1 Stewardship: Whats Age Got to Do With It? Karl Travis Pastor, First Presbyterian Church Fort...

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Stewardship: What’s Age Got to Do With It?

Karl TravisPastor, First Presbyterian Church

Fort Worth, TX

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4 types of generations

Civic Adaptive Idealist Reactive

These types of generations have repeated in the same order, with one exception, through U.S. history.

Generations Theory

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We develop natural ease with those who experience the same formative events at similar developmental stages.

Generations Theory

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In understanding the past, we anticipate the future.

Generations Theory

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In understanding the past, we anticipate the future.

Biblically, history is a line, and a circle -- a spiral.

Generations Theory

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The Living Generations

Neil Howe and Bill Strauss, Generations: The History of America’s Future, 1584 to 2069. Quill: New York, 1991.

Early experiences of money and stewardshipTrained from childhood

Nickels/Dimes in the milk boxFruit Fruits giversLikeliest to be pledgersLikeliest to be tithers

Giving is a public responsibility, a necessity

GI and Silent Generations

Attitude Toward the Institutional ChurchHigh level of trust and participationChurch mirrored, and symbolized, the

established orderChurch is repository of inherited faith,

entrance into social belongingYet, in later years, the church

was not above critique


Meaning of Moneymoney = security

Stewardship DescriptorGIs: sacrificeSilents: commitment

Money followed mission


How the church can encourage good stewardship among GIs and SilentsEstate planningFear managementEncourage GIs and Silents

to share their experiences and valuesto allow a new stewardship conversation


Baby Boom and 13er GenerationsEarly experiences of money

Post war economic boomUpward mobilityTelevision advertising (redefined

scope of perceived affluence)Rapid growth of stock marketGrowing disparity between

rich and poor

Early experiences of stewardshipSpotty stewardship training in

mainline congregations Many come from unchurched

backgrounds, so stewardship is a new conversation

Taught that giving is a personal option, personal possibility, not public necessity

Baby Boom and 13er Generations

Boomer Attitude Toward Institutional ChurchDistrust, if not disgustSkeptical of stewardship if

presented about the institution’s health. Money does not follow mission, for Boomers

Hold little denominational loyalty


13er Attitude Toward Institutional ChurchNot constitutionally anti-

institutionalWill trust a congregation if it

“works,” i.e. does what it says it’s going to, and tells the truth

Looking for community, not church, in which to practice spiritual disciplines


Meaning of Money

Money = tool

Stewardship Descriptor

Boomers: distrust

13ers: ignorance

Mission must follow money


Making Faithful Boomer & 13er stewards …

Earn trust

Provide control in giving

Provide choice in giving

Educate: many Boomers began faith journey in a time when our congregations didn’t teach stewardship



Reinterpret, Reframe stewardship

1. Holistically. It’s about lifestyle.

2. It’s about individual’s need to give, NOT church’s need to receive

3. Stewardship a spiritual discipline, among other disciplines.



Challenge the conflation of want and need:

Model sacrifice. The congregation which doesn’t give to mission off the top has no moral right to ask its members to


Have we been doing the wrong thing, really well,

for the last 30 years?

Common Steps in a Stewardship “Campaign”1.Session projects coming year’s budget (may be rough

draft)2.Interprets budget to congregation

Newsletter articles, Minutes for Mission, letters, brochures

Pastor preaches motivational stewardship sermon on single stewardship Sunday

Pledge Cards toward coming year’s budget circulated by US mail Available in the Narthex Pony Express or other house to house system

3.Pledge Cards returned by due date4.Session totals pledge cards, adjusts budget, dedicates

pledges in worship5.Following year, process repeated

1. Session projects coming year’s budget (may be rough draft)

2. Interprets budget to congregation Newsletter articles, Minutes for Mission, letters,

brochures

Pastor preaches motivational stewardship sermon on single stewardship Sunday

Pledge Cards toward coming year’s budget circulated by US mail Handed out in church Pony Express or other house to house

system

3. Pledge Cards returned by due date

4. Session totals pledge cards totaled, adjusts budgets, dedicates pledges in worship

5. Following year, process repeated

“Campaign” for Whom?

Motivates

GIs/Silents

Motivates

Boomers/13ers

Talk about God, then the believer,

then the Church … in that order.

� Emphasize individual's need to give, not church's need to receive.

� Consider electronic funds transfer, i.e. receiving gifts by debit/credit card payments.

� All stewardship rooted in thanks-giving. Gratitude produces generosity.

� A word about designation, special offerings, etc. vs. unified budget model.

Money Cross Talk for All Generations:~A Miscellany~

Reverse the budget equation• Pledges produce budget; budget doesn’t attract

pledges• Use narrative budgets• Faith first; formulas later

Provide opportunities for faith speaking• Personal faith sharing (Every Member Visitation?)• Testimonials in worship

Earn Trust – walking the walk• PPP: Publicly Promise to Pay mission

commitments first• For leaders, especially pastors: share that you

give, what you give, and why• Transparent Treasury

� Regular financial statements in public places� Systematic reporting of expenditure AND

need


In the annual stewardship effort, target the message, design the

experience

• Multiple mailings, generationally specific

• Generationally sensitive brochures, letters, and appeals

• Include younger members in planning and executing the stewardship effort; many times, younger members have little idea of how much money it takes to run a church!


• Reframe stewardship to be about all of life, and hence a year round conversatiostewardship more than thedreaded “Stewardship Sunday”

• Teach financial resource management

• Provide resources n:

• Preach on simple living

� Center for New American Dream: http://www.newdream.org/

� The Simple Living Network: http://www.simpleliving.net/

� Alternatives for Simple Living: http://www.simpleliving.org/


Divide into groups of 3-4. Include as many generations as possible in your group.

In five minutes, write a outline for a single sermon which would reach and motivate every generation. Here are some choices of texts:Matthew 6:25-34 “Seek first …”Deuteronomy 26:1-15 Giving the first fruitsMatthew 19:23-30 “We have left all ….”2 Corinthians 8:8-15 Give according to what you havePsalm 24 The earth is the Lord’sLuke 12:13-21 Parable of the rich foolMalachi 3:1-10 Tithing

An Exercise for you to try in your congregation …

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