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Stewardship and the Power of Story
People, especially those in younger generations, tend to give in support of mission, not institutions or budgets. So everything you communicate about giving needs to stress ministry, and not maintenance. If you can find the story behind your parish budget, you may be surprised at how that can motivate people to give of their time, talent, and treasure. How does it work?
Ask yourself: What are we doing and why are we doing it?
Look at your line items: That oil bill . . . what did it really let your parish do?
Then find a story you can tell: The oil bill made it possible for your church to cook and serve a meal to hungry people. And we feed hungry people because Jesus taught us that in so much as we did it to these people in our community, we did it to him. Feeding people in Jesus' name is carrying out Christ's mission in the world.
In other words, don't just tell people how much the oil (or any other budget item) costs. Find compelling stories and tell people what ministry their dollars have enabled. Below are some resources for you to share with clergy, parish leaders, and stewardship committees as you look to tell the story of your church and its ministry.
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Telling the story of your budget
Share information about the wonderful things giving makes possible.
Use announcements effectively: Remind people of the impact parish ministries have in the world.
Post items on bulletin boards or Facebook: Feature ways the church is reaching out in mission, and invite people to support the ministry.
Put your website to work: Set a goal to tell one good story a month that shows people where their money is going, what it is doing, and why all of you are doing this in the first place.
Transform your line item budget: Reassemble it by ministry category to paint a vivid picture of the outcomes the budget allows.
And don't forget to thank people! Add a side note: "Your financial and personal support make this ministry possible."
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Let others tell their stories too
Invite people to offer their own stories in a bulletin or newsletter or during a shared announcement time.
These don't have to be long discourses -- a sentence or two can be very powerful. It can be as simple as giving someone the chance to stand and say, "Thank you for your support. I am so grateful for all you have done."
Then you can spread the word: "On Sunday, Mrs. X stood up at announcement time to thank the congregation and clergy for their support during her husband's illness. I was reminded of the fact that the gifts we give God enable this community to provide this kind of support. We give our best to God, and then discover again and again that those gifts are returned to us in full measure. Thanks to all of you whose personal and financial support enable us to be a community of love and support to one another."
Click for more ideas on the transformational power of personal witness.
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Use these free resources
Our diocese is a member of The Episcopal Network for Stewardship (TENS). Because of this, all our churches have free access to download the 2013 "Stewardship Narrative Series," a resource designed to support your fall annual giving program.
Log in
username: generous password: giving Find out who's in the pews and why they give
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