Giving Clarity

Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. – 1 Timothy 6:18-19 (NIV)

In every conversation about money and stewardship, we have a Great Commission motivation and a gospel imperative to see people changed by the Gospel and living out their Christ-centered purpose. Those are two big reasons why it’s important to talk about our mission, vision and core values—because they form the rationale for what we do, why we do it, and how much it costs to get it done.

Stewardship development has several purposes:

• Provide first and next steps for believers to obediently exercise their spiritual gift of giving.
• Tell stories of life change and ministry impact made possible by their generosity.
• Enhance stewardship education and participation.
• Raise money for a general budget or one fund, for special projects, or for a major capital improvement.
  
  

Most church giving comes from older generations, especially those in the Builder, Boomer and Gen X Generations. As the Builder Generation—those aged 79 and above—fades away, Boomers have become the most important givers in the church. They are also a microcosm of the challenges and changes unfolding right before eyes.

Stewardship Principles

Asking church members to give a biblical tithe or to pray about giving offerings beyond the tithe should be done with complete integrity and transparency. Consider establishing core principles about the ways your church will raise money and conduct one fund initiatives and capital campaigns.

In order to allay fears and set expectations for giving, some churches have made core promises to their members. Take a look at a sample stewardship covenant:

• There IS a Stewardship Expectation for Members – Members are expected to tithe their income and pray about offerings above and beyond the tithe.
• There IS a Plan for Stewardship Training and Messaging – The church will provide tools for stewardship development and legacy planning and tell stories about the kingdom impact made possible through the generosity of God’s people.
• There IS Careful Stewardship and Management for the Money People Give – The church will manage tithes and offerings with care and good stewardship. Church budgeting and other financial business will be conducted transparently and ethically for maximum kingdom impact.
• There Is NO Pressure to Give – Each member is simply asked to pray about their giving commitment and respond as the Holy Spirit leads.
• There Is NO Public Tracking of Commitments Made – Each individual or family is asked to make a faith commitment as a covenant with God (and no one else). A commitment card is turned in order to compile an amount of expected faith giving over a specified time period. Note that most churches do track capital or one fund campaign giving on charitable giving statements.
• There Are NO Campaign Home Visits, Phone Calls or Surprises
  
  

• Highlight annual accomplishments with statistics, selected quotes, etc.
• Include a budget summary to illustrate how money is allocated.
• Highlight the ministry budget. Sample text might read: “God is accomplishing great things through the ministry of First Church, which is made possible through your faithful financial support. Here’s a summary of the ministry budget approved for this budget year.”
• Attach a Year End Giving (ministry budget) envelope to the Annual Report.
  
  

• Create a promotional flyer for wide distribution.
• Provide regular giving updates throughout the summer.
• Tell summer stories about life change and gospel impact.
• Highlight important summer outreach, missions and next generation ministry opportunities.
• Verbalize the “why” behind summer events.
  
  

• Communicate giving options regularly (mobile, online giving, text to give, in person).
• Consider regular member meetings to provide semi-annual reports on the church’s financial health.
• Redesign offering envelopes to be fully inclusive of multisite campuses.