Ponder these two experiences:
A church member calls a fellow church member and asks for a personal meeting. In the meeting, the visitor asks her fellow member to consider sharing financial resources with the church community.
During Sunday worship, a church member stands and shares a story from the lectern. He tells the story of why he has recently chosen to share his financial resources with the church community, and how he discerned that this was an important step in his spiritual journey.
Considering the above experiences, which would you guess had the most impact? (Meaning the experience inspired a member to share their financial resources.) Is it the personal, direct request for funding? Or the vulnerable narrative shared by the individual to the larger group?
The answer is: both. Yet sometimes, the answer might be neither of the two. It depends on who is listening, and if they even are listening. We don’t control the outcomes of our spoken and written words. We can, however, control whether or not we show up and faithfully share our stories with one another as a means for spiritual encouragement and community building. We can control whether we nurture environments where storytelling is valued and members are encouraged to share their own.
We each have a story to share. And we tell it, not for the sake of boasting or to make others into who we think they should be. Our stories are to be told because the world, communities and churches flourish as stories are told in books, at dinner tables, in classrooms, on podcasts and in sanctuaries. Stories challenge us to think and grow. Stories provide us with examples to learn from. Imagine a world void of storytelling. Imagine Scripture void of stories.
Fundraising is good. Storytelling is great. In fact, great fundraising occurs when a story accompanies it. Consider this the next time your church is considering a campaign. Treat it as an opportunity to tell a story, and to tell it well. In fact, why not make this one of the core values of your church stewardship ministry? How about: We tell stories. We tell them because the story of God and the kingdom of God needs to be told over and over again.
Set a goal for your stewardship ministry. Over the next 12 months, the ministry will tell ___ stories. Be realistic, but set a goal. And set a goal to tell three kinds of stories in particular:
Personal stewardship journeys. Members do not have to expound on their entire journey, but invite them to share something personal. They might share how they have begun to steward creation, or how they recently discerned what God was calling them to give financially in the coming year. The story might entail what they recently learned about stewardship from the reading of Scripture.
What the church community means to you. One member may share how a recent Bible study helped her grow in her understanding of Scripture. Or, a shut-in may be asked to share his story, and in doing so, expresses gratitude for visits from church friends. A third member might express her gratitude for worshipping God with friends every Sunday in the sanctuary. Like the first grouping, these stories are personal, but are told to express gratitude to one another!
The impact of faithful sharing and generosity. At least three times a year, be specific on ways that the giving of money has enabled ministries to occur. Tell these stories in a written letter, on social media and on Sundays.
Fundraising is good. Stories are great. Tell as many stories as you can. These stories will help members reflect on God’s grace and lead to the continued flourishing of the community.
Sean Mitchell is the stewardship development director at Myers Park Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is also the founder of Generosity Development.
