Vibrant, fruitful, growing congregations create a cycle of ongoing innovation and reinvent. It's a Spirit-driven process that involves asking powerful questions, the art of noticing, a willingness to experiment and prototype possibilities, and learn from our results. Thriving congregations create a culture where members/ministry partners discover, develop, and deploy their callings as they seek to serve and bless people in their daily lives. Thriving congregations also help members/ministry partners being a journey of generosity that multiplies their impact to transform people's lives.  Join us in this adventure to engage all people in God's mission and God's dreams for the world.

The following themes below will frame the conversations that take place during the January 23 training event. If you are participating during the live event, please review the slideshow and list notes and questions you have to raise during the Q & A sessions. Recording of the training sessions will be posted following the event.

Christian stewardship has also been defined as “what we do, with all that we have, after we say, we believe." It involves using the gifts God has given us, to do the work God is calling us to do. Christian stewardship is the grateful and responsible use of God's gifts in the light of God's purpose as revealed in Jesus Christ. Christian stewards, empowered by the Holy Spirit, commit themselves to conscious, purposeful decisions.
Stewardship teaches that all that we have and all that we are is a gift from God. We are, therefore, stewards of God's gifts during our lifetime. Discerning and carrying out God's purpose is the primary purpose of our lives. The gifts we have been given, time, talent, and money, are to be used for that purpose. The primary role of the church is to guide individuals in discernment of the mission for their lives and use of their resources in accomplishing it.

The primary objective of the organization (church) is to bring people into a closer relationship with God. Strengthening relationships with individuals is an important part of this but the goal is always to create an environment in which the relationship with God is strengthened.
Congregations are charged with encouraging individuals to discern the gifts God has given them and the work God is calling them to do. God is the source of the mission and the money. Both are gifts over which the giver exercises faithful stewardship.
Understanding giving as a significant spiritual practice, the congregation encourages giving by providing or identifying a variety of opportunities to give of one’s time, talents and treasures.
Understanding giving as a joyful response to God's generosity to us, the congregation provides people with opportunities to express their faith and encourage others.
whom we hold most dear.

Congregations that have a vital role in the community, that have a focus beyond themselves, that foster authentic community, and are equipping people with a faith that works in real life are typically poised for healthy stewardship.

Leadership is also key for healthy stewardship ministry. Leadership best practices include:

• Pastors are the key stewardship models and leaders.
• Pastors and lay leaders are passionate about and committed to growing in giving, talking openly about their personal giving.
• An active stewardship team is in place that works closely with the governing board.
• Leaders are trained and educated in stewardship.
• There are high expectations among the leadership and within the congregation.

Education is fundamental for growing stewards. These elements were recurring: 

• Teach and preach stewardship with strong biblical principles.
• Teach the role of money in one's life.
• Teach personal money management.
• Preach and converse regularly about money as an expression of faith.
• Teach proportionate, regular, first fruits, and growth giving.
• Children and youth education curriculum include stewardship themes.
• Teach all-of-life stewardship.
• Interpretation and communication of congregational, synod, and churchwide ministries are extremely important to increase accountability and build trust within the congregation.
• Conduct a year round monthly emphasis on various ministries supported by member giving.
• Celebrate what offerings are doing by using personal stories.
• Communicate connections, relationships, and partnerships of the whole ELCA.
• Tell the story of who we are as the ELCA, what we do in ministry together, and how we fund those

Listed below are effective congregational practices known for strong stewardship programs:

• They hold a commitment that stewardship is important. Their vision planning includes stewardship. 
• They are clear about their purpose and mission.
• They give away a growing percentage of congregational income for ministries of the whole church.
• They practice first fruits and proportionate giving for mission support (benevolence) for the whole church.
• They build relationships with their members through personal contacts.
• They provide multiple opportunities for giving and serving.
• They foster spirit-filled giving and prayer development, emphasizing the connection between faith and money.
• They identify, explore, and nurture spiritual gifts of members, helping them to fulfill their passions.
• They develop an "asset-based" climate, using members' assets rather than meeting needs.
• They develop year-round stewardship programs.
• They ask boldly.
• They thank profusely and often.
• They engage in annual every member response programs for financial commitments, estimates of giving or pledges.
• They provide programs for regular (undesignated) and over-and-above (designated) giving.
• They use a program budget in addition to a line item budget.
• They separate stewardship programs from budget preparation.
• They provide quarterly reports on member giving to the membership.
• They establish mission endowment policies.
• They model first-fruits giving by sharing a percentage of their corporate income for ministry beyond the congregation. ministries in a clear, compelling way.
• Share personal stories of joy of giving.

Choose a time of year when the congregation can focus its attention on stewardship and when there is a high probability of connecting with the most people. The annual financial campaign should be on the calendar a year in advance and planned with as much attention to detail as Easter Sunday and Christmas Eve.
Engage Leaders & Members

1. Pick a new theme every year for your stewardship campaign. Taking the time to be creative and innovative may encourage your members to take the time to reflect on their giving.
2. Be strategic in building a leadership team that serves as the guiding coalition for stewardship ministry at your congregation. Include persons from different age groups and different ministry areas as well who are generous givers or making conscience steps for increased generosity.
3. Do not hesitate to ask church leaders to make their pledges first as a sign of their commitment and as an encouragement to the larger congregation.
4. Use every available means – sermons, music, testimony, newsletter articles, study programs, bulletin boards, banners, website, blogs, social media, etc. - to communicate key messages about the campaign.

Plan Carefully

1. Remind people that the annual budget is about ministry and mission, not dollars. Prepare the budget with great care, being sensitive to giving trends. Set ambitious but realistic goals.
2. Define your purpose and set goals. Set priorities and action steps that will be included in a timeline.
3. Establish a realistic timeline. In larger churches, planning and implementing the annual commitment campaign can take six months or more. Use benchmark dates to keep on track.
4. Know that developing a congregation of faithful givers does not happen only through a stewardship drive. Develop a year-round approach to stewardship education.
5. Appreciate that fund raising is incremental. The most important determinant of how much you can raise this year is what you raised last year.

Approach solicitation with a healthy frame of mind that also acknowledges people’s unique giving patterns

1. Never apologize about stewardship appeals. A leader’s willingness to approach others about giving is an expression of their deep commitment to the church.
2. Remember that people give to many things, so do not assume that people will give all their charitable giving to the church. Build a solid case for why people should invest in your ministry.
3. Emphasize that stewardship is about faithfulness to God, not obligation to the church. Stress the giver’s joy in giving rather than the church’s need to receive.
4. Know that every church has a “giving pyramid” with a small percentage of donors contributing a large proportion of what is given; for not all people have the same resources to give, and not all people are at the same level of spiritual maturity. Most money will come from larger gifts. Analyze giving histories and membership data in your congregation to determine where your people are on your pyramid. Track pledges and giving by age “decades” (younger than 20s, 20s, 30s, 40s, etc.) so you can assess giving patterns across age groups. Determine what percentage of giving comes from those aged 65 and above.
5. Recognize that most of the giving, including increases, will come from those already giving.
6. Be realistic in your expectations from those who are not currently giving. New donors are much more difficult to reach, are less likely to respond, and will give less than those already giving.
7. One approach doesn’t fit everyone. What is appropriate for the spiritually mature member who demonstrates faithfulness may not be appropriate for a newer or relatively inactive member who has never given.
8. Seek to increase the number of pledgers and to increase the giving of those who already give. Set giving targets to help people get a figure in mind. People normally do not give more than they are asked. Set different giving ranges for different categories of givers. Provide a “step up” plan to help people take the next step in becoming generous givers. Personalize the process to each contributor.