One readily available opportunity for every congregation to expand and deepen its focus on stewardship development is obvious, but often resisted. And it is not to move the fall pledge campaign to January or April, nor is it to stop pledge campaigns altogether and bring to life something entirely different. (Although both of these tactics should be considered in certain contexts!) The encouragement is to look at the day of every week, usually Sundays, when the congregation is gathered to worship the risen Lord and is being spiritually nourished and prepared to serve Christ in the world. A relevant question is: How can we inspire members of congregations to practice stewardship every week and month? And just as relevant, and I would argue of even greater value to consider, is: How can church leadership utilize Sunday gatherings and liturgy as a time to encourage practices of stewardship and encourage the practice of stewardship as an act of worship?
While statistics are stating that the average church member is not attending church as much as she once did, people are still showing up for worship. And because they are still showing up and because this is still an important time within the practice of their faith, we need to embrace this time as the best time for stewardship ministry.
For the next year, on the next 52 Sundays, how can pastors and other worship planners connect worshippers with stewardship practices?
- Don’t just pass the plate or encourage listeners to give via texting. Talk about why giving is a part of the liturgy. The tendency and tradition is to play music while giving happens, but what if we used this time to tell a story about where the money is distributed? Think of 52 different stories that communicate how money given to the church makes a real impact, and tell one story each week for the next year. You could also introduce the passing of the plate by reading texts from Scripture that provide teaching and encouragement on stewardship and generosity. For the people who are or will be giving online, these stories can be a catalyst for their giving as well.
- Preach on stewardship, but preach on stewardship in the way of Jesus. Jesus did not have a stewardship preaching quota. Jesus preached the kingdom of God, and because this was his subject matter, it was impossible for him to avoid the topic of stewardship. The goal is not to increase the number of times one preaches on stewardship, the goal is to preach the kingdom of God and to do it 52 Sundays a year. Contentment, simplicity, cheerful giving, generosity and gratitude are all kingdom values and practices and will make their way into sermons that are focused on sharing the kingdom of God.
How can we begin to change the culture of stewardship in the church?
Tell 52 stories, read the Scripture and preach in the way of Jesus. These are practices for practicing stewardship ministry throughout the year and encouraging stewardship and generosity as a way of life.
Sean Mitchell is the stewardship development director at Myers Park Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is also the founder of Generosity Development (generositydevelopment.org).
