Essential Annual Commitment Program Strategies

1. Essential AnnualCommitment ProgramStrategies Tom Gossen Executive Director, TENS tom@tens.org

2. I’m New to Stewardship Part 1 God’s Story ··· † ··· Our Story Connecting the Dots Part 3 Essential Annual Commitment Program Strategies Part 2 Leadership’s Role: Creating a Climate That Inspires Generosity Part 4 Building Relationships: A Key Ingredient in Stewardship Growth

3. “… all learning and action must begin with the question why?” Aristotle

4. Our Christian faith puts giving at the central point in our relationship with God. • The biblical story is about giving, receiving, using, and giving back, and the indisputable giver is always God. God gives. God’s followers give.

5. We give because we have been graced • God has given each of us time, potential, and opportunities so that our lives can fulfill a purpose, and at the same time, strengthen the work of Christ. • God’s giving is not determined by our giving.

6. We give because we have been graced • God is the continual giver who waits for our responses to those gifts. • When we fail to teach the people who worship with us the principles of Christian giving we frustrate them.

7. When to Teach About Giving? Giving, as a principle of our faith, should be taught and re-taught at every age.

8. When to Teach About Giving? • All Who Seek Membership • Prior to and Throughout Commitment Programs • Sermons • At the Offertory • Monthly & Quarterly Reports • Parish Communications • Reports to Vestry • Pastoral Visits • See Questions as Opportunities to Teach • Economic Crisis

9. Remember! Faith and commitment cannot thrive when understood and presented in terms of problems that must be overcome and needs that must be met.

10. Financially Healthy Congregations • Balance between stewardship techniques and fundraising strategies • Recognition that money is a symbol of our value system • Openness to discuss money within the life of the congregation • Affirmation of our status as “gifted” people. • Regular two-way communication between the leadership and the membership regarding financial information

11. Financially Healthy Congregations • Systematic challenges to grow in giving appropriate for each member. • Regular opportunities for additional giving. • Both operating and capital funding invite gifts from donor income and capital. • Planned giving is encouraged and a support system is in place. • People appreciate giving opportunities as opportunities rather than burdens.

12. Transformationvs.Transaction Licensed for use by TENS

13. The Financial Response Objective: To give every member the opportunity to intentionally and consciously respond to the love and grace of God through their giving to and through the ministries of their congregation.

14. The Financial Response Strategy: At least once a year, every member of the congregation is to be contacted, made aware of the various ministries and opportunities within the congregation, and challenged to decide upon his or her participation. The method by which contact will be made is selected each year. The response includes the opportunity to make financial commitments (or estimates of giving).

15. Remember! Success is not solely dependent on the response method chosen. The response method is just one part of an integrated effort which involves careful planning, a meaningful and challenging Vision for Ministry, and well-executed programs of stewardship education and ministry interpretation. A solid emphasis of year-round Christian stewardship education will enhance your success in the annual Response Program.

16. Initial Planning • What program are we ready for? • What do we want to achieve? • Schedule considerations • Theme • Education components (adults, youth and children)

17. Resource Needs • Database access/use • Demographic targets • Staffing requirements • Mentor/consultant requirements • Budget

18. Clergy & Vestry Roles Licensed for use by TENS

19. Clergy & Vestry Roles • New or revised Vestry Stewardship Statement? • Personal visits or notes? • Approval of plan and budget • Advance pledges and reporting?

20. Recruiting and Training Leadership • Select the right persons for the job • Recruit!!! DON’T ask for volunteers • Written job descriptions

21. Mailings • Stationery • Letters • Invitations & response cards • Thank you notes • Pledge cards • How many, from whom and when? • Customizing by demographics? • Personalized • Individualized • Postage

22. Witness Voices • How many and who? • How do we recruit them? • What do we want them to say? • Written or verbal? Both?

23. Theme Materials • Vision for mission / ministry • Poster(s) / recognition wall • Stationery for letters • Thank you cards / letters • Invitations • Response cards • Decorations

24. Meal Events • Best time of day • One time or multiple? • Format (content) • Length • Catered? • Music? • Keynoter selection criteria

25. Ingathering Sunday • Date (? All Saint’s Sunday?) • Format

26. Saying Thank You • How? (Personal Notes, list in publication, billboard, etc.) • When? • Who authors? • Content?

27. Follow-Through • When to begin? • What (letters, calls, visits, other)? • Who does it? • To whom? • For how long?

28. Then What???? • Reward those who worked • Nurture those who don’t pledge • Newcomer incorporation • Envelope systems

29. Available From TENS Summary of these programs is included in your handout material

30. Available From TENS (catalogue p. 18)

31. New Consecration Sunday by Herb Miller This popular stewardship financial response method takes place during worship. It is a stewardship program for congregations of all sizes, rural or urban, and speaks from a spiritual rather than a fund-raising perspective. Abingdon Press, 2002, ISBN: 0687063159, $9.00 New Consecration Sunday Stewardship Program Guest Leader Guide by Herb Miller, Abingdon Press, 2002, ISBN 0687063760, $11.00. New Consecration Sunday is based on a biblical/spiritual theology of the need of the giver to give for his or her own spiritual benefit rather than on the need of the church to receive. Directed toward raising the level of stewardship rather than toward raising the church budget, its no-gimmick approach focuses on the question, "What is God calling me to do?" rather than on the question, "What does the church need in order to pay its bills?"

32. Resources on Flash Drive • Bible Study – Personal Response Approach • “Teaching Christians to Give” by Hilbert J. Berger from Vol. 2 of Abingdon Guide to Funding Ministry • Five Popular Annual Commitment Programs • Three Easy Steps to Compute Your Pledge • The Official Stewardship Panic Kit • Outline of a Pledge Program Using Mailings and Witnesses

33. Further Discussion

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