August’s Stewardship Leaders Program Newsletter theme of Funding Ministry? We Got You! is nearly over. We hope you have found helpful and inspiring information to guide an annual campaign, whether you have had one every year for as long as you can remember, or are trying it for the first time. Growing disciples and cultivating generous givers is hard work, and given the amount of change happening in our culture and our churches, there is no single solution.
What follows are links to a variety of annual stewardship campaign resources. My hope and prayer is that you discover something that captures your imagination and gives you ideas for engaging the people in your community around generosity and stewardship. Peace be yours.
Helpful NEW Resources
- Stewardship In A Box: We partnered with Church Anew to create a resource designed to give you everything you need to guide your community through a meaningful conversation about faith and finances. Using tried and true methods from fundraising experts and stewardship leaders, this resource will help congregations from the beginning to the end of a stewardship campaign.
Pure Annual Campaign Gold From Our Faith+Lead Archives
- Unwrapping the Annual Campaign by Catherine Malotky: Segmenting the message for particular givers saw an increase in giving of 30%.
- Sharing Together by Daniel Vigilante: Changing the language around stewardship saw an 85% increase in giving.
- Money Stories: A New Approach to Annual Giving by Erin Weber-Johnson: Invite people into a reimagined relationship with money and God for the repair of the world.
- How NOT to Say Thank You to Givers by Paul Hanson: Thanking givers well takes practice, time, and sometimes even a little courage.
- Stewardship and Young Children: It’s Bigger Than Paper Banks During Lent by Emily Brown: Kids are part of your faith community and have many gifts to share.
- Tell a Compelling Impact Story by Mike Ward: What is God up to in the lives of the people in your congregation? Ask them and find out – you may be surprised how God shows up.
- Writing a Compelling Fundraising Email by Jake Hennes: The work of fundraising through email continues long after you hit the Send button.
- Two Creative Litanies for Stewardship Sunday by Sarah Are Speed: Try using one or both of these lovely litanies during your stewardship campaign season this year.
- How to Answer Those Tricky Money Questions by Grace Duddy Pomroy: Congregation members and church leaders have and hear tricky money questions during the annual stewardship campaign. Here is some helpful answer support.
- Forget the Tithe by Pete Reuss: Asking people to tithe does not work. Inviting people to practice generosity does.
Impactful Book
- Embracing Stewardship: Chick Lane and Grace Pomroy are seasoned stewardship leaders and work together to support congregations interested in putting stewardship in the center of congregational life. Chapter 6 is all about conducting an excellent stewardship program.
Organizations With Practical Resources
- Lake Institute on Faith and Giving: Explore the connection between faith and giving through all the Lake Institute has to offer, from education and certification, to events, research and resources about annual stewardship campaigns.
- The Vandersall Collective: This team offers a radically human approach to fundraising for faith-based organizations. Take a look at Our Money Story, a 4-week stewardship resource created collaboratively with A Sanctified Art.
ELCA Stewardship Resources: The ELCA has dozens of stewardship resources for congregations, households, and individuals. Check it out!
