Congregational Stewardship

Choose a Program

In a year-round stewardship strategy, it is important to incorporate an annual financial response or commitment program. Research indicates the importance both of asking or inviting people to give and to increase their giving annually.

Rather than choosing one program and doing it year after year, it is most productive to use several programs over a period of years. Rotate them every two or three years. This ensures that you actually keep your commitment to doing regular stewardship programs, and at the same time, keep your core of volunteers from burning out.

The information below is an overview of some of the key stewardship commitment programs currently in use by our churches in Canada. For more detailed information about some of the programs mentioned below, we recommend the following resources available from UCRD:

Celebrate Stewardship!

Product #: 200 000 190

Price: $11.95

More Invitations to Commitment: "How to" Instructions for Congregations Doing Stewardship Programs

Product #: 500 000 060

Price: $6.00

Opening Doors: Inviting Generosity (DVD)

Training for stewardship visits

Product #: 800 001 482

Price: $15.95

Opening Doors: Inviting Generosity (VHS)

Product #: 800 001 481

Price: $10.95

Stewardship Visitation: Opening Doors to Generosity

Product #: 200 000 185

Price: $1.85

Thanks Giving

By Christopher Levan

ISBN: 1-55134-141-7

Price: $15.95

The Every Member Stewardship Visitation

This continues to be the most used and most effective of all the stewardship commitment programs designed for local churches, though it may not be the most popular program with those who are charged with developing this year' s stewardship campaign. The lack of popularity relates primarily to the fact that it' s very labour-intensive. You need to recruit, train, resource, deploy, and manage a substantial number of people to bring the program off successfully. And, of course, there' s always that issue of discomfort the average member feels with going door to door seeking (at least in part) a financial commitment.

Here's what's involved:

Steering Group

Most programs require a small steering group who are willing to stand accountable for developing, implementing, and doing follow-up on a commitment program.

Resource Development Team

This group can be a separate group or a subset of the Steering Group. The Resource Development Team works at developing the information visitors will take on their rounds.

Area Captains or Leaders

Many churches have already divided their members into districts for visitation purposes. If not, the Steering Group needs to do this. The Steering Group then recruits a captain or leader for each district. The leader is responsible for his or her district, encouraging the completion of a full stewardship visitation. This means, specifically, that the leader needs to recruit perhaps four or five members from the district (depending on the size of the district). These are the visitors, who each make no more than five visits (hopefully less).

Visitors

These individuals make a substantial commitment to their church. They deserve a solid training program (organized by the Steering Group) that helps them affirm what they' re doing, integrate the resources they' re carrying into the visit, and deal effectively with the financial side of the visit.

In a Nutshell

The visitors arrange to visit families, do some talking and listening about the church (hopefully making some notes later on), present the resources, present and describe the commitment form (skills and financial), and let members know how the church plans to receive their completed forms (e.g., a special Sunday, a special box in the office).

The Follow-Up

A team of three or four people follow up the program with phone calls to determine whether there are those with the intent to make a commitment who, for whatever reason, have not done so during the time set aside for the program.

The Good

This program involves personal contact and interaction. A connection is drawn between every member and adherent and their church. The volunteer and financial results are almost always good because this program is so people-intensive. People relating to people is a very important way to make stewardship come alive.

The Bad

This is really a lot of work. Doing this program year after year is draining for your core of volunteers, and if this is the only perceived option, you may find yourselves without a program.

The Ugly

Poorly trained visitors sometimes get so nervous about the financial commitment part of the program that they fail to mention it or give it short shrift. In this case, you' ve done a good visitation but you haven't completed a real stewardship commitment program.

The Cottaging Program

This program can be very similar to the Every Member Visitation in organization. A Steering Group has overall responsibility for the program. Whether part of the Steering Group or a separate group, there is a team that develops the resources needed for the program. The Steering Group recruits Captains or Leaders who are responsible for certain districts of the church.

It' s at this point that the program diverges from the Every Member Visitation. In one form of this program the Leaders ask one or two households in each district to be hosts. Other families are invited by phone or letter to attend a stewardship commitment program about the life and work of the church at the house (dessert/snacks provided, etc.). In this scenario, the Leader is the main presenter at these sessions. There is much talk, with the help of various resources, about the life, work, and witness of the church, and people leave with the stewardship commitment form. The Leader also gives attendees some direction as to how the completed forms will be received. For example, many churches set aside a special Sunday to receive them, signalling the culmination of the program.

A variation on this theme is to have two or three larger gatherings at the church (dessert/snacks provided) with specific invitations to members and adherents to attend on a particular night (with alternatives listed). The presentation is then made by the Leader in the same way it would be done in a home.

Once again, follow-up is very important to this program. A small team should be ready to make phone calls to determine whether those who haven't participated yet are just tardy or are just not in the program.

The Good

The Cottaging Program does involve some work, but it' s less labour-intensive than the Every Member Visitation and less stressful overall; many find it to be social and fun.

The Bad

What if you threw a party and no one came? This program is obviously less thorough than the Every Member Visitation because it' s a gathering rather than a going-out, and it depends on people' s willingness to attend a cottaging event.

The Ugly

The Leaders must be well prepared. There is nothing wrong with holding a good social event. But if there is no clear, concise presentation that strongly encourages people in their support of the church (volunteer time and financial commitment), then you may not be doing a Cottaging Program again soon!

The Neighbourhood Round Robin or "Pony Express" Program

This program has probably been more popular in the United States (where they had a pony express) than in Canada, but it is certainly well used in both countries. Once again, you'll need an accountable Steering Group and Captains/Leaders who have responsibility for designated districts of members and adherents. And, of course, you'll need to have many, many resource packets done up that include information about your church as well as the commitment card.

The reason this is called a Round Robin or "Pony Express" Program is that a pouch filled with resource packets is prepared for each district (one packet for every family). Instructions with the pouch indicate that you are to take out your packet and deliver the pouch to the next family on the family list, which is also in the pouch. Instructions in the packets explain how to forward your completed commitment forms to the church.

In this program, as you can imagine, the Captains/Leaders must keep on top of the situation to ensure the pouch makes its rounds within the time frame set out for the program. As in all programs, the follow-up must be seen as critical and staffed accordingly.

The Good

Again, this program involves many people but it isn't particularly labour-intensive for any one group. Its round robin nature allows congregational members to visit one another and can be a benefit to the congregation' s fellowship. At its best, running smoothly, this program can be fun and effective.

The Bad

Apart from the resources in the packet, there is little room for discussion and interaction here about the church, its programs, and the need for support. The members and adherents passing the packet along aren't "presenters"-they are really just delivering the mail.

The Ugly

You really have to keep an eye on where the pouches are at any given time. Things get lost, the pouch is misplaced under the couch, or the dog runs off and buries it. The program gets bogged down and people get frustrated.

The Consecration Sunday Program

This program has become increasingly popular in recent years. It is certainly one of the least labour-intensive of the major commitment programs, and the financial results have been very promising to date.

The Consecration Sunday Program is focused on a Consecration Sunday, where people actually hand in their completed commitment cards. The Sunday worship is followed by a celebratory luncheon where the results of the program are celebrated.

The driving group behind the program is the Consecration Sunday Committee, together with a stewardship "leader" from outside the church. The function of the outside leader is primarily to teach, stimulate, and motivate at various stages in the program. She or he meets with the committee early on, shares in a dinner for parish leaders during the week before Consecration Sunday, and preaches at the Consecration Sunday Service.

Through a series of letters, the congregation is made aware of the program well in advance. People are aware that the Sunday before Consecration Sunday they will receive a luncheon reservation card, which they are to fill out on the spot. The card indicates that they will be participating in the Consecration Sunday Program next Sunday and that they will attend the celebratory luncheon. The actual volunteer and financial commitment time is built into the end of the Consecration Sunday Service.

In fact, one purpose of the parish leaders supper is to deal with the luncheon reservation cards that were not picked up or signed during the worship service just before Consecration Sunday. Names are read out and parish leaders agree to contact these people and encourage them to make their luncheon reservations (with the assumption, of course, that they will be there for worship, make their commitment, and then attend the luncheon).

The reason it' s a celebration luncheon is that the commitments are tallied right away and the results announced at lunch. This program doesn't have a specified follow-up plan. When it' s over, it' s over.

The Good

While it involves a committed committee and parish leaders, this program isn't labour-intensive. The outside leader can provide a critical theological perspective to the program and can stimulate interest in stewardship for many church leaders long after the program has passed. And, the reservation system and other parts of this program appear to work, resulting in increased givings (sometimes as high as a 40 percent increase).

The Bad

Because of the letter and reservation nature of this program, it is often difficult to find ways of telling people about what mission and ministry is actually happening in the church. Churches sometimes struggle to find creative ways to "tell their story" in this type of program.

The Ugly

The thing that grates just a little about the Consecration Sunday Program is all the emphasis placed on filling out luncheon reservation cards. It feels like it' s a way to get around talking about money in the church. Surely, the real intent of Consecration Sunday isn't all about sitting down and having a nice lunch together!

The Direct Mail Program

This has a reputation for being a low-end form of stewardship commitment program, but we should never underestimate the possibilities of a very good Direct Mail Program.

It is important to have a Steering Group who may also double as a Writing Team for the Direct Mail Program. Plan anywhere from four to six letters during the course of the program. Each letter could include something about a specific part of the church' s life (worship, Christian development, outreach, the church' s wider mission, etc.). The mailing might include a prepared resource as well. And, the letters need to make "the ask." "The ask" means very intentionally asking for people' s gifts of time and money, as a response to God, in support of their church. One of the letters, of course, needs to include the commitment card and some explanation of how the church would like to receive it back. The Direct Mail Program is, of course, always augmented by announcements during Sunday worship. In fact, often the Direct Mail Program culminates in a Commitment or Consecration Sunday of its own.

The Good

Clearly, this is the least labour-intensive of all the programs. But, as mentioned above, when a Direct Mail Program is done well, the results can be very good, albeit less positive than the other programs when they are done well.

The Bad

The Direct Mail Program is perhaps a little too easy. Some churches fire off one or two letters, and that constitutes a stewardship commitment program for them. For those who do this type of program year after year, losing person-to-person contact is a great loss for stewardship and the overall life of the church. Done too often, it tends to point out a very limited commitment to stewardship development.

The Ugly

Direct Mail programs truly get ugly when they' re done with little care and attention, year after year. Eventually, the response rate falls to mediocre at best and the church wonders, "Why are we doing these commitment programs anyway-they never work!"

E-mail questions, comments, or suggestions to Barbara Fullerton, Stewardship Development.