Mission Shaped Stewardship

1. Mission Shaped Stewardship Diocese of Colorado Colorado Episcopal Foundation 2008

2. Becoming Mission Shaped • Developing our capacity to nurture each other as stewards of all we have been given • Listening and looking for examples in our community • Seeing all resources/assets as gifts from God • Growing into the image of God as abundant givers

3. Made in the Image of God • Overwhelmingly Generous • Without Strings • Sacrificial

4. Short Survey Using a scale of 1 – 5 ( 1 = low and 5 = high) rate your congregation on the following: • We talk often and openly about stewardship • Our last annual campaign was successful • We have the resources in hand to actualize our mission and ministry • We meet the canonical giving standards • Newcomers know our giving expectations

5. Getting to Transformation How does our vestry’s approach to stewardship… • Teaching • Witnessing • Nurturing • Other …lead to transformation? • In relationship with God • With others • Deeper understanding of using gifts and assets

6. Talking About Stewardship • How Do We Talk About Stewardship? • It’s More Than Money • Central Issue of Faith • Money Matters • Covenant / Agreement

7. Vestry Stewardship

8. Nurturing Stewardship • Understand why people give • Provide full range of giving opportunities • Manage all resources for mission: a response to God’s call • Money Assets • Relationship Assets • Property Assets • Staff time and talent assets • Parishioner time and talent assets

9. Practicing the Holy Habits of Stewardship Tithing Giving out of the recognition that all we have and all that we are comes from God Participation in Corporate Worship Honoring our Baptismal Covenant to continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers.

10. Practicing the Holy Habits of Stewardship Personal Prayer and Study Cultivating intimacy with God through a disciplined and intentional prayer and study life. Sabbath Time in Our Lives Maintaining balance in the busy-ness of life and setting aside time for reflection and renewal.

11. Mission Inspired Stewardship • Inspired by Stories of God’s Mission • Map Our Parish Assets • Mission Shaped Budgeting and Narrative Budgets

12. Awakening to God’s Mission “It is not the Church of God that has a mission in the world, but the God of mission who has a Church in the world.” Tim Dearborn “Mission is finding out what God is doing and joining in.” Archbishop Rowan Williams

13. Joining in What God is Doing Steps Include: • Discerning What God is Doing • Identify Ways to Participate in God’s Mission • Create Action Steps • Resource What God is Doing

14. Stories of Trusting God’s Mission • Epiphany, Denver • Your congregation’s story

15. Church of the Epiphany, Denver • Responding to a request to help a young Sudanese refugee led to a revitalized parish • Embracing the changing demographics in the area, this once declining congregation is now alive with new families. Worshippers are white, brown and black, all standing side-by-side and greeting each other warmly and creating a new community.

17. Changes in Local Context • Congregation experienced ups and downs • New rector responsive to refugee needs • Period of adjustment and renewed energy • New families coming to Epiphany have interest in justice and refugee ministries • Sunday School grew from 4 – 24 children • New music, languages and growing in faith together

18. Epiphany: Open to Transformation

19. What is your story? • Describe your community and local context • Inventory your gifts and assets

20. Using Asset Mapping Asset Mapping has been used in many settings to creatively accomplish tasks, programs, and mission. It is a tool to expand awareness for stewardship in congregations as well as accomplish mission objectives. Begin with discernment of parish mission objectives.

21. Physical Assets Individuals Assets Associations Institutions Economic Dig deeper Think bigger Bldgs, natural resources Knowledge, talent, skills Groups we are part of Partners, represented What we spend on What do take for granted Outside the parish Asset Mapping Questions for Congregations

22. Resourcing Mission is More than Money It includes all our assets: • People • Talent • Skills • Relationships • Time

23. Discovering Assets • Begin with Mission Goal or Objective • Pray • Action Statement: “We are called to_____ • Small Groups: Name assets of group members (use handout: Asset Mapping Questions))

24. Creatively Use Resources/Gifts/Assets • Pray: ask for God’s creative Spirit • Assemble assets to accomplish mission objective • Title your asset arrangement and post • Explain your idea to the large group • After all are posted, pray, all vote with feet/passion to idea that suits them best

25. Take Action • Gather around posted assets • Those with interest become the task force to accomplish the mission objective • If no one stands by an idea, it is not done • Budget should support mission objectives

26. Mission Shaped Budgeting • Structure budget according to mission objectives • Fixed operating costs contribute to mission (see sample budget) • Mission initiatives highlighted and funded

27. Narrative Budget Along with financial numbers describe: • Stories of what God is doing in the world around us • Mission initiatives and why they are important • How people are impacted by and for the Gospel • Assets beyond money being tapped to accomplish mission objectives

28. Using Our Money Now to Make Love Work ...I feel compelled to use whatever money I can afford to make love work, to bring truth into being, to allow generosity and compassion to flourish. This is more than altruistic. It is necessary to be fully alive. . . . If the love we have is not brought to life out here in the world, we risk saving for a future that may never come...” Mark Nepo, from The Book of Awakening

29. StewardshipLeadership Enables • The opportunity to live life in abundance • The opportunity to build relationships • The opportunity to strengthen community • The opportunity to strengthen the faith of individuals