Should my church have an annual stewardship and finance campaign? That is a question I hear many times. In truth, many churches do not have one, and many that do are half-hearted in the effort. Let me answer the question with another question: Should people in my church consider how to use all God has given them? The answer to that question is a resounding YES. And the time to begin working on it is THIS SUMMER.
A stewardship drive, or annual campaign, is part of how Christian disciples think through what it means to be a channel for the life God has given us. It is an invitation to discover again how we are blessed and how we will pass those blessings on in service to our Lord. While often we think only of money, it is entirely possible to offer people the chance to pledge their volunteering and service, their prayer time, their attendance goals, their participation in Bible study, as well as their financial participation in their church’s ministry. In this sense it is not really a “pledge” or “finance” drive, it is a STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN.
There is no neglecting the important matter of money—of resourcing our mission and ministry. Churches need to ask for financial gifts from its members. Hopefully stewardship is being taught all through the year so that the annual finance drive is just one more part of a comprehensive understanding of discipleship.
Need Help? I will be conducting workshops entitled: Running an Effective Stewardship Campaign. Together we will learn some nuts and bolts of a well-run campaign, as well as compare several campaign themes and options for your church. Here are the workshop dates/times/locations:
Click here to register. Cost is $10 per person and $20 per church (bring as many as you wish).
I will look forward to seeing someone from your church at one of our workshops.
Also, if you have a cluster of churches and would like to schedule a workshop please let me know.
As always, you may contact me at ghowell@umfindiana.org or 317-788-7879.
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Would your church like help building stronger stewardship? Our Foundation is here to help. Give us a shout by clicking here or calling 877-391-8811.
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Glenn Howell
Director of Development
United Methodist Foundation of Indiana
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