Strong Stewardship /strong School Making Strong Stewardship /strong Transformative

Stewardship SchoolMaking StewardshipTransformative

Agenda10:00 amOpening Prayers, Welcome and Introductions10:15 amStewardship Bible Study & ReflectionHandout: Scripture Passage10:45amMoving from Crisis Based Pledge Campaigns toYear Round GenerosityNoonLunch—Networking Stewardship Conversations12:30 pmTransformational Annual Pledge Opportunities2:00 pmClosing Prayers and Dismissal

Joy and GladnessMake a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into hispresence with singing! Know that the Lord isGod! It is God who made us, and we are God’s;we are God’s people, and the sheep of God’spasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, andhis courts with praise! Give thanks to God;bless God’s name! Psalm 100:1-4

Jesus and the Promise ofAbundanceLuke 5:1-61. In this story, a simple command of Jesus leadsto abundance. Where might you follow acommand of Jesus in your life so that you mightexperience abundance? How might that bereflected in your financial priorities?

Luke 5:1-62. How have you used the teachings of Jesus asyou think about Stewardship in your life and inthe life of your congregation?

Living Generously“We have to make choices to give up some ofour time and money to nurture the compassionand generosity that hold us together asfamilies, communities, nations and the world.”Dave Toycen, President EmeritusWorld Vision, CanadaThe Power of Generosity

Making Choices Choose how to see the world.Choose what’s important in your life.Choose how you see yourself.Choose how you value others?Choose Ubuntu.

Small Group ConversationWhat can I do to live more generously?

Small Group ConversationWhat’s keeping me from living moregenerously?

Overcome Fear“ let me assert my firm belief that the onlything we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terrorwhich paralyzes needed efforts to convertretreat into advance.”FDR First Inaugural AddressMarch 4, 1933

Overcome Fear Accept All you have been Given.Resist the Lie of Scarcity.Relax.Pray.Work in Community

Creating a Culture of Generosity Err on the side of abundance.Show hospitality to all.Strive to thrive.Every month highlight something abundant at yourchurch. Have monthly witnesses in church and in thenewsletter from people who give generously of theirtime, talent, and treasure. Let your light shine to members and to the community. Encourage first time visitors not to give.

Creating a Culture of GenerosityDescribe Three Examples of Abundance inYour Congregation

Vestry Generosity Leadership Each Vestry Member must live abundantly. Every member must live joyfully. Vestry leaders must be the leaders ofgenerosity in time, talent and treasure. Vestry needs to talk openly aboutmoney not in terms of church budget, but interms of the role of money in our lives.

Money“Money is a tool, not an end in itself. Author MichaelAdams comments, ‘In modern societies, moneydisplaces secular and religious power as the principalmedium of exchange.’ Money gets worshipped assomething that in itself will bring satisfaction andfulfillment. The tool suddenly becomes the prizedpossession instead of a step in the process that leads toa fulfilled life. This choice faces everyone. You cannothave a transcendent value in your life while still holdingmoney of equal importance. Your ultimate value willcome in conflict with your desire to gain and hold moneyat all costs.”Dave Toycen

Vestry Generosity Leadership Vestry must stop talking about financesand concentrate on mission and vision. Vestry must be leaders of telling the storyof your congregation and it’s mission. Vestry must be leaders of generosity andtalking about generosity.

Year Round Stewardship Stewardship of WelcomingStewardship of the EarthStewardship of FacilitiesStewardship of CommunityStewardship of Money

Planning for GenerosityThrough the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,your church’s pledge income increases by35% Develop a plan for expanding themission of your congregation.

Start Planning Your Pledge DriveNow! Witnesses/Story Tellers– For Sundays and in the Newsletter– Guidelines

What to do NOW Targeted Dinners– New members– Long time-static pledgers– Major Pledgers

Step Up Your Plan Targeted One on One visits Identify Visitors Identify Members to be visited Train Visitors Assign Calls

Step Up Your Plan Call everyone just before pledge cards aredistributed Call everyone one week after pledge cards havebeen distributed Call those who have not yet pledged 2 weeks intopledge drive Follow-up to those who have not pledged after ingathering

Celebrations–To kick off pledge drive–To celebrate ingathering

Journey to Generosity Pledge Drive Bulletin InsertsLetters to ParishionersPledge CardsPrayers of the People

Joining in God’s ‘ever-rollingness’TH E RT. REV . ROB W RIGH TThere is a never-failing ever rolling-ness to God.That’s w hat A mos said, “ Let justice be like arolling river and righteousness like a neverfailing stream.” –A M OS 5:24Stew ardship isn’t first and foremost about money.Stew ardship is first and foremost about the nature ofGod never failing and ever rolling. Thismust be understood and lived out if you andI are ever to be called faithful stew ards.When w e give, w e are participating in thepersonhood of God. We are participating inw hat is most real in the universe—God’sinexhaustibleness! We are making God real inthe w orld by lending God our flesh throughpartnership.When w e give, you might say, w e are rolling thedice in a game, the outcome of w hich w e are alreadycertain. God is love. A nd loving is giving. Readalong in the bible, Old or N ew Testament, and youw ill see the most stern rebukes by God through theprophets are reserved for the people w ho claim Godbut fail to enact God. Rebuke is reserved for thosew ho w ould dam the flow of God’s never-failing everrolling-ness, either in w ord, deeds or both.But that is not w ho w e are. We are those w hounderstand and incarnate God’s generosity. We arethe people w ho appreciate at a deep personal levelthat all w e have is gift. A nd that anything w e couldoffer to God is simply the act of returning resourcesto its author and true ow ner.But not only that, there is a never-failing, everrolling-ness to be experienced personally in thisgiving business. Let’s call it the experience offreedom born of fidelity. Freedom too often thesedays is defined as the absence of restraint orregulation. This definition of freedom is little morethan the idolatry of the self or the market. Thefreedom that w e w ere made for is the freedom thatcomes from faithfulness. This freedom birthsspiritual maturity and a robust sense ofneighborliness and common w ell-being.It’s no w onder that one of the 100 most influentialpeople in the w orld, as I w rite this article, is M arieKondo, author of “ The Life-Changing M agic ofTidying Up.”While on the face of it her goal appears to bedecluttering the w orld one closet and home at atime, she’s teaching the w orld that clutter and greedare bondage,I believe her w ork is deeply spiritual. I believe herw ork is about removing the barriers to ourexperience of never failing and ever rolling-ness.What hinders us in trusting and replicating God’snever-failingness and ever rolling-ness? M aybe w ecould begin again by thinking of God’s raging,persistent, goodness tow ard us. M aybe that couldunlock the flow .PA RISH N A M Eaddress phone w ebsite

Journey to Generosity Resourcestens.orgMember ResourcesLogin:Password:tithe4transformation

Questions?Richard Feltonrfelton@tens.org

10:15 am strong Stewardship /strong Bible Study & Reflection Handout: Scripture Passage 10:45am Moving from Crisis Based Pledge Campaigns to Year Round strong Generosity /strong Noon Lunch—Networking strong Stewardship /strong Conversations 12:30 pm Transformational Annual Pledge Opportunities 2:00