Aug. 21 - 27, 2006
Aug. 21 - 27, 2006
SOLI/Update
www.stewardshipoflife.org
Imagine the stewardship opportunities that would await your congregation
if you knew for sure that six out of every 10 of your members saw themselves
as full-time servants of God, AND if you knew for sure that 90 percent of them
considered themselves generous givers.
If this were true, the only challenge would be to channel all that generosity
and servant energy into creative, fulfilling ministries of the church.
Surprisingly, those figures are true, according to a survey by the respected
Barna Group. Its report is one of the weekly featured resources listed below.
The figures are high enough to be startling to church leaders whose
congregations suffer chronic penny-pinching and a shortage of willing hands
for labor in God's vineyards. What can explain the dichotomy between Christian
self perception and congregational reality? It may have to do with education,
inspiration and opportunity.
Barna's work shows clearly that Christians yearn to live lives of true
generosity and servanthood. With this in mind, their congregations ought to
find it easy enough to provide a smorgasbord of ways for them to pitch in, and
they ought to find ample staffing and resources for every need. Sigh. If it
were only the case. So what gives?
First, many recruiting efforts and stewardship appeals fail to reflect
confidence and certainty that deep-down people want to give. Now only do they
want to give, but they find it healthy and fulfilling to give. Instead, many
of our efforts focus instead on the church's often-dire need to receive. The
more desperate the need, the less likely it is to appeal to members
deep-seated need to give.
Barna's findings give church leaders permission to ask boldly, to ask
confidently, to ask with full expectation that in seeking donations of time,
talents and treasure the church is helping the Christian to meet a deep need:
to give!
--Rob Blezard, Webmaster and Editor
Want to reprint this? Great! See the note at the asterisk * below.
New This Week:
Treasure
Hunting: A presentation to discover gifts
So you are conducting your annual stewardship meeting. How can you help your
people to understand their gifts and inspire them to use them in service of
God and church? This fine presentation may help. Written from an ELCA
viewpoint, but easily adaptable.
Click here for "Treasure Hunting," from
the Northwest
Minnesota Synod, ELCA.
Help
for church budget woes, but no quick fix
"It takes a long time and a lot of relearning for people to fight a
debilitating disease like anorexia. A whole different image of who they are
and they are worth what is life giving have to be mastered. It is true for
churches with poor stewardship."
Click here for "Hope for church budget
woes," this week's essay from The Rev. Dana Reardon. To read previous columns
in her archive,
click here.
Profile:
How
Americans see themselves
What is your target group for new evangelism and stewardship? And how
well do you really know the people who sit at the pews of your church Sunday
after Sunday? This new profile from the respected Barna research group may
help you gain insight, so your efforts may be more fruitful and productive.
Click here for "How Americans see
themselves," from
The Barna Group.
Simplicity is a moving target
"There's nothing like a household move to reveal
your true relationship with worldly possessions. Take it from me, in the midst
of moving from the duplex where I've lived since 2002. See, four years ago
brought me a new start in life, a fresh beginning. I imagined centering my new
life on the principles of simplicity, non-consumerism, prayer and discipline.
It was kind of Henry David Thoreau meets Thomas Merton. I vowed not to clutter
my life or my little house with things that would distract from the spiritual
life.
Click here for this column by SOLI
webmaster Rob Blezard from last week's edition of
SOLI/Update, our free email newsletter.
Click here to subscribe.
Miracle Sunday stewardship
Here's a
program outline for launching a financial campaign for a major project.
Through the example and experience of a local church that wanted to pay off
its mortgage to save interest and free up money for mission, you'll get ideas
on how your own church can manage a successful stewardship campaign. From the
Association of
Lutheran Resource Centers. This week's
Treasure Chest offering.
Joke
of the Week!
Weekly
Gleanings,
a sampling of articles with stewardship implications from the popular press.
* Permission is
eagerly granted to publish the message for local, nonprofit use. Please drop
me a line at rcblezard@earthlink.net to let me know you're using it, and be
sure to publish it with the following notice:
(c) Copyright 2006 by the Rev. Rob Blezard, webmaster for the
Stewardship of Life Institute,
www.stewardshipoflife.org. Used by permission.