God’s Work. Our God’s Work. Our Hands.Hands.

Stewardship MinistryStewardship Ministry

From Fundraising to theFrom Fundraising to the

Vocation of all the BaptizedVocation of all the Baptized

Stewardship is…Stewardship is…

Everything we do after we say, “I Everything we do after we say, “I believe…”believe…” How we spend/use our timeHow we spend/use our time How we care for our relationshipsHow we care for our relationships How we manage our career and How we manage our career and

giftednessgiftedness How we care for the earthHow we care for the earth How we give, spend and invest our How we give, spend and invest our

moneymoney

Reasons for The Average Reasons for The Average North American Christian North American Christian Congregation to Focus on Congregation to Focus on Financial Giving (Money)Financial Giving (Money) Our comparative wealth.Our comparative wealth.

Our besetting anxieties about Our besetting anxieties about money.money.

Money has become the primary way Money has become the primary way that our culture measures value.that our culture measures value.

Because in the average ELCA Because in the average ELCA congregation, frank talk about congregation, frank talk about money money as a matter of faithas a matter of faith is rare. is rare.

Keys to SuccessKeys to Success

Authentic LeadershipAuthentic Leadership Authentic TheologyAuthentic Theology Authentic TeachingAuthentic Teaching

Authentic LeadershipAuthentic Leadership

Like any discipleship ministry of the Like any discipleship ministry of the church, a faithful stewardship ministry church, a faithful stewardship ministry begins with authentic leadership.begins with authentic leadership.

Being realBeing real Share yourShare your

Stewardship story: joys and strugglesStewardship story: joys and struggles Stewardship “hero”Stewardship “hero” Your “money autobiography” – a summary Your “money autobiography” – a summary

of your life and relationship with money.of your life and relationship with money.

Change the ConversationChange the Conversation Matthew 6:19-21 “… for where your Matthew 6:19-21 “… for where your

treasure is, there will your heart be treasure is, there will your heart be also.”also.”

Make it about faith, about obedience, Make it about faith, about obedience, about right-heartedness, about about right-heartedness, about directing our heart where we most directing our heart where we most want our heart to be.want our heart to be.

To do this we must monitor our own To do this we must monitor our own anxiety and motivations related to anxiety and motivations related to money and our talk about it.money and our talk about it.

HOWEVER… like every other faith HOWEVER… like every other faith issue, this one deserves real teaching issue, this one deserves real teaching and conversation about real issues. and conversation about real issues. Choosing never to talk about Choosing never to talk about money is not the same as money is not the same as changing the conversation!changing the conversation!

Authentic Authentic TheologyTheology

Down and Out:Down and Out:That’s where God’s grace That’s where God’s grace

takes you!takes you!Toward a Trinitarian theology of Toward a Trinitarian theology of stewardship based upon Luther’s stewardship based upon Luther’s doctrine of vocation. A work in doctrine of vocation. A work in

progress…progress…

I believe in God the I believe in God the Father…Father…

God's work in creation is clear. “God God's work in creation is clear. “God looked upon all that God had made and looked upon all that God had made and said, ‘That’s good!’” God's creation, said, ‘That’s good!’” God's creation, released to our hands, with God's blessing released to our hands, with God's blessing of sunlight, soil, and rain, becomes our of sunlight, soil, and rain, becomes our daily bread through the work of farmers, daily bread through the work of farmers, commodities traders, millers and bakers. commodities traders, millers and bakers. We know that the bread we pray for is We know that the bread we pray for is “daily bread.” We cannot hold on to it or “daily bread.” We cannot hold on to it or expect to keep it. Hoarded blessings will expect to keep it. Hoarded blessings will rot in our hands like day old manna in the rot in our hands like day old manna in the desert. All that we have comes to us from desert. All that we have comes to us from God and goes back to God.God and goes back to God.

I believe in God the SonI believe in God the Son Through Jesus' death and resurrection, God Through Jesus' death and resurrection, God

works to reconcile the broken world. Through works to reconcile the broken world. Through our hands, God's grace restores relationships, our hands, God's grace restores relationships, offering forgiveness, healing and salvation in and offering forgiveness, healing and salvation in and through the work of believers who gather around through the work of believers who gather around bread and wine, declaring the good news of bread and wine, declaring the good news of Christ Jesus. We join God’s plan for the Christ Jesus. We join God’s plan for the reconciliation of the world when we share with reconciliation of the world when we share with the world our time, talent and our possessions, the world our time, talent and our possessions, recognizing that these gifts of God “must be recognizing that these gifts of God “must be cared for, managed, shepherded, shared, given cared for, managed, shepherded, shared, given away – not for their own sake, but in order to away – not for their own sake, but in order to accomplish God’s ultimate will that the whole accomplish God’s ultimate will that the whole world be saved.”world be saved.”

I believe in God the Holy I believe in God the Holy SpiritSpirit

God the Holy Spirit is constantly at work God the Holy Spirit is constantly at work calling us through the Gospel to reach calling us through the Gospel to reach outward toward our neighbor. God invites outward toward our neighbor. God invites us to join in God’s mission to our us to join in God’s mission to our neighbors as we are called and sent to neighbors as we are called and sent to love them in every realm of life: Home, love them in every realm of life: Home, Work, World, and Church. In all of these Work, World, and Church. In all of these realms, God’s work is intimately joined realms, God’s work is intimately joined with our hands. God, working through with our hands. God, working through ordinary means such as wheat and grape ordinary means such as wheat and grape and human speech, uses mundane aspects and human speech, uses mundane aspects of our lives and transforms them into holy, of our lives and transforms them into holy, saving work.saving work.

To summarize…To summarize…

This is our faithful stewardship. This is our faithful stewardship. All is God’s: all gifts, all work, all glory, All is God’s: all gifts, all work, all glory, but God in God’s goodness includes us but God in God’s goodness includes us

in the work by calling forth the gifts in in the work by calling forth the gifts in our hands. It is…our hands. It is…

Authentic Teaching:Authentic Teaching:6 - Key Biblical Principles6 - Key Biblical Principles

Why we giveWhy we give1.1. For Love of God: We give to worship God.For Love of God: We give to worship God.2.2. For Love of Neighbor: We give to serve our neighbor.For Love of Neighbor: We give to serve our neighbor.

Ways we giveWays we give3.3. On Purpose: this involves planning, intentionalityOn Purpose: this involves planning, intentionality

2 Cor. 8:5, 2 Cor. 9:52 Cor. 8:5, 2 Cor. 9:5

4.4. ProportionallyProportionally 2 Cor. 8:3, 2 Cor. 9:8, OR: Matthew 23:23, Acts 2!2 Cor. 8:3, 2 Cor. 9:8, OR: Matthew 23:23, Acts 2!

When we giveWhen we give5.5. First: “first fruits”First: “first fruits”

Exodus 23:19-21, etc.Exodus 23:19-21, etc.

6.6. Regularly: in the same manner that we receiveRegularly: in the same manner that we receive 1 Cor. 16:2, 1 Cor. 16:2,

Three Kinds of Three Kinds of CongregationsCongregations

Offering:Offering: Stewardship Ministry is comprised of passing Stewardship Ministry is comprised of passing the offering plate in worship, and possibly the the offering plate in worship, and possibly the occasional sermon.occasional sermon.

Pledging:Pledging: Stewardship Ministry is comprised of the Stewardship Ministry is comprised of the above plus asking for a pledge or commitment form. above plus asking for a pledge or commitment form. Little teaching or explanation surrounds this process Little teaching or explanation surrounds this process other than, “it’s needed to help the church with budget other than, “it’s needed to help the church with budget planning.”planning.”

Percentage or Proportionate Giving:Percentage or Proportionate Giving: Stewardship Stewardship Ministry is comprised of asking the congregation for a Ministry is comprised of asking the congregation for a pledge or commitment that is proportionate to income. pledge or commitment that is proportionate to income. Since the concept of proportionate giving is Biblical, Since the concept of proportionate giving is Biblical, teaching about other basic Biblical principles normally teaching about other basic Biblical principles normally accompanies this way of engaging stewardship accompanies this way of engaging stewardship teaching.teaching.

How do these different approaches stack up How do these different approaches stack up according to the 6 Biblical Principles?according to the 6 Biblical Principles?

Offering CongregationsOffering Congregations

Method: collect an offeringMethod: collect an offering Biblical principles emphasizedBiblical principles emphasized

1.1. Love of GodLove of God YESYES

2.2. Love of NeighborLove of Neighbor ??

3.3. On PurposeOn Purpose NONO

4.4. ProportionalityProportionality NONO

5.5. First FruitsFirst Fruits NONO

6.6. RegularlyRegularly YESYES

Pledging CongregationsPledging Congregations

Method: ask for a pledge (possibly Method: ask for a pledge (possibly even an increase!)even an increase!)

Biblical principles emphasizedBiblical principles emphasized1.1. Love of GodLove of God YESYES2.2. Love of NeighborLove of Neighbor ??3.3. On PurposeOn Purpose YESYES4.4. ProportionalityProportionality NONO5.5. First FruitsFirst Fruits NONO6.6. RegularlyRegularly YESYES

Percentage Giving Percentage Giving CongregationsCongregations

Method: ask for a pledge of a Method: ask for a pledge of a percentage of incomepercentage of income

Biblical principles emphasizedBiblical principles emphasized1.1. Love of GodLove of God YESYES2.2. Love of NeighborLove of Neighbor PROBABLYPROBABLY3.3. On PurposeOn Purpose YESYES4.4. ProportionalityProportionality YESYES5.5. First FruitsFirst Fruits PROBABLYPROBABLY6.6. RegularlyRegularly YESYES

Evaluated Theologically:Evaluated Theologically:

Offering and Pledging both ignore Offering and Pledging both ignore key aspects of biblical teaching.key aspects of biblical teaching.

Percentage Giving is best, as long as Percentage Giving is best, as long as one keeps in mind…one keeps in mind… Authenticity of messageAuthenticity of message ““Response Methods” are helpful, but Response Methods” are helpful, but

secondarysecondary

ResultsResults

Offering Congregations: Offering Congregations: 1.1%-1.4% of household income1.1%-1.4% of household income

Pledging Congregations:Pledging Congregations: 1.3%-2.5% of household income1.3%-2.5% of household income

Percentage Giving Congregations:Percentage Giving Congregations: Average 4.2%!Average 4.2%!

Source The Alban InstituteSource The Alban Institute

Average current Average current stewardship practices stewardship practices

in the SD Synodin the SD Synod Average giving is 1.82% of Average giving is 1.82% of household incomehousehold income

This fact along with survey data This fact along with survey data points to the conclusion that a points to the conclusion that a majority of the congregations in the majority of the congregations in the South Dakota Synod are “Offering” South Dakota Synod are “Offering” congregations. A smaller group are congregations. A smaller group are “Pledging,” and a very small group “Pledging,” and a very small group are “Percentage or Proportionate are “Percentage or Proportionate Giving” congregations.Giving” congregations.

Ways we can helpWays we can help Stewardship consultations with key leaders, Stewardship consultations with key leaders,

council members, etc.council members, etc. Training for Stewardship CommitteesTraining for Stewardship Committees Help and ideas for implementing new Help and ideas for implementing new

stewardship ministries (year round, moving stewardship ministries (year round, moving from offering, pledging or growth giving to from offering, pledging or growth giving to percentage based giving, etc.)percentage based giving, etc.)

Resource discoveryResource discovery Linking with others, mentoringLinking with others, mentoring Specific help with annual response Specific help with annual response

“campaigns”“campaigns” Discover Your Dependable StrengthsDiscover Your Dependable Strengths seminars seminars

For assistance in For assistance in developing your developing your

Stewardship MinistryStewardship Ministry

Contact Pastor Bill Tesch, Synod Contact Pastor Bill Tesch, Synod Stewardship SpecialistStewardship Specialist 605-274-4026605-274-4026 btesch@sdsynod.orgbtesch@sdsynod.org

God’s Work. Our God’s Work. Our Hands.Hands.