Congregational Stewardship

by Barbara Fullerton

An "aha!" moment for me when I first began stewardship work in the General Council Offices was sparked by a comment from a presenter at Renovations 2000, an event on faith renewal. The presenter remarked that the main identity people have in common today is that they are "consumers." The stewardship question that comment raised for me was: If our identity is that of a consumer, why would anyone give money away? Money's primary use would be to purchase what defines us, the stuff we consume.

More recently, a series of articles in The Globe and Mail in January 2005 reported that Canadian banks had flagged consumer debt as a "time bomb." Personal lines of credit in Canada more than doubled between January 2001 and November 2004. Mortgage debt rose 10 percent in 2004, nearly twice its historical rate. Many consumers owing this debt sit in United Church pews, unable to hear preaching on stewardship themes without feeling guilty and helpless to do anything about it.

It occurs to me that it is necessary to connect evangelism and stewardship in our local congregations. Evangelism-sharing gospel good news-happens when God's unconditional love is preached in every worship service and is lived in every aspect of congregational life. Stewardship sermons cannot be guilt-inducing sermons, but ones that invite people to receive God's love and participate in sharing that love with others.

Carol Johnston, a professor at the Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, Indiana, studied a number of American congregations that became energetic, growing, faith communities. They had several things in common. The number one characteristic they shared was the every-Sunday preaching of God's love. Through knowing they are loved first and foremost by God, people are empowered for the mission and ministry to which God calls them. Johnston also discovered that each congregation had a sense of mission developed through prayerful discernment that God called them to particular ministries in their community. This was lived out with intentional expressions of hospitality within the congregations and toward their neighbours. Finally, and not coincidentally, members of those transformed congregations were inspired to generosity through responding to the love of God and the practice of hospitality.

But how, in our consumer culture, do people move from identities as "consumers" into identities as "disciples and stewards" giving of their resources for God's work? There are several things we can do in congregations to facilitate such a transition. Three ways to begin are

• preaching and teaching
• personal finance resources
• small-group discussions

Preaching and Teaching

Ministers and church leaders can take a cue from Jesus. Talk only as often as Jesus did about money and wealth and how they affect our relationship with God and with each other. That means ministers will be preaching about this subject a lot, because it shows up frequently in the Bible. Jesus talked about this more than any other subject except the kingdom of God. In fact, 16 of the 38 parables of Jesus relate to wealth or possessions.

The New Testament gives no normative rules for making money decisions. Its message suggests questions ministers and lay leaders can use in preaching and teaching. These questions can inform worship and sermon preparation and be used to focus stewardship discussions in new-member programs, adult study groups, or even committee meetings. Here are some examples:

• What do we trust for our security?
• How are our fears reflected in what we buy and own?
• How does our care of others, including financial gifts to God's work, reflect God's generosity to us?

Personal Finance Resources

Another form of ministry in a congregation is to offer personal finance seminars or budget counselling. A financial planner or professional accountant in the church might consider it a ministry to volunteer her or his expertise. Remember to include a session on personal financial planning in premarital counselling and new-members groups.

Small-Group Discussions

Does your church have small-group ministries that address people's daily life concerns? Nothing ranks higher than money concerns as a cause of consternation in family relationships. Consider offering small-group opportunities to discuss money issues and how money affects people's lives.

The following exercise may also be useful as an introduction for small-group discussions. It was developed to consider a biblical text on stewardship, 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, in a Doctor of Ministry program with my classmates at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. It also might be useful at the beginning of a council, board, or committee meeting, or in a confirmation or new-member group.

The Manna Principle

This is a Bible study of 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 and Exodus 16:13-21, introduced by an experiential activity. To understand the passage from Paul's letter to the Corinthians, we consider the story of manna sent to feed the Israelites during their desert experience after the Exodus.

Preparation

You will need

• a large bag of small sugarless candies or raisins
• small plastic sandwich bags
• a clean bowl
• Bibles
• flip chart paper

In advance, portion out candies or raisins into small plastic bags, one bag per participant. A few will have a large number of candies, most will have very few, and some will have a medium amount. For a group of eight people, we divided 200 candies into the following amounts: 1, 8, 9, 15, 20, 22, 55, 70.

Write the set of questions for discussion on 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 on flip chart paper (see the list at the end of the "Process" section, below).

Process

At the beginning of the session, randomly pass out the bags of candy or raisins. (Alternatively, we had folks draw numbers corresponding to the number of items in the bags.) Give no instructions about what people are to do; tell them the bags are theirs to do with as they please.

After everyone has a bag, from which some may have begun to eat, announce that an offering will be received. Pass a clean bowl, inviting every person to contribute from his or her treat bag, saying that the contents will be available for the use of the community gathered there.

After the offering, pass the bowl again, inviting all to take, according to their needs. (No judgment should be made on portion sizes, as people's needs vary depending on appetites, diet, and so on.) Keep passing the bowl and inviting people to partake as they discuss the following questions:

1. What was it like to be the person who had only one item?
2. What was it like to be the person who had the most?
3. How did you feel during the process of redistribution with no instructions about the offering or how many candies or raisins to offer back?
4. How did you feel about receiving from the generosity of others or helping yourself to take according to your need?
5. If you thought you had too much already, what did you think when you received some back in the process of redistribution?

Explain that this exercise can be considered in relation to two stewardship stories, one in the Hebrew scripture and one in the Christian scripture (New Testament). Explain the background to 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 by putting the following information into your own words:

We are going to consider a passage from a letter Paul wrote to the church in Corinth. He was writing from Macedonia, a rural, agricultural area that was experiencing depopulation and increasing poverty. Does that sound like parts of Canada today? Listen for the persuasive voice he is using to convince Corinthian Christians to be as generous as the less well off Macedonians. We will hear in the text what sounds like the latter stages of a financial response campaign. There are many references to earlier stages of the campaign in Galatians, 1 Corinthians, Romans, and Acts. Paul is now asking those who made commitments to follow through by donating to an offering for Christians in Jerusalem. We don't know why these Christians are in need. Perhaps Paul's eagerness to help may be a demonstration of his goodwill toward Christians in Jerusalem after his persecution of them before his conversion.

Invite a volunteer to read 2 Corinthians 8:1-15.

Ask participants to reflect on these questions (printed on flip chart paper):

1. Do we need to know why Christians in Jerusalem are in need?
2. In verse 9, what economic terms does Paul use to relate God's grace to the topic of making this offering?
3. What is Paul referring to in verse 15?
4. Why is Paul recalling the Exodus? (As a Jew, for whom the Exodus is an important part of his faith story, Paul assumes a standard for giving where the motive is for the need of all.) Read Exodus 16:13-21.
5. What do you have in your life or do in your life to remind yourself of who you were, where you have been, and what God means to your life where you are now?
6. What would you do differently, personally and as a congregation, if you followed the manna principle?

Resources

For Study Groups

• God, Money, and Me: Exploring the Spiritual Significance of Money in Our Lives, Ed Friesen (Winnipeg: Mennonite Foundation of Canada, 2004)
  A 12-lesson adult study guide.
• Living with Money (Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse Publishing, 2003)
  Video kit with leader's guide and participant's journal. Available to borrow from AVEL outlets. The kit (product #200000182) and additional copies of the participant's journal (product #200000184) are also stocked by UCRD and participating presbytery resource centres.
• Managing God's Good Gifts (Winnipeg: Mennonite Foundation of Canada, 1999)
  A nine-lesson adult study guide, with video.
• At Ease: Discussing Money and Values in Small Groups, John Ronsvalle and Sylvia Ronsvalle (Herndon, VA: The Alban Institute, 1998)

For Personal Finances

• Good $ense Curriculum: Transformational Stewardship for Today's Church (Barrington, IL: Willow Creek Association, 2002)
• Money Management and Financial Planning (Winnipeg: Mennonite Foundation of Canada, 2002)
• Passion and Freedom: A Resource for Ministers and Leaders Supporting the Lives of Couples (Toronto: United Church Publishing House, 2003).
  Available from UCRD and participating presbytery resource centres (product #800001364)

For Worship Preparation

• "Stewardship Links" in Gathering (published quarterly by The United Church of Canada).

Barbara Fullerton is the United Church staff person for Stewardship Development in the Support to Local Ministries Unit.