifetime was give birth. Where likely 1 in 9 women died in childbirth and 1 in 5 children didn’t live to see their first birthday. It’s a mother’s day where, among all the risks of motherhood, Mary says “Here I am, a servant of the Lord. I live to do your will.” It’s a mother’s day where Mary said “yes” to serving God, knowing this service would not come easy. It’s Emmanuel’s Mother’s Day-a messy, scary, unexpected, servant Mother’s Day. The WORLD’S kind of day—messy, scary and filled with God’s servants. Where the breath of life and the shadow of death are so close, they kiss as they are enveloped by Emmanuel.
Robin Lim, or “Mother Robin” as she is known, is an American born servant bringing an Emmanuel’s mother’s day to pregnant women living in Indonesia. Mother Robin has been a servant of the Lord to thousands of Indonesian women--many of whom, like Mary, are young poor and unmarried. Modern day Southeast Asian women have something else in common with Mary—3 out of 5 give birth without a skilled birth attendant on hand. It is estimated that around the world, one woman dies every minute of every day due to pregnancy complications. “I am a servant of my God, I live to do your will.” Mother Robin and her husband sold all they had and moved from their home in HI to Indonesia. She opened clinics, serving the poorest of the poor by providing free prenatal care, skill midwives and emergency services to women & children. Creating Emmanuel’s mother’s day by saving the lives of women & babies. She says “every baby's first breath on Earth should be one of peace and love. Every mother should be healthy and strong. Every birth should be safe and loving. But the world is not there yet.” “And until that day comes, I will live my life as a servant.”
The world is not there yet. And still, it is a mother’s day. It is Emmanuel’s mother’s day. Jesus was born as so many were born and so many are born. To young, poor mothers who lack the most basic of care. Emmanuel, God with us, entered into this kind of mother’s day. And knowing Emmanuel, God with us, was upon her, Mother Mary responded “here I am, a servant of the Lord, I live to do your will.” An unempowered, ill-equipped, and unprepared servant called to make Christ known to the world. (Build) Yet Mother Mary said “YES” to the call of a servant’s life. She said “YES” to making Christ known in a world that did not wish to know Him. She said “YES” to bringing forth Emmanuel, God with us, to a people who did not want HER or HER CHILD to be with THEM.
(BOLD CRESHENDO ) The people of God cry out:“O Come O come Emmanuel!” (PAUSE. QUIET) O Come. (PAUSE). But NOT. LIKE. THIS.
The world is not there yet. We still cry out “O Come O Come Emmanuel.” We still say “here I am, a servant of the Lord” But not. Like. This. “Not a mother’s day like this” “Not a servant life like THIS”. We long for the Hallmark Mother’s Day. (BUILD)We long for a neat and clean baby Jesus, that we can welcome into a tidy world. We long for THAT Emmanuel, THAT mother’s day, THAT world. Yet…(BUILD) when we SEE Emmanuel in the flesh as he is; when we SEE the kind of Emmanuel we have entering into the kind of world we live in, asking us to be the kind of servants he calls us to be, we say (QUIET)“But not. Like. This.”
Not like this, because an Emmanuel who comes among us in such a messy way forces us to acknowledge our messy world and our messy lives and our messy EMMANUEL. An Emmanuel’s mother’s day, with a baby born yesterday in Indonesia or a baby born 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem into a messy world reminds us that the world DESPIRATLEY NEEDS US to respond “HERE I AM, A SERVANT OF MY GOD. I LIVE TO DO YOUR WILL.” It reminds us that we are called to be servants of our God in a world that is so messy and so broken and so pained, that we do not have the OPTION of saying (QUIET)“But not. Like. This.”
So how will we respond? We have cried out “O Come O Come Emmanuel.” Emmanuel has come among us. Emmanuel has entered into our world fully, born as so many have been and are born—among the grazing cattle to unwed teenagers where the breath of life and the sting of death live together. How will we respond as a community and as individuals? How will we respond as people, LONGING for a Hallmark mother’s day while LIVING in an Emmanuel’s mother’s world? Will we dare to say: “I AM A SERVANT OF MY GOD I LIVE TO DO YOUR WILL. Just. Like. This?” Will we dare to welcome Emmanuel into a world Just. Like. This? Will we open our hearts, and minds, and our souls and our churches to be a people of God Just. Like. This? O Come O Come Emmanuel. Just. Like. This. AMEN

You Tube Mission Moments

Over the course of several weeks, I am creating an online stewardship workshop to assist churches and other non-profits with their stewardship celebrations. Please click back on previous posts for more information.

Some thoughts on Mission Moments
During stewardship celebrations, we often have mission moments/temple talks. The standard mission moment involves a member of the congregation sharing information on a particular ministry or program. They may include a personal story, telling why they care about this ministry. Sometimes members will tell of the impact a ministry has had on the community: "We have made 70 quilts this year that were sent to Africa." "Our volunteers shared 100 hours to help build a Habitat Home in our community."

A few tips on Mission Moments

• Clearly explain the purpose of the Mission Moment to the speaker and give them a time limit. Just because we as leaders know what we want to see in a mission moment doesn't mean the person giving the moment has the same vision.
• Keep it positive This doesn't mean you should gloss over problems facing the congregation. However a mission moment saying "we aren't making budget. Again. You need to pay your fair share" doesn't inspire anyone to give

• Consider where you place mission moments in the service We now have mission moments after the Creed and before the prayers. After the moment is complete, one of the Pastors says "We have heard the Word of God through scripture, and you have declared your faith through the Creed. We have heard how God is calling us to respond in faith. Let's pray for God's presence and guidance as we consider how to live out our faith through the work of this mission.

You Tube Mission Moments

This is something new we are trying this year. The work of a congregation goes well beyond the church walls. Why not hear from those who have been impacted by the gifts of your congregation? Consider people and organizations who have benefited by the gifts of your congregation. Ask them to make a short, 2-3 minute You Tube video thanking the congregation for their gifts. You can then show the video during worship. Using You Tube is simple. If you don't know how to use it, there are people in your congregation who do. Here are two samples that we are using.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8M_g6xSvDM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW7yk0YRoSI

Offering Distribution

Over the course of several weeks, I am creating an online stewardship workshop to assist churches and other non-profits with their stewardship celebrations. Please click back on previous posts for more information.

This is a new idea that I haven't tried yet: As I write this, I am in Kansas City at the Leadership Institute (LI) seminar held at United Methodist Church of the Resurrection. Over three days, LI brings together 2,000 leaders from across the country for an opportunity to explore leadership techniques and consider how we can bring new life to our churches. There are 80 breakout sessions focusing on areas such as children and family ministries, mission and outreach, welcoming new members, and stewardship. This is my second year attending LI, and this year our congregation sent three leaders to the event. I highly recommend this workshop to lay leaders and pastors. (http://li.cor.org/)

At the event, Resurrection’s Senior Pastor, Adam Hamilton, talked about the importance of sharing with our members why we give offering prior to distribution. For many of us, the offering time is announced: “We will now receive our offering.” We don’t mention why we receive offering, because we assume everyone knows the reason—to keep things going. What would happen if, instead of seeing offering as "the way we keep things going" we saw offering as the way we lived out the prayer "thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as in heaven?" What impact would we have if we took 30 seconds each week and shared with our congregation the reasons we receive offering? We could say something like this:

“We will now receive our offering. In the time of prayer we just completed, we prayed for the hungry and homeless in our community, including those who sleep in our entry way. We give our offering to God not out of obligation, but because we care about all those people we just prayed for. The homeless who receive food from our congregation’s donations to Christian Ministries. The hospitalized, who are visited by our Pastors. The kids in Sunday School who are using a new hands-on curriculum to teach them about the love of Jesus. During this time of offering, we have an opportunity to honor God by sharing the gifts He has given us. Thank you for blessing others through your generosity. As the offering plates are passed, in addition to sharing your gift, please take time to pray for those who will be touched by your gifts. May Christ be made known to all in need.”

What would happen if each week we briefly highlighted some of the many missions that are made possible by the offering and asked people to pray for these missions? This is more than a simple way to “get more offering money” to pay the bills.

The offering is a sacred time where we share what we have with those in need to the glory of God. What if we took time to teach this to our congregations? This is an opportunity, each week, to take 30 seconds and share God's mission and purpose with those around us. Over 52 weeks, that’s 26 minutes of time spent educating people on the mission of your church and the purpose of giving gifts to God.

That’s all I have for this week. After 3 days of learning, worshiping and finding renewal, I need rest. Peace be with you all!

Targeted Letters

Over the course of several weeks, I am creating an online stewardship workshop to assist churches and other non-profits with their stewardship celebrations. Please click back on previous posts for more information.

Targeted Letters to Members

As Pastors, most of us have degrees from multiple colleges, universities or seminaries. Throughout the year, we receive mailings from these institutions asking for donations. In addition to universities, we sort through a large number of letters from organizations such as Lutheran World Relief, the Lutheran Malaria Initiative asking us to consider making a gift. It is rare, if not unheard of, to receive a quarterly magazine from your seminary or college without also receiving a letter asking you to give.

Here's a question for you: If you made a gift to your seminary for $10,000, do you think future letters would differ from those who made gifts totaling $10? Of course! The motivations, willingness to give, and, perhaps, the ability to give differs among people. Top donors receive personalized letters, invitations to special events, and phone calls from the organization. Donors who give $10 receive heartfelt thanks and are asked to consider raising their donation to $50 in the next year. While not invited to special events or asked to serve on the board of trustees, non-profits know they need large and small donations, and their communication with these donors reflects this.

Here's another question: Why, then, do the majority of churches send the same letter to all givers? Why do we not recognize that the values of the individuals and the investment they have in the mission of the church differ? Why do we send the same letter to those who give $10 or $10,000?

This is not an issue of judgment, it's understanding our audiences and being tuned into what they find persuasive. We need to start growing generosity wherever people are. As leaders, we can't have the mindset "$500 isn't a tithe! It isn't even 3% of their income! That's not generous at all!" We need to meet people where they are, help them to see that their gifts and their resources are vital to the church. Over time, people will then WANT to give more.

In our context, we write a letter to the "top 10 givers." This letter is personal, states that they are among the top givers in the congregation, and thanks them for their generosity. We consider who the individuals are and will often reference ministries and programs that they value. We also include the fact that both the Pastors are also among the most generous of givers, sharing that both Pastors are "tithe plus" families. We then write 3 additional letters given to people based on the amount of their gifts. Letters can also target "non-pledged givers," "new members" and other categories as you see fit. All letters include a pledge card, ask members to pray about their gifts, and invite them to attend our stewardship/commitment Sunday celebration.

Follow up letters: All givers receive a followup letter after the stewardship celebration has ended. Those who pledged receive a word of thanks while those who did not pledge are asked once again to consider pledging (with pledge card included)

Below are two sample letters. The resources I listed last week have additional information on targeted letters.

(Letter to those giving $5,000-$2,000 yearly)

To Our HTLC Family:
As we prepare for Commitment Sunday on November 22, we want to thank you for the gifts you have given in 2009 and ask that you prayerfully consider pledging in 2010. I write to you not only as your pastor, but also as someone, who, perhaps like you, has experienced economic uncertainty, fearing what the future would bring. We joined HTLC seven years ago, while I worked on my master’s degree and Jeff taught at Ball State on a contract basis. We were warmly welcomed, but didn’t know much about the community or the ministries of the church. Two months after we joined, the church held its annual Stewardship Campaign. As we listened to long time pillars of the congregation talk about pledging, we wanted to give to the church, but frankly, we were motivated by fear and economic uncertainty, which came knocking at our door every month in the form of electric bills and student loans.

I’m going to share with you something I wish I would have heard in my heart seven years ago: Your gifts are valued, are received without judgment, are private, and greatly needed. We ask for pledges not to judge you, but to plan our ministries for the year with accuracy and in a responsible way. Holy Trinity is blessed to have you as a member and part of our community. On a daily basis, I pray for you and all the members of Holy Trinity. You are an answer to my prayers. With your gifts, we are able to share the message of God’s love with Muncie and the world.

The past year has brought emotional and economic hardship to many in our community, perhaps even you. As we look ahead to 2010, Holy Trinity is working to be faithful and fiscally responsible with our resources. In order to do this, we need to have a clear picture of our congregation’s planned giving for the year, and pledges are more important than ever. Committed pledges will enable us to plan our ministries and share our blessings with others. The needs of our community are great, but the gifts of God’s people are even greater.

No matter the amount of your pledge, know that God is at work and we are forever grateful to you. I’m anxious but faith-filled as we look ahead to 2010. I’m anxious; knowing the needs of the community have increased while the financial stability of many members has decreased. But I am faith-filled, knowing God is always faithful, and His people will show their faith to the world

In the coming days, I ask you to…

1) Pray: Ask God to be with you as you consider how to share your gifts with HTLC in 2010.

2) Worship: Surround yourself with faithful Christians who will encourage and empower you to live out your faith.

3) Attend Adult Forum: Study God’s Word and learn more at HTLC’s mission for 2010.

4) PLEDGE: We will ask members to make pledges on Sunday, November 22. We cannot faithfully plan our 2010 ministries without your PLEDGED CONTRIBUTIONS.

Thank you for all you share with the Holy Trinity community. May God Bless you in 2010!

(Letter to New, unpledged members)

To our newest HTLC members:

As we prepare for Commitment Sunday on November 22, we want to thank you for the gifts you have given in 2009 and ask that you prayerfully consider pledging in 2010. We are aware that many in our congregation give generously but feel uneasy about pledging. I write to you not only as your pastor, but also as a former new member. We joined HTLC seven years ago, while I worked on my master’s degree and Jeff taught at Ball State on a contract basis. We were warmly welcomed, but didn’t know much about the community or the ministries of the church. Two months after we joined, the church held its annual Stewardship Campaign, and we felt incredibly out of place. Before coming to HTLC, Jeff hadn’t attended church regularly since he was ten and I hadn’t attended much while in college. As we listened to long time pillars of the congregation talk about pledging, it felt like the message was directed to established members with stable jobs, not formerly unchurched grad students who were planning to move in two years! Living on an unstable contract salary and my grad student stipend, we were making ends meet, but certainly didn’t have much left at the end of the month. The thought of tithing was overwhelming and so far out of reach that I didn’t even want to pledge. We wondered what ministry could be done with our small gift.

I’m going to share with you something I wish I would have heard in my heart seven years ago: No matter your age, financial status, or history in this or any other church: YOU ARE A TREASURED CHILD OF GOD WITH AMAZING GIFTS TO SHARE. Holy Trinity is blessed to have you as a member and part of our community. On a daily basis, I pray for you, and for those who will soon join us in the ministry of HTLC. You are an answer to my prayers. With your gifts, we are able to share the message of God’s love with Muncie and the world. No matter how small your pledge may seem to you, know that God is at work and we are forever grateful to you.

I’m anxious but faith-filled as we look ahead to 2010. I’m anxious; knowing the needs of the community have increased while the financial stability of many members has decreased. But I am faith-filled, knowing God is always faithful, and His people will show their faith to the world. In 2009, Holy Trinity nurtured the faith of over 60 kids through Vacation Bible School, provided housing to homeless families through Project Stepping Stone and gave over $30,000 to outreach projects as we worked to fight poverty locally and globally through partnerships with the national church. Imagine what we will do in 2010! All these ministries were made possible through member pledges, one dollar at a time. $5 a week funds our entire Health Ministry, while a pledge of $20 a week funds our yearly Sunday School curriculum. Your gifts to God are valuable, needed, and help us to spread the Gospel.

In the coming weeks, I ask you to…

1) Pray: Ask God to be with you as you consider how to share your gifts with HTLC in 2010.

2) Worship: Surround yourself with faithful Christians who will encourage and empower you to live out your faith.

3) Attend Adult Forum: Study God’s Word and learn more about HTLC’ mission for 2010.

4) PLEDGE: We will ask members to make pledges on Sunday, November 22. We cannot faithfully plan our 2010 ministries without your PLEDGED CONTRIBUTIONS.

Thank you for all you share with the Holy Trinity community. May God bless you in 2010!

Next Week: Celebrating tradition during your stewardship celebration

Missional Budgets & Resources

Last week, as a result of the holiday, I took a holiday from posting. Welcome back, stewardship folks!

Creating a Missional Budget:
Every church and nonprofit has a budget indicating the amount of money that will be spent in a particular ministry area. $2,500 for Youth Ministry. $4,000 for Hospitality. Often, congregations hand out copies of their budgets during their stewardship celebration in an attempt at transparency and with the hope of building support for ministries. But what do these numbers mean? And further, how do we expect people to get excited about numbers on a page? This is where the Missional Budget comes in.

Missional Budgets tell the story of your ministry. They include dollar amounts, but they also explain what is done with the dollars. When people understand what they are giving to, they are more likely to give. In addition, missional budgets create deeper transparency and give ministry teams the opportunity to share with the congregation their goals for the future. SHOW members what COULD happen if they gave more.

Our congregation breaks up our missional budget by ministry team. There are 7 teams (worship, outreach, support, buildings & grounds, media, hospitality, nurture). We include the budget amount for the team plus 1/7th of the total salaries (for example, the nurture budget includes its $3,700 budget amount, plus 1/7th of the salary for the pastors, secretary, etc.) I'm sure there are different formulas you could use based on job descriptions. The point is to tell your congregation's story through the budget.

Here are two examples from our Missional Budget.

Worship Ministries

“The first time I worshiped at Holy Trinity, I told my husband ‘we have finally found a church home.’ Everyone was friendly and the service was easy to follow.”

Holy Trinity’s mission, to Gather God’s People, Grow in Faith, and Go in Service begins with Sunday worship and midweek worship during the summer. Worship is the first impression visitors have of our church and is a place for all of us to gather around the Lord’s Table. Our choir shares the gift of music weekly, while our Praise Team leads us in worship monthly, and during Vacation Bible School. Over the next year our pastors are working to offer worship and educational programs on Wednesday evenings during the fall, winter and spring. Holy Trinity will look for ways to incorporate more special vocal and instrumental music into the services. There will also be an effort to involve more children in the worship service including music by the Sunday School students and possibly through the use of tone chimes for festival services. There will also be a Sunday service in which a teaching format will be utilized to explain the meaning and history of each element of the worship service. To help participants better understand our service, the bulletin will include educational information about the service in the margins. Mission Total: $44,702

Expanded Mission: (What we would LIKE to do, but currently do not have funds)

The Ministry of worship has talked about the possibility of bringing in a professional guest choir or Lutheran College choir for a special community performance and Sunday service. Our choir is also interested in expanding their musical library and the recently donated piano could also use some updates, including the possibility of a trade in for a new model.

Buildings and Grounds

“We are proud of our building—it’s location, tradition, and, in the years to come, increased accessibility.”

While most people are aware that Buildings and Grounds is in charge of providing heat, air conditioning, maintenance and other utilities, many people have a difficult time seeing this ministry as a ministry. However, without proper maintenance and payment of utilities, we would have no space to gather for worship, fill 140 food baskets, provide a Christmas party for Head Start Children, gather school supplies, or conduct weddings and funerals. This ministry models stewardship of God’s earth by tending to Holy Trinity’s land and property while providing a good first impression for visitors by maintaining our lawn, trees and flower beds. The volunteer work of Buildings and Grounds have painted, cleaned and enhanced our gardens this year. If we were to hire outside contractors to do the work provided to us free of change by this group, the cost would be in the thousands of dollars. Mission Total: $73,398

Expanded Mission:

In addition to working with the Mission Task Force to assess Holy Trinity’s future building and maintenance needs, this group has begun to explore ways to convert a restroom into a handicapped accessible family restroom. This will send the message to our community that Holy Trinity is a welcoming, accessible place for all people.

Additional Resources I have found the following resources helpful in creating our stewardship celebration.

Not Your Parent’s Offering Plate by J. Clif Christopher includes practical advice on stewardship and legacy gift planning. I found the “Missional Budget” format in this book.

Enough by Adam Hamilton This series of resources is especially helpful for those of us working on stewardship during difficult economic times.

Both resources can be found on amazon and other online book sellers.

Next Week: Targeted Giving Letters

And Now, a Message from My Inner Geek

Kenneth Burke,

My Favorite Rhetorician

A Glimpse at My Geeky Side

I received my MA in Communication & Rhetoric from Ball State University and have used this degree to teach Communication classes including undergraduate speech & graduate level persuasion & rhetoric classes. I also have 15 years experience competing and coaching speech & debate. I see stewardship as a rhetorical act and my role is to understand my audience, their values and what they will find persuasive. As such, I consider the context in which I am discussing stewardship. But you don't need a MA in Communication to apply basic rhetorical strategies. I have included one set of questions for you to consider and use for stewardship. (For the rhetoric geeks reading this: In case you didn't figure it out from my picture choice, I'm applying Burke's Pentad...and yes, rhetoric geeks, I'm certain there are more appropriate strategies, but we need a simple starting point!)

Think about your church (Synod, nonprofit, etc) Consider these questions. Invite your counsel or ministry teams to consider these areas. DON'T OVER-THINK THIS--

ACT: "What was or will be done." What happened over the past year in your church? What action has been taken? What will be going on in the months to come? (Example: Did your church hold VBS? Did you feed people? Did you have a choir that sang every week? Is something growing?)

SCENE: "Background, location & context" Where is the action taking place? What is the background situation? What is your context? Is your church located in a town where the factories have shut down and unemployment is higher? Is there a college or university in your town? Are you in a farming community? What is the background of your church? Has your congregation had a Pastor for 10+ years, or has the church experienced a high turnover in staff? How have ELCA churchwide decisions impacted (or not impacted) your congregation?

AGENT: "Who is involved in the act" Think about the people in your congregation, especially those who are involved with your stewardship team. Do they represent your congregation as a whole? Do they participate in the life of your congregation (teach Sunday School, help with outreach, read and assist with Communion)? Are you, as Pastor or leader, involved in this process?

AGENCY: "How the agents act" I covered some of this under "Agent" But this area helps you consider the ways you and your stewardship team respond to stewardship. Do you hold 1 meeting a year to set the budget? Is it generally an uplifting meeting, or one that you dread? Why? How do you and your stewardship team members respond to the ideas presented? How do YOU view stewardship? What is the level of your financial health?

PURPOSE: "Why do the agents act" What motivates you and those who make financial decisions in your congregation? (You ARE motivated by something) Fear? Necessity? Joy? Are you motivated to create a budget because your constitution requires it? Or, do you create a budget to organize your ministries and share the resources you have with the greater community? Why are you supporting certain projects and not others (Why do you have VBS? Why have you increased or decreased giving to the ELCA in the past 2 years?)

What do I do with this information?

Once you have answered the questions above, you will have a deeper understanding of your context and the motivations of you and your congregation. You may like what you see. You may not. This exercise is not intended to judge your context, it's simply to understand why you do what you do. From that point, you can begin to lean into your strengths and work on your growth areas.

For example: Let's say your stewardship team (or congregation) is made up of fiscally conservative people who have the opinion that government spending is out of control and should cut back on "entitlement programs." Your role in a stewardship celebration is not to reinforce or change their opinion. You don't have to agree with their values. Your role is to understand your congregation's values and show that giving to the church is in line with their values. This will allow you to demonstrate to them that you understand and respect their values. A letter may include a line such as:

"We are living in the midst of divided times. Many people have lost faith in the government and in corporations, as they watch the world change around them. But, as Christians, we do not place our faith in a government or in a corporation. We place our faith in Christ, whose message of salvation and forgiveness can unite us in changing times."

But isn't this manipulative, dishonest, or "a game"?

No. Rhetoric helps you understand your audience. You need to understand your audience and context if you wish to be persuasive and achieve your goal--In this case, the goal would be increasing financial gifts and helping people to have a deeper commitment to the mission God has given your congregation. You are also providing assistance to help improve their financial health, which is directly connected to spiritual wellness.

People have a deep spiritual need to be heard, respected, and understood. You can demonstrate to them that the church's values ARE their values. We need to be reformed and renewed. The goal of a stewardship celebration is intended to renew and celebrate the mission of your congregation and encourage people to participate on a deeper level with this mission. Stewardship is the time to demonstrate unity and to focus on the ways people can participate in God's mission.

Financial Health, Spiritual Wellness & Celebration Timelines: Building Excitement for Your Ministry

Many congregations hold a stewardship celebration in October or November. For the next 6 weeks, I will share with you some resources that my congregation developed. My hope is that you will see that stewardship does not need to be a guilt-inducing time. It can be a time for congregations to focus their mission and use their God given gifts to serve others. Please feel free to message me if you would like additional resources or have questions.

Financial Health is Directly Connected to Spiritual Wellness

There is a perception that the people who give the most money are rich or at least have a solid savings account. Some of the most generous givers are not wealthy or any more secure in their futures than anyone else. Instead, many have found that they receive a deep joy by sharing their gifts with others. They are excited to know that their offering helped provide new chairs for the Sunday School rooms and paid the salary of the Pastor who visited a dying member in the hospital. Leaders need to assess their financial health and get help if they need it. If we are not experiencing joy in giving, we can’t expect those we ask to find joy.

People WANT to Give!

I’ve come to enjoy discussions related to stewardship because it is exciting to see the people of God share their gifts with passionate hearts. People WANT to share their resources and help others. We need to ask them! However, when we ask them to give out of obligation, or indirectly say that they, as a congregation, are not generous, people will get defensive and stop giving.

Creating a Time line

An exciting stewardship celebration is not put together in a week. It takes planning, prayer, and the gifts of many people. Pastors should not be organizing or executing a stewardship drive on their own. If they do, it sounds as if, “the Pastor is asking us for money again.” It is important to give people to opportunity to use their gifts and share in the creative process. At our church, though we have a year-round approach to stewardship, we begin planning for the fall stewardship celebration during the summer. I have included our time line to assist you in planning your celebration. I can email you a copy of the Excel Spreadsheet if you would find
it helpful.

JUNE

Evaluate Ministry Teams, Goals, and Mission for the year. Encourage teams to share new goals or ministry ideas they have for the coming year.

JULY:

• Hold Stewardship Team Meeting discuss current ministry team's goals and financial state of the church. Discuss current economic & social climate of the community: How are people feeling about their job security, have the markets been up or down, do people seem hopeful about the economy? What are people excited about in the church? Vacation Bible School? A new Bible Study? This will help the team address the spiritual concerns people have related to finances and begin to build excitement for the church's mission.

AUGUST

• Council Members Pledge
• Create a Missional Budget: This is a budget that narrates the ministries of your congregation. Instead of saying "$5,000 for worship team," the missional budget shares what is done with the $5,000: "Our congregation held 110 worship services in 2011, including midweek Lenten services. We were blessed by the musical gifts of our choir and celebrated with 5 families who baptized their children. We prayed with 7 young people who affirmed their faith and welcomed 8 new families to our community." (I will include more on creating a missional budget next week).
• Make Personal Contacts: Visit inactive members, home bound members, individuals that have had challenges in the past year. This is simply a Pastoral visit demonstrating the congregation's care to others. It is not to be used as an invitation to pledge.
• Sermon Series: As you develop your ideas for your celebration, consider how to tie your sermon to stewardship. This can be done if you use the lectionary, though it is also an opportunity to explore other texts related to giving. Consider your context as you do this: How are the economic conditions in your community? Are there specific needs you can address in your sermon?
• Mission Moments: Invite people to speak about their experiences with the congregation. (It's important to ask them early, and set up a date for them to speak during your celebration in October) How have they personally been touched by the community? Perhaps a member of the prayer shawl team can share a story of giving a shawl to a home bound member. A member of the VBS team could remind the congregation of the energy of VBS during June.

SEPTEMBER

• Mail Out Letters Inviting People to Pledge: Have you ever received a letter from a university or nonprofit inviting you to give? These letters are written with a specific audience in mind. A donor who gave $100 last year will certainly receive a different letter than someone who gave $10,000. Church letters should be no different. The spiritual needs and gifts of your members differ, so your letters should be written with this in mind. Consider writing 3-5 different letters. As always, the focus is on thanking the giver, and inviting them to participate on a deeper level in the mission--it is NOT to make them feel guilty that they don't give enough. (I will share more on this in the coming weeks.)
• Pre-celebration Mailing: Invite the congregation to the celebration. Tell them what to expect and how the congregation will celebrate their gifts and ministry over the past year.
• Book Club or Bible Study: Make use of your education groups. Encourage the group to discuss the struggles and joys of giving.
• Offer Classes Related to Financial Wellness: Thrivent Financial for Lutherans can provide your congregation with budget planning materials, help with estate preparations and address the financial issues your members face. They will lead adult forums and group presentations. While they certainly have products to sell, we have not found that they use such classes to promote materials, but instead address general financial concerns. By acknowledging the challenge finances create for people and offering assistance, the church demonstrates that we care for one another.
• Celebrate Missions: Invite ministry teams to write a paragraph informing the congregation of the ways they participated in God's mission over the past year. Use newsletters, adult forum time and perhaps even a ministry fair where members can talk to team members.
• Share Vision for the Coming Year: Ministry teams shared their dreams in July, now it's time to share what continuing or new ministries your congregation will participate in during 2012. Do you want to continue the prayer shawl ministry? Do you want to start a Tuesday Bible Study? Get people excited about these projects and invite them to join!

OCTOBER

• Emails & Communication: Now is the time to inform members every week of upcoming events. Share your sermon series topic. Tell them about the adult forum schedule. Remind them of the 2012 vision. People need to be reminded of upcoming events!
• Hold Your Celebration Sunday: Last year, we celebrated "Easter in October" on pledge Sunday. We challenged members to experience the excitement of Easter by joining us for worship. Our choir sang an Easter hymn, we held an Easter breakfast, and even did a little decorating. We affirmed our faith that God has a purpose for our community, and invited everyone to join us.

NOVEMBER

• Follow up letters: Thank members who have pledged. Share with them the ministries for the upcoming year. Send a follow up letter to those who have pledged in the past, but didn't this year. Include a pledge card.