ASK, THANK, TELL: IMPROVING STEWARDSHIP MINISTRY IN YOUR CONGREGATION
 
Ask, Thank, Tell by Pastor Charles Lane, emphasizes is on mission, not maintenance; discipleship not membership; the giver's need to give, not the church's need to receive. The author challenges the unbiblical taboos that produce a "conspiracy of silence about money ... money as a private topic" and the separation of the "financial life from the spiritual life" of the congregation. He calls upon pastors to be stewardship leaders. Lane insists that this must occur for the spiritual health of people. "Each worshipper needs help in considering his/her finances in the light of his/her relationship with Jesus. Each worshipper needs to give generously of that which God has entrusted to them."  The last chapters of the book suggest practical and helpful ways to structure a congregation's ministry focusing on the words, "ask, thank, tell." The first four chapters are Biblical teaching prescriptions that undergird congregational practices.

Chapter 1 - Discipleship, Not Membership
The author claims that stewardship ministry is first and foremost about making and growing disciples. He states, "The goal of stewardship ministry is to help God's people grow in their relationship with Jesus through the use of the time, talents and finances God has entrusted to them." The biblically-grounded goal is not to "raise money to pay the bills next year." The entire focus is on "the giver's need to give," which grows out of a relationship with Jesus.

Chapter 2 - It All Belongs to God
A study of Scripture reveals truths that are cornerstones of everything we have to say about stewardship. We are stewards not owners. God does not transfer anything to us. God continues to own it all. We have the privilege and responsibility to care for that which belongs to God, By global standards, most of us are wealthy. We, however, are not the source of our wealth. The proper response is not to congratulate ourselves but to "give God the glory and the thanks, and to ask serious questions about how I am called to use what God has entrusted to me." The fact that we are stewards is a reason to celebrate. God honors us by giving us that identity. God provides "all the resources we need to accomplish the mission to which God has called us." We serve a God of abundance, not of scarcity. Stewardship leaders are called to help God's people know these truths and to invite them to live into them.

Chapter 3 - Money and Possession in the New Testament
The challenge is not money or possessions in themselves. The issue is that money and possessions pose a threat to a person's relationship with Jesus. This is why the New Testament is so concerned about money and possessions. Jesus wants nothing more than your heart. The biblical call is to live the life of a steward, to recognize the duty of wealth and to give generously of that which God has entrusted to us.

Chapter 4 - Portrait of a Biblical Giver (6 stewardship habits)

1. Intentional – They intentionally plan to give.
2. Regular – They follow a regular pattern of giving. 
3. Generous – They are generous.
4. First – They give first of all they receive. 
5. Proportional – They give in proportion to what they receive.
6. Cheerful – Those who practice the other values will become cheerful in their giving.

Chapter 5 - Practicing Biblical Stewardship
 To help people to grow in their relationship with Jesus we need to talk plainly about money. Jesus talked a lot about money. Jesus and the authors of the New Testament understood that money is a huge issue in people's relationship with God. Reluctance to talk about money is a huge roadblock in the stewardship ministry in many congregations. Lane challenges two taboos. First, "money is a private topic and no one else's business." The second is, "the financial life of the congregation is separate from the spiritual life of the congregation."  What people do with their money has a profound impact on their relationship with their Lord. Lane asserts, "If you grow in your giving, you will grow in your relationship with Jesus.
 One of the consequences of these taboos is that many congregations "don't want their pastor to be involved in either stewardship ministry or the financial life of the congregation."
 Lane insists that because the financial part of our lives has a direct impact on our relationship with Jesus, the pastor needs, for the well-being of the people served, to be a stewardship leader. "Money is not only an appropriate but a necessary topic of conversation." Stewardship leaders need to lead in this regard.

Chapters 6 to 10 focus on the stewardship practices in congregations that encourage congregants to follow biblical teaching. They are practical, hands-on advice from a pastor who has gained wisdom from years of experience in congregations.  Three key verbs suggest the way to structure a congregation's ministry:

• Ask: Describe ways to ask people to consider blessings God has entrusted to them and how they feel called to respond through generous giving.
• Thank: Describe the importance of and how to encourage and show appreciation. 
• Tell: Suggest ways to make the congregation aware of the results of the work they do together.

Chapter 6 - Ask: The Annual Response Program
    Lane considers this the cornerstone work of a congregation's stewardship ministry. There are many practical and helpful suggestions. The author cautions that while this is the greatest opportunity to focus on the biblical teachings discussed earlier, it is here where the greatest threat to abandoning those teachings occurs.

Chapter 7 - Ask: Making the Pie Larger
    Helpful and thoughtful advice is offered regarding when, how often and how to ask for special offerings and conduct capital funds appeals.

Chapter 8 - Improving How We Ask
    The author proposes alternatives on how to ask and who does the asking. The author encourages the asking of a basic stewardship leadership question: "What can we do to help people grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ through their stewardship?" We need to focus on what will be best for the givers.

Chapter 9 -Thank
    This is basic. We cannot "over-thank." We need to create a culture of thanksgiving. This chapter provides a list of steps that can be taken to accomplish this.

Chapter 10 - Tell
    People want to know their giving makes a difference. The story needs to be told. Testimony of how God's spirit is present must be shared. This chapter gives suggestions on how to tell the mission story.

Chapter 11 - Organizing for your Stewardship Ministry
    Pastor Lane encourages stewardship ministry teams to form into three work groups around the three stewardship ministry tasks, "ask, thank, tell."Lane concludes by reflecting on one of his favorite stewardship stories, Charles Dickens's, A Christmas Carol. The central drama is the change that occurs in Ebenezer Scrooge. He envisions similar changes in a church among people who, like Scrooge, have discovered the radical truth of Jesus' words, "Where your treasure is, there is your heart also." Lane writes, "I do have a vision of people in your congregation whose generosity grows by leaps and bounds, and who discover that this generosity has indeed led their heart to Jesus. I do have a vision of people chuckling, or at least smiling, as they drop their offering into the plate on Sunday morning."

1 Corinthians 16:1-4
     Now concerning the contribution for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as you may prosper, so that contributions need not be made when I come. And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me.

Consider developing a four-week sermon series designed to help members discover the joys of giving through growth in giving. Congregations conduct stewardship programs for a variety of reasons. For many, the bottom line in a stewardship program is more money. For others, the primary reason is to share the vision for mission of the congregational leadership.  While these are usually out- comes of conducting a program, they are secondary.  The best reason for a financial stewardship program is spiritual growth.  People find that as they discover the joy of giving, they also grow spiritually.

Sermon Series Goals (designed to help people grow spiritually through)

• Growth in giving, including the prayerful deliberate growth toward or beyond a tithe. 
• Growth in their understanding of stewardship.
• Growth in joyful celebration of the mission and ministry of their congregation.
• Discovery of a simple yet deliberate way to grow that nearly everyone can adopt.
• Measuring the increase accurately.

POSSIBLE WEEKLY THEMES

WEEK 1 | Our God is a God of abundance.
     There are sufficient resources to accomplish all the mission and ministry our Lord calls us to do. Recall the words of St. Paul, “... God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work” (2 Cor. 9:8).

WEEK 2 |  Christian stewardship involves vision.
     Members find greater joy in giving through a church when they know where it’s going and how it serves others. Congregational prosperity is the manifestation of big, exciting, service-oriented goals. While it is not possible to share your entire vision in a short financial response program (full disclosure of mission and ministry belongs in your year-round stewardship education and mission interpretation) you can provide snippets about your vision. These can be addressed by the pastor in sermons or by those sharing stewardship talks.

Week 3  |  Christian discipleship involves growth—and discipleship includes stewardship.
     We encourage our members to grow in every area of their lives. We ask people to pray more, read scripture more, and grow in grace and knowledge of the truth. Growth in giving by celebrating and practicing generosity is one way this is enabled.

Week 4 |  Christian discipleship involves making different choices.
     Focus on how small steps, taken consistently over a period of time, can have profound impact. Highlight how this concept impacts one’s prayer life, Bible reading, as well as giving.  Consider having your congregation take the “Grow a Buck” challenge. Most of us don’t miss a buck! A buck is a Diet Coke, a small bottle of water, or a cup of coffee, We drop a buck with little consideration almost every day...and never miss it. The “Grow a Buck” Challenge is a challenge to celebrate generosity by making small changes in our daily and weekly routines Growing a buck not only allows most members to reach a tithe much more quickly than by using the one percent of income per year.

Note to congregational leaders
Please remember as your congregational members celebrate God’s abundance through their giving, it is crucial that leaders set an example. Leaders lead!  Therefore, think about what this sermon series means for you and your household before inviting others to be part of the process.