Surprising Gifts
2013
Best Practices
in
Basic Stewardship
*
*In a still-uncertain economic climate
*Moving from a relaxing summer
*to the quickening pace of a new church year
*Yes, it’s September, and November is coming!
*
…or to build
on your year-round stewardship ministry.
the “big
picture” of
the life of
the church…
and
an everyday
spiritual
practice for
Christians
Ten Best
Practices
for your
Fall
stewardship
campaign
If you have a committee that’s meeting, great!
* Re-connect with a fun autumn gathering
* Add a few new members
* Consider an ad hoc campaign committee
If you don’t have a committee, form one!
* Invite the unexpected
* Create a timeline
www.ucc.org/stewardship
Enlist all of the leadership of the church
Adjust your perspective:
* abundance, not scarcity
* positive, not negative
* joy, not anxiety
Shape your language:
* “the budget” is really
the mission spending plan
all mission: local and wider
Abundance
“Abundance is not
something we
acquire;
it is something
we tune into.”
– Wayne Dyer
*Don’t shy away from the
topic of money
*Provide support and
education
*Ask for the same gift from
everyone: not the same
amount, but meaningful
Challenge the comfortable,
comfort the challenged
4. Approach giving
as a year-round,
whole life spiritual
practice.
A practice forms us as
disciples:
We grow into more
generous people as we give
generously.
*The spiritual practices
of first fruits giving
and
proportional giving…
*challenge us to grow
our giving by a regular
percentage each year
…are also shared with joy
*Reasonability
*Challenge
*Commitment
*Compassion
*Community
Kennon Callahan
Stewardship and Giving in an Effective Church
(San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1992)
We often TRANSMIT on the
Commitment and Challenge
frequencies,
but our RECEIVERS are set
on
Compassion and Community.
*Surprising Gifts: 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
*Other Scriptures in the theme materials
*Abundance Bible study
www.ucc.org/stewardship
*Share Scripture in all
of your communications
to the congregation
*First fruits: the first line
on your budget
*Ask preachers to share
the story of their own
giving
*Talk/write about the
church’s giving
*The offering
A time of
delight in giving?
*Consecration
Sunday
A celebration you
wouldn’t want to
miss?
*Creativity:
gather an ad hoc
committee of
story-tellers
*Create a
narrative budget
*Use DVDs,
photos, skits, etc.
1. Build the stewardship committee.
2. Set the tone.
3. Nurture financial wellness.
4. Approach stewardship as a year-round, whole-life
spiritual practice.
5. Understand motivations for giving.
6. Ground your work in Scripture.
7. Teach giving by modeling it.
8. Make giving moments life-giving.
9. Tell the story of your church – lay out the vision!
Scripture assures us that first God gives
to us: “God reached out in love and
surprised you with gifts of unending
help and confidence.” We can take heart;
God knows our needs and hopes and
wants only the best for us.
*
Surprising
Unmerited Love
We are encouraged
to keep our focus on
God, confident that
God wants the best
for us.
Surprising
Unmerited Love
*
*
The world may ignore us
*
Pray, ask, engage deeply in
your faith
*
Engagement aligns us with
God’s love and intent
*
We might surprise
ourselves with Godly giving
Take heart – God knows
who we are
Surprised!
Isn’t it surprising that God
does not look and point a
finger at us for what we do
wrong but rather loves us
enough to show mercy and
grace?
Quite simply, the reason
for all giving is God’s
surprising grace!
Surprised!
“Our prayer life can help us to
face ourselves honestly, our
faults as well as our gifts…
Honesty flows from openness:
*
*
*
An open heart,
An open mind,
A life opened to God and to
transformation.
– Kathryn Matthews Huey
*Zacchaeus had a transformative
encounter with Jesus
*Transformation comes for us
when we remain willing to see,
to ask, to believe, to grow
*Transformation comes from our
hearts
*Our giving is transformed when
we let our hearts be surprised
by the power of salvation
“Casi Cielo”
Almost Heaven
* First, God gives to us
God… reached out in love
and surprised you with
gifts of unending help and
confidence
* With confident and hopefilled hearts, we respond
It’s “casi cielo,” almost heaven
*
When have
you
experienced
surprising
gifts?
When have you
offered a
surprising
gift?
Who was
surprised – you
or the
recipient?
When has
giving
led to
deeper
connections
with others
in your life?
*