Honestly I shouldn’t be asked to write a blog about stewardship. I haven’t tried to learn a lot about fundraising or stewardship. I took absolutely zero classes in seminary or as continuing education. I haven’t led a successful campaign and I don’t have a clear theology of stewardship.
But. I have found my way in rooms where people are articulating visions and dreams for the future. I’ve seen communities rally around a shared idea. And I have found my way into something that I believe in with all my being, and somehow need to find a way to fund it.
I’m an unlikely author for this blog-post. But you’ve made it this far!
The thing I believe in and get to lead is a little ministry (with a big impact!) called Church Anew. An outgrowth of a local congregation (St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Eden Prairie, MN), Church Anew creates learning events and resources that nourish Christian leaders and ignite communities of faith. Over the past two years, we have offered several resources “in-a-box.” We provide everything a congregation needs to lead a worship series – spiritual practices, sermon helps, liturgy, hymn and song suggestions, graphics, social media content, and more!
With busy church leaders in mind, we’ve heard time and again how these resources have been a life-line. One pastor in the Pacific Northwest recently remarked, “You gave me everything I thought I needed and provided extras that I didn’t even know I needed!” Another leader shared a story about how the spiritual practices we introduced became an integral part of the strategic planning for their conversation, helping them articulate their values and vocation in a time such as this.
Church Anew continues to receive ongoing requests for more resources like this. So we started to imagine another set of “boxes.” But how could we ship stewardship in a box? That’s where Grace Pomroy comes in. We began to imagine a resource that would provide all the worship, spiritual practice, graphic, and fundraising tools that churches need to lead an effective stewardship season. I’ve become a firm believer that partnerships create possibilities. Partnership between Luther Seminary’s Faith+Lead Stewardship Leaders Program and Church Anew means we can bring the cutting edge research that Grace is carrying out with congregations across the country close to the effective resourcing skills of our work.
Register for one of our equipping events offered online on August 10 and September 13, and in person on September 21 (pick the event that fits best for you!). During these events you’ll receive training on how to lead an impactful worship series that helps people in your congregation see the many ways our world deforms our understanding of money. Through the theme, “You have heard it said,” we will re-examine phrases that we’ve heard about finances by connecting them directly to stories from Scripture.
But wait! There’s more! We will also provide training and resources to lead an annual stewardship appeal for your congregation. If you so desire, we can even provide customizable resources that have your church identity – photos, logos, your words – that you can share with your entire congregation.
So perhaps I am not the right person to be writing an article or leading a workshop on stewardship. But…
- I believe in the power of local congregations to articulate a vision that helps heal their neighborhoods.
- I believe in communities of people who share their resources to make a difference in the world.
- I believe that leaders can invite people to relearn poor lessons about generosity and set an example for faithful stewardship for people of all ages.
- And I think we’ve gathered a team of people that will help me, and all of us, do just that.
I hope to see you at our equipping events and I want you to know that we’re all here for you!
