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Surprising Gifts. 2013 Best Practices in Basic Stewardship. Opening Prayer. 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!. Where we are today…. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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2013Best Practices
inBasic Stewardship
Surprising Gifts
*Opening Prayer
Where we are today…
*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.
*This is a great time to get started on your Fall stewardship campaign…
the “big picture” of the life of the church…
and
Stewardship
an everyday spiritual practice for Christians
Stewardship
From now to November…
Ten Best Practices for your
Fall stewardship
campaign
1. Build the stewardship committee
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
2. Set the tone
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 is not something we
acquire; it is something
we tune into.”– Wayne Dyer
Abundance
3. Nurture Financial Wellness
*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.
Practice Pledging
*The spiritual practices of first fruits giving
and proportional giving…
*challenge us to grow our giving by a regular percentage each year
Our time and talents…are also shared with joy
Theme art may be used with a Time and Talent Pledge form you’ve created
5. Understand motivations
*Reasonability
*Challenge
*Commitment
*Compassion
*CommunityKennon Callahan
Stewardship and Giving in an Effective Church
(San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1992)
Compassion and Community:The Universal Motivations
We often TRANSMIT on the Commitment and Challenge
frequencies,
but our RECEIVERS are set
on
Compassion and Community.
6. Ground your work in Scripture
*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
7. Teach giving by modeling it
*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
Our Church’s Wider Mission
8. Make giving moments life-giving
*The offering A time of delight in giving?
*Consecration Sunday A celebration you
wouldn’t want to miss?
9. Tell the story of your church’s vision
*Creativity: gather an ad hoc committee of story-tellers
*Create a narrative budget
*Use DVDs, photos, skits, etc.
Review of the Ten Best Practices:
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!
10. Use the UCC 2013 stewardship theme materials
Use the theme in your communications
This year a graphics package is available
*Surprising Gifts
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
* Take heart – God knows who we are
* Pray, ask, engage deeply in your faith
* Engagement aligns us with God’s love and intent
* We might surprise ourselves with Godly giving
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
Transformed Giving
*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 hope-filled hearts, we respond
It’s “casi cielo,” almost heaven
*Question: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?
*Discussion
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