An Intentional Financial Stewardship Plan

1. An Intentional Financial Stewardship Plan Attract… Engage… Retain Presentation by Chick Lane

2. An Intentional Plan • If generosity is a spiritual gift, and • If it really is true that “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” • Then shouldn’t we have an intentional plan to help people grow this spiritual gift and have their hearts drawn closer to Jesus?

3. A twelve-step plan • Make the money/faith connection regularly, not just at “stewardship time.” • Create a stewardship work group that asks people to grow in their giving, thanks them for what they do, tells them how their money is doing Jesus’ work in the world, and seeks opportunities to help people connect faith and finances. • Have a 3+ week, Biblical annual stewardship response program.

4. A twelve-step plan • Provide multiple giving opportunities • Don’t ever say, “We need more money to pay the bills.” • Have a quarterly stewardship temple talk by a non-staff lay person. • Tithe, and tell people that you are tithing.

5. A twelve-step plan • Have a stewardship bulletin board. • Use estimate of giving cards. • Base your budget on estimate of giving cards. • Don’t ever use funds for a purpose other than that for which they were given. • Thank people collectively, individually and often.

6. Some practical applications • Explore ways to help people consider/discuss their finances in the context of their faith. • Embark on a conscious effort to talk a lot less about the institutional needs of the church to receive and a lot more about the spiritual need of the giver to give.

7. Some practical applications – 2 • The pastor’s role in stewardship ministry is vital • Preach it. • Model it. • Lead it. • The dynamics of small membership congregations make money talk more difficult. • Power issues • Survival/fear issues