What to Say About Money at The Annual Meeting

Few clergy I know enjoy planning for and conducting the parish annual meeting. Holding elections, hearing reports, and presenting the budget to the membership feel like functions so unrelated to “real” parish ministry. Often the whole affair usually gets met with dread.

However, the annual meeting can become a time to celebrate our life and ministry together. We hear of the wonderful work our ministries have done in the past year. We speak about our dreams for the life and work of the parish in the coming year. Many parishes offer a meal to go along with the event, trusting in the wisdom of “feed them and they will come.” Not surprisingly, that works most of the time.

When it comes to the money talk, this is often where clergy and treasurers reach their anxiety limit.

The anxiety comes from fear of saying the wrong things about giving and the vestry approved budget. Why not see the annual meeting as an unsurpassed opportunity to talk about mission and giving?

Over the years, one of the best practices I have seen in reporting church finances starts with reframing our perception of the budget. Most people— especially clergy—do not like the word “budget.” Then stop using it. Seriously.

During my time in the Diocese of Upper South Carolina, the bishop at that time, the Rt. Rev. Dorsey F. Henderson, Jr., stopped calling our diocesan budget a “budget” and started calling it a “financial statement of mission.” This word change is not merely semantics. It is a firm a reminder of what it is we are about as a Church—a diocese, a congregation, or even a diocesan institution. It helps “keep the main thing, the main thing.”

“Financial Statement of Mission” holds within itself a sense of, well, mission!

Using “financial statement of mission” instead of “budget” says to all: “Here is our mission plan for the financial resources you will entrust to us this coming year.” From that stance, you invite people into partnership with your mission. Not everybody can work on the front lines of mission, whatever that mission may be. However, each one of us can partner with those who do: by prayer; by keeping informed of the work and ministry successes accomplished; and by financially supporting the mission. When you see yourself as a partner, no gift is too small to support the mission—or too large!

You see, all of us have a ministry of giving: All of us. And yet, many of us have not heard enough inspiring stories of life transformation to give generously—or meaningfully, or proportionally—to foster the life changing work that our churches do. As a result, people give to other organizations. Some are non-for-profits doing good work. Some of the other organizations who receive our generosity are the cable company, the cell phone company, the country club or athletic club, the credit card company, etc. They tell a story of our consumption of goods and services for the previous month (or months or even years). Some things we spend money on are absolutely necessary; others, more discretionary.

We all have discretionary money to give away. We either give it away, or spend it on ourselves. In our time at the annual meeting, we must show how people’s giving to our church changes lives!  Let us inspire people’s generosity by showing that their giving equals lives transformed. Our giving fosters baptismal living, so people can grow, day by day, more like Jesus Christ.

The annual meeting is also the time most treasurers report on the recently conducted pledge drive. This also can produce anxiety, especially if the annual appeal fell short of certain “pledge goals.” One of the things many, if not most, clergy and treasurers reveal at the annual meeting is the “average” pledge.

Nothing kills generous giving like talking about the average pledge. Why is that?

In many of his books on understanding influence, and how it affects people’s decision-making, Robert Cialdini, Ph.D., says that publishing an “average pledge” often creates a “magnetic middle.” By that he means, stating an average benchmark can create an artificial ceiling on giving for some people who could easily give far, far more than they do. It can create a sort of a long-term goal for others who give below (sometimes far below) the “average,” but have no real sense of urgency to get there. Because it is an average, they realize some people give above that. So they might rationalize, “I’ll give more when I get more,” not realizing that it is our faithfulness with what we have already been given that the Master wants to hear about (Matt. 25:14-30).

Adding median pledge—the middle pledge of your total number of pledges—does not actually clarify much and confuses others. Rather than report only an average pledge and median pledge, I suggest you report multiple medians and averages across several ranges.

By broadening the ranges, you reveal the true nature of giving in the parish.

Such a report fits easily into a graphic that I have adapted from the “giving pyramid” used widely in the not-for-profit world; use this pyramid to reveal the ranges people estimate their giving.

In addition to the average pledge and median pledge of your total number of pledges, I suggest stating the average and median pledges of the following ranges: the top 20% of pledges; the next 30% of pledges; the base 50% of pledges. Show your people the wide range of financial giving that exists in your parish–it’s far more revealing than an “average pledge.”

Also, to disclose the fullest possible picture of giving in your church, be sure to state the total amount given the previous year by givers of record who did NOT pledge. If that is a significant amount, you might repeat the ranges above on that data. At minimum, show average giving and median giving by non-pledging givers of record. Remind people there is no way to predict what non-pledge giving will be in the current year. Still, it is revealing to know what non-pledge giving was in the past year.

Lastly, as best as you can determine, state the number of active households in the parish that are not givers of record—people who may give cash, but you do not know if they do or not.

When we use only an “average” pledge, people often assume that everybody in the church is giving about that much, when nothing could be further than the truth.

The truth about giving that the “average pledge” hides is that some people are giving far above the average pledge, while other active member households are not giving anything at all. Other people fall somewhere between. Remember, half will obviously below the median pledge. Be prepared: It will shock some parishioners to learn that there are people in the church who give no money (that we know of) to financially support your mission—the false assumption created by only using an “average pledge.” Of course, all these data are given anonymously–just to be clear!

Also, beware of assuming that the biggest pledges represent tithing, while the smallest pledges do not. Some smaller pledges may , in fact, be tithes of lower, fixed incomes. For example, my parents were tithers—I learned to tithe from them. At the end of their lives, living on Social Security, basically, they still were giving 20% of their “fixed income” to their church. While we were growing up, my parents were among the highest givers in their church because they tithed, while others who earned multiple times more than they did gave very little.

The point of sharing pledge data in this way is to pull back the curtain of falsehood regarding the average pledge and reveal the wide range of giving that truly exists among the members of your church.

The bad news: You will no doubt surprise you at how low the average and median pledges are in the base 50% of giving. The good news: When seen in the light of these multiple ranges, some people who might have thought their giving was “enough” will see differently and might raise their pledge. Most people do not want to see themselves as “average” or “below average.” Which begs the question: In what area of our Christian life is it acceptable to be “average”? Does God call us to “average” giving?

Also, remind people that one can make or modify an “estimate of giving” (a pledge) at any time of the year, not just at “pledge time.” Providing this opportunity helps move our practice of stewardship to a year-round rather than annual basis.

One of the most important aspects of talking about money this way is the chance to offer a new question to your members. Say something like this: “What is the question you ask yourself before making your estimate of giving (pledge)? Is it: ‘What is my fair share?’ or ‘What does the church need from us this year?’ or ‘What can I afford to give?’ Why not try a new question.

“Before you complete your pledge, ask yourself this: ‘What is God calling me to give as a percentage of my gross income in response to all that God has given me, and in gratitude for God’s presence and blessings in my life?’ This makes our giving to God a priority, rather than an afterthought.”

You see, answering this question requires deep contemplation. It requires prayer. It even requires a little bit of math. Nevertheless, answering it honestly will begin a journey toward generous, joyful giving, toward tithing (giving one-tenth of one’s total income) and even giving beyond a tithe.

For each one of us has been made in the image of a giving, generous, and creating God. God has endowed us with life, gifts and talents, and creativity.

God expects us to use these gifts in a giving, generous, and creative way, to further God’s work in the world about us. All of us have a ministry of giving. All of us.

Maybe, just maybe the way we speak about money at the annual meeting might give some of our members pause to think about what and why they give. Maybe we can inspire some people to begin a journey toward generous giving of time, talent, and financial resources that will further your parish in its life changing, life-transforming mission.

Wouldn’t that be the most unexpected outcome of your annual meeting?

Guest Blogger: Change the pattern of your giving and change your life

During the past two years in my role as Canon for Stewardship and Planned Giving, I have read a number of books on those two topics, both from secular and religious points of view. One particular author, however, has said more good and thought-provoking things in fewer lines of text than any other author I have read. I pass his books to countless other colleagues: The Rev. Gerald (Jerry) Keutcher, Priest-in-charge, St. Mary’s Church, Brooklyn, NY.

Jerry’s three books have inspired more ideas that are new in my mind, and in the minds of many of my colleagues, than the writings of almost any other author—he’s clearly in the same sphere as Mike Durall. Reading anything written by these two friends and mentors will steer you in a right and healthy direction, equipped with concrete ideas for more effective church leadership and inspired formation of faithful followers of Jesus Christ.

Accordingly, my guest blogger for this Christmas edition of Stewardship News You Can Use is Jerry Keucher. In this particular piece, Jerry writes with moving and compelling prose on helping our givers experience giving in a new way—in a way that might just change their lives.

Sharing Jerry’s article with you is a gift indeed this Christmas; may you—and your givers—be blessed by his wisdom, grace, and joy.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!

Guest blogger, Jerry Keucher:

Change the pattern of your giving and change your life

In my observation and experience nothing changes us the way tithing changes us. I don’t mean that because tithing is a practice enjoined on us by Scripture and General Convention resolutions, we have to follow the rules. No, I mean that tithing transforms our relationship with money, which is the most important sign in our lives because, as Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

If Jesus is right, then our hearts follow our money, so changing how we use our money will work a change our hearts; we are body-selves. Changing the physical pattern of what we give and how we give it is the indispensable first step. In the discussion that follows I will use “tithing” and “proportional giving off the top” interchangeably. The point is not the percentage we give, but the fact that we give some percentage off the top before we do anything else.

Where did that dollar amount we pledge come from?

Maybe there was a number we chose years ago, and we’ve raised it from time to time. We have decided to pay the church an amount we think we can afford.

In other words, it is a number very much like the numbers on all the bills we pay. We don’t decide what others charge us for the goods and services we consume. We may shop around, but in the end, if we want a cellphone, we’ll pay the going rate. By pledging to give the church a certain dollar amount we think we can afford, and by paying off that obligation on a schedule not related to when we receive money, we turn the experience of giving to the church into an experience that is exactly like that of paying the phone bill or the gas bill. There’s a number we have agreed to pay, and now we must pay it when it is due. No matter what we try to tell ourselves about what we’re giving the church, it will feel like we’re paying a bill because we’ve made the experience of supporting the church into the experience of paying a bill.

Proportional giving off the top has a different effect because it is a different experience

What we give varies from week to week, based on whether we have received any money since the previous Sunday. If we get all our money once a month, we’ll make our gift on the following Sunday, and we won’t put money into the offering plate again until the next month money. If we get paid every other week or twice a month, there will be at least two Sundays when we give something and two Sundays when we don’t. If we freelance or are self-employed, what we give will change constantly.

That’s the first way that proportional giving off the top is different from paying a bill. The amount of the cable bill is determined by how much we’ve agreed to pay regardless of what we have earned, but the amount of a proportional gift is determined solely by what God has given us.

There is another important difference between proportional giving off the top and paying a bill—we make the proportional gift first, before we have even thought about the obligations we must meet.

I pay bills twice a month. The first thing I do is to review what money has come in since the last time I sat down to deal with money. Some income comes once a month, other twice a month, and sometimes there is something from my consulting. In order to calculate the tithe, I need to see what’s come in. That means my first act is to see how God has provided for me.

Here’s the experience of how most people deal with their money.

1. See what your total obligations are, including your church pledge.
2. Look anxiously to see if you have enough to cover your obligations.

Here’s the experience of proportional giving off the top:

1. See how much God has given you since the last time you dealt with your money.
2. Give back to God the percentage you’ve decided on.
3. Turn to your obligations knowing and feeling that God is with you.

Money is a tool, and it is always working on us

If we use our money in the first way above, money will be a tool that increases our anxiety. If we give proportionally off the top, money will be a tool that reinforces our trust in God’s providence and care. If you are anxious about money, change your pattern of giving now. Your anxiety level will go down.

Your conception of means and ends will be turned upside-down. Despite what we say, we normally act as if money is the end, and people are the means to that end. If I can convince someone to buy what I’m selling, I’ll get the money. If we could just get 20 more people to join the parish and pledge, we could balance the budget. Proportional giving leads you to see people as ends in themselves, not as means to your end.

Proportional giving makes you understand in your bones that money is not a zero-sum game. You don’t feel that you’ve given something up because you are tithing. You find you can be as generous as you’ve always wanted to be. One appeal that no tither would make is to ask people to give up their Starbucks one day a week so they can increase their pledge. That’s all right, perhaps, as a discipline during Lent for a specific project, but it’s a terrible way to talk about giving because it’s a way of treating money as a zero-sum game: if I give you more, then I have less.

Tithing teaches you that money is elastic, not rigid

Money for tithers works like the manna in the wilderness — “those who gathered much had nothing over, and those who gathered little had no shortage.” (Exodus 16:18) There will be enough to meet your needs. God will take care of you.

If you are not tithing and your dollar gifts work out to far less than ten percent, you may not be able to make the switch all at once. That’s all right. Change your pattern from so many dollars a week to some percentage off the top, and see how it goes.

If it makes you anxious, lower the percentage until you feel liberated.

Then see about ratcheting the percentage up bit by bit. That’s how my mother did it as she got back to tithing after the upsets caused by the premature death of my father.

Tithing turns the money you have worked for into a gift, because you realize that the skills and talents you used to make the money are also gifts from God. We bring nothing to this endeavor; it’s all a gift. And that means everything and everybody is a gift. You will interpret reality this way only if you have experienced in your financial life how dependent you are on God, and how trustworthy God is to those who depend on him.

–The Rev. Jerry Keucher
Priest-in-charge, St. Mary’s Church, Brooklyn, NY

Three Things to Do With the Offering Plate

Is not what we already do with the offering plate obvious? Well, maybe not. Here are three things to consider about what we do with offering plates, and some gifts of money entrusted to us.

First, what do we do with the offering plate? We pass it from pew to pew to “take up a collection,” right? No, we do not. In church, we do not pass an offering plate—or plates, if using more than one—to “take up a collection.”

People “take up a collection” at the office to defray the expenses of someone’s unexpected emergency. Here in Phoenix, I often see people on the side of the street, at intersections and off-ramps, “taking up a collection” to help bury one’s son, or other close family member. No kidding. Perhaps you have seen this, or some other “collection” appeal like it.

In the Church, we do not “take up a collection.” Rather, we receive people’s offerings as an act of worship. Bishop Greg Rickel of the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia is fond of saying that giving to God—in response to all God’s gifts and presence in our lives—is such an integral part of worship that we might consider giving something at every worship service we attend–even if only our loose pocket change. This is in addition to our pledge.

As beings created in the image of a giving God, it is deep in our nature to give also. God has given generously to each one of us. Giving is part of worship; put something in the plate.

Everyone Touches The Plate

One of my clergy colleagues here in Arizona teaches the idea that “giving is an offering” so fully and completely that she puts the following announcement in the weekly Sunday bulletin:

The people may be seated while the plates are passed for the people’s offering; regardless of whether you place a financial gift in the plate, as the plate is passed, please intentionally touch the plate as a symbol of the offering of your life to God’s Kingdom.

 At least monthly, she does a thirty-second teaching on the significance of this act. Here is a brief version of what she says, which I asked from her for use in this article:

 We are about to move to the part of our worship we call the “offertory;” the choir will offer their gift of music to our worship, and in a moment we will pass around the offering plates. Friends, I want to remind you that this is not a dues collection mechanism set to beautiful music. The passing of the plate is an act of worship. So when the plate is passed to you, regardless of whether or not you place your pledge or any money in the plate, hold that plate for a moment. Place your hand on it, and intentionally, in silent prayer, make an offering of your life as your act of worship of our God, who loves us and is faithful to care for all our needs.

 My colleague does this from memory, it changes slightly from time to time, and it is quite moving to hear her passion when she says it. As a regular guest preacher at her church, I have seen people hold the offering plate for just a beat, maybe a second or two or a bit more, and offer a silent prayer. It has changed the entire feel of the offertory experience in their worship.

The offertory has now gone from a “let’s hurry up and get this over with” moment (as some clergy feel and speak about receiving the offerings), to a time of unhurried response to God. Most, if not all, give gifts of money. They and others also give God thanks for the gift of life, this world, one’s family and friends—whatever one might offer to God in that moment.

Every time I visit this church and experience this moment, I find it very moving. My time of holding the plate and giving thanks to God has even brought me close to tears.

Let Them Been Seen

The second thing I suggest we do with the offering plates is leave them on the altar for the entirety of the Eucharistic prayer. In liturgical churches, the priest/presider invokes the blessing of the Holy Spirit on the offerings of bread and wine that they might become Christ’s Body and Blood for us.

Not for a moment do I think that any confusion exists between the Holy Spirit and the objects on the altar, and how or what gets consecrated as the Body and Blood of Christ.

However, when we leave the gifts of money on the altar, it wordlessly says to everyone present that these gifts “of our life and labor to the Lord” are blessed also, that they might foster the work and ministry of Christ’s Body in the world. Along with gifts of time and talent, our gifts of money fuel life transformation and Christian discipleship through the ministry of our congregation.

In addition, let the money, checks, and envelopes lying in the plates be visible to the people. In some churches, all the offerings get tucked in a velvet bag (or worse, zipper bag with a bank logo on it) and sent up to the altar—thereby replacing the true nature of our gifts—actual cash and checks and money in envelopes—with sterile, anonymous deposits. It is almost as if we are ashamed that we actually asked for money and that you gave us money. “Horror of horrors!” Please.

The Book of Common Prayer actually suggests the practice of leaving the gifts of money on the altar. On page 361 in the BCP, the rubric immediately before The Great Thanksgiving states, “Representatives of the congregation bring the people’s offerings of bread and wine, and money or other gifts, to the deacon or celebrant. The people stand while the offerings are presented and placed on the Altar.”

Leaving the “people’s offerings of bread and wine, and money…” visible on the altar might begin to help people see and experience all of life as consecrated for God’s use in bringing about God’s Kingdom on earth; it also might make the consecrated bread and wine less “magical” or cryptic, but no less holy, mystical nor sacred. Introducing such a practice in your church would clearly open the door for some wonderful stewardship teaching and conversations on life as a gift, and our role in being stewards of all of it.

“Give It Away, Give It Away, Give It Away Now”

The last thing I suggest you do with the offering plate is to give away the loose cash that you receive, if not week-by-week, then monthly. “What in the world is he talking about? He wants us to give away our money?” Yes, I do. Well, not all of it; just the loose cash.

Give the loose cash in plate away to a neighborhood (or local) not-for-profit organizations outside the parish, as a way of building relationships with people in your community. Start with groups where your parishioners already volunteer heavily, or support financially. Typically, you want to choose groups involved with meeting people’s needs—neighbors in poverty, the poor, the hungry and homeless or other “invisible” people in your city or town.

In most congregations, the loose, undesignated cash makes up a very small percentage of the total annual giving that a church receives. This loose cash does NOT include cash received in envelopes that you can connect to a particular giver; in that case, you must record the gift to that giver, and add it to their annual giving. Loose checks written to the church do not count, either. You know who wrote you a check. Loose cash is often called “the plate.”

The Episcopal Church has a couple of rules regarding the plate. One is that one Sunday a month the plate is to go to a discretionary fund under the oversight of the Rector or Priest-in-Charge (or his or her appointee) for almsgiving or other charitable purposes [Canon III.9.5(b).(6)]. This suggestion could be one way of fulfilling that requirement.

The idea behind giving away the loose cash is that you will build a bridge with that local organization you choose to bless with your loose plate offerings. How you implement it could look like this:

Identify the organization and call them; tell them that during the coming week/month, your church is going to give its loose offering to them

• Invite the executive director, or other key board member—perhaps the chair—to come to church the first Sunday of the following month, to receive the gift
• During the month let your members know that all the loose cash will be going to this organization, and include them in your prayers of the people for the month
• If possible, have members who volunteer with the group put up a display at coffee hour describing the organization and its mission
• When the month ends, write a check to the organization for the total of the loose cash to give to the organizational representative during the announcements on the designated Sunday
• Once again, pray for the group and its leadership, and invite them to stay for coffee hour to speak with parishioners

Depending on the size of the community where you live, word of this will spread like wildfire through town—or at least through the not-for-profit community.

For people who might not go to church, or never have been interested in church, hearing about a church that gives away its cash might be enough for some to want to come and see what makes this church so different.  That is in addition to the relationships you instantly have built between the staff, volunteers and maybe even members of the organization you blessed with your plate offerings.

Another curious thing happens when you give away your plate offerings—overall giving increases. Your members will be inspired to put extra cash in the plate—even though they know it will not count as fulfilling their pledge. Most times, those who don’t give anything but cash often feel inspired to give by check or envelope now to “replace” the money they know you need to operate as the church they love, attend, and want to support.

There you have it. Three things to do with the offering plate you may not have considered before:

•  Talk about the offering as an act of worship, and give everyone a chance to touch the offering plate, if only to offer thanks
• Leave the plate or plates on the altar during the Eucharistic prayer, that “the offerings of our life and labor” may also be consecrated by God to further the work of the Kingdom, and
• Give the loose cash in the plate away to organizations outside the parish, as a way of building relationships with them in your community. You never know who might visit your church having heard about this.

“You Know, This Might Actually Work.”

If you do the same things you have always done, but expect different results from people, you probably know that little or nothing changes. “But we’ve always done it this way,” are words of death sometimes. Trying these three new behaviors, however, will certainly give your church the opportunity to experience something different, and most likely, with careful teaching and explanation, something unexpected that takes you to a new and better place.

That is my prayer for you as you consider three new things to do with the offering plate.

 

 

 

 

Guest blogger, Channing Smith: Giving Thanks is the Source of Civilization Itself

This month we hear from one of the many wonderful people I have met while sharing the good news of Stewardship University across the broader church. The Rev. Channing Smith is the Rector of Saint Andrews Episcopal Church and Day School in Saratoga, California. He writes on a fascinating topic: Could the desire to give thanks have given rise to civilization?  Enjoy!!

Giving thanks is the source of civilization itself

I came across a story, really a discovery, that helped me to see how ingrained this practice of stewardship is in our own evolutionary history as a species. It was reported in National Geographic in the June 2011 issue, of the discovery of an ancient temple in what is now Turkey. The temple is called Gobekli Tepe (pronounced Guh-behk-LEE TEH-peh). If you were standing in front of it, you would see dozens of 20 foot high pillars with animals carved on them positioned in concentric circles. The article begins with this statement: “We used to think agriculture gave rise to cities and later to writing, art, and religion. Now the world’s oldest temple suggests the urge to worship sparked civilization.”

What does this mean to us? The theory up to this point was that, historically, hunters and gatherers lived and worked together forming small communities. Their effort and more advanced farming techniques increased food production and increased our chances of survival. Since we were no longer looking for our next meal, human beings began to wonder. So the theory was that language, art, religion, and science all came from communities gathered to produce more food for our survival or from civilization. Thus, civilization was the genesis for religion, art, science, etc.

The discovery of the Gobekli Tepe temple turns that theory upside down. The dating of this temple pre-dates any civilization by a long shot. There are no houses or structures that would indicate that anyone lived around or near this temple. Hunters and gatherers would travel as far as 100 miles to participate in the worship at this temple site.

What it indicates is that at some point while we were still hunters and gatherers, we became aware of God. That collective awareness created a desire to come together and give thanks. So our response to our collective awareness of God is in fact what gave birth to civilization which included language development, art, science, and yes better farming techniques. Religion and our desire to give thanks was the source of all those blessings that have come into being because we have been brought together by God.

So it seems to me that a fundamental building block of our physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual, and communal DNA is the practice of giving thanks to God for what we have received. That is the practice of stewardship.

This discovery is both a truth and a lesson to us. For as we deepen our practice of stewardship and put God at the center of our lives, it give energy, inspiration, guidance, and connection to the greater work of God in the work. That affects all aspects of our living from our faith, to our families, to the difference we want to make in the world together. So as the practice of giving thanks to God or worship created civilization, art, science, language, etc., the practice of giving thanks is a fertile source of blessings in our own lives.

I want to encourage us, you and me, to put aside any reluctance that we might have regarding stewardship and to see it both as the source of blessing in our lives as well as the way we have been wired from the beginning of time. There may be nothing more natural to us than to come together and give thanks for the many blessings that we have received.

• The Rev. Channing Smith, Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Saratoga, Ca

It’s Pledge Time! Why Not Try This to Inspire Reluctant or Unresponsive Givers

No matter how hard we try to get across the concept of estimating our giving (pledging) as a spiritual practice, some people just do not get it. Often we have members who seem to complete their estimate of giving form (pledge card) as an afterthought. So not much thought goes into figuring the amount.

Many people’s giving to God gets tied to questions such as ‘What can I afford?’ or ‘What’s my fair share?’ or ‘What does the church need from me or need to balance its budget?’ I call these membership questions. What clergy need to inspire their members to do is contemplate the “discipleship question” when completing a pledge form or estimate of giving.

The discipleship question goes like this: “What is God calling me/us to give as a proportion of my/our income in response to all of God’s gifts to me/us and God’s presence in my life/our lives?” This question may already be part of the inner conversation (or out loud conversation) that some of your households already have surrounding pledging (or estimating). Those people who already give faithfully and generously via pledge or estimate deserve our regular, personal thanks, throughout the year.

Do These Three Things

For all other givers in your congregation, try this: First, invite people to pray about what they want to give. This may be a novel idea for some of your members. That’s OK. We all have to start somewhere. You may even want them to read and meditate on just a few passages of scripture before completing their estimate of giving. Even better!

Useful scriptures would be: Deuteronomy 8:11-18; Luke 7:36-50; Luke 8:1-3; Luke 12:13-34; Luke 19:1-10; 2 Corinthians 9:6-13; Mark 10:17-31; and Matthew 6:19-33. Feel free to add others that speak to you, but do not omit the Deuteronomy or Luke texts—they’re just too important to pass up.

Give People a Better Question

The second thing you want to do is introduce the discipleship question. Say:

When you contemplate what you (and your spouse/partner or family) want to give, consider this question above all others: “What is God calling me/us to give as a proportion of my/our income in response to all of God’s gifts to me/us and God’s presence in my life/our lives?”

People who prayerfully consider this question find they are more ready to challenge themselves in giving because they have taken time to realize God’s presence in their lives and want to show God their gratitude.

When the pledge drive (sic) is over, be certain that you hand-write thank you notes to all persons who pledge—or complete an estimate of giving form. They need to hear your heartfelt appreciation for their commitment.

Adding a Personal Touch

Lastly, for those who in past years have consistently been reluctant or unresponsive in completing a pledge, try this simple additional step: on a Post-It note, briefly hand-write a quick note and attach it to the blank pledge card or estimate of giving form before mailing it. Using your own sentiments, the note should read something like this:

• Dear John and Mary: Thank you for praying about this before completing it. God bless! <signed>
• Dear Frank and Carol: Thank you for praying about this first. Blessings! <signed>
• Dear Susannah: Thank you for your prayerful response in giving. God bless you! <signed>

Of course, you hand write and sign each note personally, making it as personal as possible. Keep it short, and use only your first name in signing.

This personal note might be the inspiration needed to get those lowest givers to ask themselves a new question when it comes to making a pledge. The idea is to motivate the base 50% of your givers (the bottom half of your pledges when separated by the median pledge) into a new mindset about giving in the first place.

Putting Science on Your Side

Research shows that adding a hand-written Post-It note by the leader of an organization dramatically improves the response in replying or complying with the request expressed in the letter or survey or form on which you place the personalized Post-It note. (For more about this, see, “Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways…,” by Robert B. Cialdini, et al; Chapter 10, pp. 50-52. Simon and Schuster: Free Press, 2008.)

I do not know if anyone has ever researched whether or not adding an encouraging Post-It notes improves pledging toward financial stewardship in congregations. Perhaps you will be willing to share the data regarding your response. The point here is that when the identified leader (the rector or member of the clergy in charge) adds a personalized hand-written request to respond to the form, it usually increases the response, in some cases dramatically.

Intuitively, I feel such a practice lends a nice personal touch—it is saying very directly, “Your prayerful response to this matters to me.” Who would not appreciate that kind of encouragement from his or her priest? And, if you have built relationships with your members all along the way, this will not be taken lightly, nor seen as inappropriate.

“But, Bob doesn’t like this…”

What if someone does take offense at this addition to the annual pledge mailing? Well, that’s good news! Far too often, we do not know how to start a conversation with others about what they say to themselves when they complete a pledge or estimate of giving. A complaint over this approach is an open door to having a conversation with them on that very topic—at their request. What an opportunity! I say; if they have opened the door, by all means, walk in.

So get cracking on those Post-It notes to stick on the pledge card or estimate of giving form before mailing to it your reluctant or unresponsive givers, and let me know how it contributes to their response rate.

Seven Books about Church and Money that Every Clergy-person Should Read

Few (if any) clergy received even the tiniest amount real-life practical education about church finances while in seminary. I know I did not. The field education experience does not count, because we wanted to preach and participate, not go to meetings and decipher church finances. Quite an oversight, don’t you think? Here’s a chance at redemption: seven books every clergy person should read about money.

Because the concept of “stewardship” as a whole is far broader than only money and finances, I have called this list “books about church and money” because clergy need help on this very topic. These books truly will fill in the gaps in our church finance education, what we failed to receive in seminary. They will provide also us with a biblical and practical basis for us to lead in the matter of church finances with knowledge and integrity. May you and your ministry be blessed by reading, reflecting and applying the wisdom found in these writings.

Ask, Thank, Tell: Improving Stewardship Ministry in Your Congregation, by Charles R. Lane. This book, along with the Jamieson’s Ministry and Money, and Henri Nouwen’s little book (see next title), should be the three primary textbooks for the 101 class in Church Resource Development. Reading and mentally digesting this very straightforward book on congregational stewardship will most likely whet your appetite for learning more. It demystifies the process of an annual response stewardship program.

Clergy in charge of congregations have to be joyful about raising resources. Additionally, you must come to realize that no one in the church has the power to do it as well as you, the member of clergy in charge. Finding joy in this work will transform you, and the lives of those whom you teach and mentor, for nothing changes our hearts like becoming generous in giving—up to the tithe and beyond.

A Spirituality of Fundraising, by Henri Nouwen. This small book (only fifty pages of actual text) sets a firm theological basis for financial stewardship in ministry. Nouwen is brilliant in these pages, and like in all his books, he speaks from the heart. It is as if he is sitting with you, and sharing his journey. What a journey it is.

Pastors and priests, you will stand a little taller with shoulders more square when you finish this book—which can easily be read in one sitting. Read it more than once, and then mark it up where you will. This book will transform your reticence about asking for money and giving money. Enjoy!

Not Your Parents’ Offering Plate: A New Vision for Financial Stewardship, by J. Clif Christopher. When I refer you to works by Clif Christopher, you can assume that I mean all of his works. This helps me keep my list to seven titles, or Clif Christopher would take four of them. Not Your Parents’ Offering Plate (and its sequels, Whose Offering Plate Is It? and Rich Church, Poor Church) is absolutely a must read for clergy and lay leaders.

Stewardship books by Christopher will turn a fearful and lazy governing board into a mission-minded and faith-filled board ready to give, and ask others to give to fulfill God’s mission in your church. People who balk at what Christopher proposes about leadership and giving may want to think twice, either about what they give, or about being in leadership to begin with. Excellent reading!

Making The Annual Pledge Drive Obsolete: How Churches Can Get Out of This Business Once and For All, by Timothy Dombek and Mike Durall. Since this is a book I wrote with co-author Mike Durall, we will let an independent reviewer tell you about it:

“Making the Annual Pledge Drive Obsolete is a slim volume, thick with helpful material, and could be used by congregations where there is a desire for serious change in the usual stewardship efforts. Good stewardship material is not for the faint of heart, and this volume offers no easy bromides, convenient shortcuts, or gimmicks. Rather, the authors address giving in a positive community-building manner…

“The opening chapter addresses several of the pitfalls of stewardship failure, including low expectations, fear of failure, and lack of vision. All too frequently, clergy and other leaders are timid about asking for generosity and fearful of rejection when they do ask. One chapter reviews what “being a member in good standing” implies and offers appropriate means to encourage this. Having a compelling vision and a way to communicate vision is essential to stewardship. Generous givers respond positively to vision more than to any other approach. The chapter on ‘The Parishioner as Consumer’ is especially insightful in addressing the topic of ineffective practices. Also addressed is the unhelpful practice of emphasizing averages in giving. ‘And, by the way, when did God call us to be average?’” reviewed by The Rt. Rev. Francis C. Gray, Retired Bishop, Diocese of Northern Indiana (From The Diocesan Blog Roll, EDNI website, June 2014)

Ministry and Money: A Practical Guide for Pastors, by Janet T. & Philip D Jamieson.  This book is EXACTLY what its title says it is, and so much more. An especially good book for any member of the clergy who feels intimidated by money, and/or confused by financial reports and the budgeting process. The opening section on the Theology of Money alone makes this book invaluable. The section on Applying a Theology of Money makes it extremely practical. A not-to-be-missed book in your self-education on church finances and raising of resources.

Remember The Future: Financial Leadership and Asset Management for Congregations, by Rev. Gerald Keucher. This introduction to church asset management encourages congregational leaders to ‘remember the future’ when they are making decisions. It will teach you how to balance the needs of the present alongside of what’s best for the congregation’s future. Keucher offers the most sound principles available to church leaders, both clergy and lay, on managing buildings for income, creating and building endowments (especially!) and fundraising. Highly readable, and head-shaking practical. Ignore his advice at your peril!

The Millionaire in The Pew: A Manual on Deferred Gift-Raising for Clergy and Religious Leaders, by Russell Wilson. Beginning with the premise that fundraising is a very spiritual practice, The Millionaire in the Pew offers a new and unique approach to funding ministry and mission. In our pews sits untapped wealth that could be harvested.

Wilson believes clergy and religious leaders possess many of the qualities of highly successful professional fundraisers; if they can overcome their objection to dealing with money and fundraising, potentially they could raise millions of dollars for the Church. Filed with stories and practical insights, The Millionaire in the Pew might change your church finances eternally. Wouldn’t that be great?

There you have it. If you just read these books, not only would you possess a greater knowledge about church finances and handling money, but you would know all you need to know about raising resources for more ministry. None of these books have any technical jargon that loses the reader or escapes understanding. Written for practical use, these seven books, if read and implemented, will change your life and the financial life of your congregation.

So, what’s holding you back?

Read. Apply. Benefit richly. Give thanks to God regularly. You will not be disappointed. If you have questions, reach out to any of these authors—they will welcome and answer your questions.

May you be richly blessed on your journey into greater financial stewardship in your church or organization.

BONUS TITLE: If you preach regularly and now face the challenge of preaching directly on money, wealth, and possessions year-round (the only sane way to help our parishioners with this), then you need one other resource: The Stewardship Companion: Lectionary Resources for Preaching, by David Mosser.  With this book, you will have a possible stewardship angle to preach a stewardship message for every Sunday of the three-year Revised Common Lectionary. Needless to say, this helps the preacher immensely. Totally worth the investment in this book.   Enjoy!

Episcopalians and The Tithe

Recently, a parishioner in one of our churches asked me an honest question. “Why don’t many Episcopalians tithe?” Good question. He went on: “In the church I grew up in,  we learned to give 10% of our allowance to God in the offering at church on Sunday. But I don’t see that kind of teaching going on in many Episcopal churches. Why is that? Why don’t Episcopalians tithe?” One could tell by the look in his eyes that this person was serious. He wanted an honest answer to what seemed so basic, so logical to him.

Like many congregations, his church was struggling to raise adequate financial resources. Yet, if more people gave generously, like he learned as a child, the church would have enough money and then some. What’s up with Episcopalians and the tithe?

I understand where this question is coming from. I grew up in a similar church. Whenever I tell my journey to tithing story, I share that I was fortunate to have parents who “tithed out loud.” They didn’t necessarily tell me to tithe — especially after I was a teen or older. They just talked a lot about the fact that they tithed and had tithed for years.

My parents had five sons. I guess they wanted us to know who got top billing with the family finances: the church where we belonged. We lived on the balance after what they gave to God through the ministry of their church. Every month; no questions asked. By the way: We never lacked for anything we ever needed.

“Resolved: We Believe in Tithing”

In answer to my friend’s question, I said “Well, the Episcopal Church does believe in tithing.  Many General Conventions have passed resolutions affirming tithing as the minimum standard of giving. By ‘tithing’ we mean ten percent is the level at which we begin to give back to God. But few Episcopalians know that, or get taught that.”

While we Episcopalians may believe in tithing, not many practice it. Not many, indeed.

Most clergy would not know where to begin in teaching the tithe to their people.  Nor would they know why to do so. Clergy do know that tithing is giving 10% of one’s total household income to God through the church. Few clergy might even say we give to God out of gratitude for all that God has given–and continues to give–to us.  Actually, I added that last phrase about gratitude to soften the blow. Most clergy would not say that at the same time as ‘tithing is giving ten percent of your total income.’ Few, if any, clergy learned about stewardship in seminary. A tragic oversight, don’t you think?

Some people quibble over giving “ten percent net income or ten percent gross income.” If that’s a serious concern, then whoever is asking doesn’t ‘get’ tithing–not yet, anyway. Others might nit pick and say that the ten percent doesn’t all have to go to our church.  We can give a part of our money to any charitable cause and have it count as a tithe to God. Again, such “deals” miss the real deal about tithing.

Money Speaks Louder Than Words

In our Western, free market, capitalist culture, money speaks with a clear loud voice. We, the people of this culture, use our money to say what matters to us, what is important to us. With money, we build things: hospitals, schools and universities. We construct residences, homes, vacation getaways and other structures for our pleasure. Communities erect sports arenas, theaters for film and the arts, casinos and dance halls. We ‘invest’ in electronic playthings that pass the time, keep us in touch, and endlessly inform or entertain us, day in, day out.

Often we invest money in and build things that outlast us. We invest in our children and their education; our legacies; our reputations. Most of the time though, we consume our money by acquiring things. We most often spend money on ourselves. Money is ultra-powerful, and how we invest it, spend it, or give it speaks volumes about what we value. It shows the world what we believe and where we think we belong in the order of the universe. Without fail.

So, too, the money we give to church. Our giving to church also speaks volumes about how we view money in our lives, how we think of it. Our generous giving also reveals what we think God thinks about it–if God thinks of money at all.

It strikes me as ironic that since the nineteenth century our money in the U.S. has said, “In God We Trust” on it. I often wonder: is this a confession or a reminder? Does putting “In God We Trust” on our money help keep the creator God in front of us? Does it remind us of God’s true reign over the world and all that is within it, including us and our money?  Or are we admitting that money (currency) is “the god in whom we trust”?  Money can become a god in people’s lives.

What does your relationship with money say to you? Say about you? Say to the world about you? Whether you like it or not, the way you use money speaks about you. Without words it tells the world what you value, what you believe in and wish to invest in, what you hold dear.

Tithing Heals Like Nothing Else Can

Nothing heals one’s relationship with the world and money like generous giving to God.  Nothing rewards in life like tithing to your church. Nothing compares to making an estimate (pledge) and giving the money as promised. We human beings love to make and keep our promises, especially big promises.  Sometimes we even deceive ourselves to keep our promises. Think of the “diet bargaining” we use to rationalize an indulgence.  “One bite won’t hurt/kill me/spoil my appetite/add too many calories.” Whatever you say.

Jesus never mentions tithing, except how religious leaders abuse it to avoid spiritual wholeness. Jesus and his disciples knew that the holy men and women in the Hebrew scriptures tithed.  It’s what faithful people did. So Jesus’ not mentioning the tithe, per se, does not excuse us from practicing it. Tithing is good for the soul. Here’s how.

Tithing reminds us of the true source of all that we have. Recall what Jesus said to his disciples, 

“Do not ask anxiously, ‘What are we to eat? What are we to drink What shall we wear?’ These are the things that occupy the minds of the heathen, and your heavenly Father knows you need them all. Set your mind on God’s kingdom and his justice before everything else, and all the rest will come to you as well.” (Matt. 6:31-33, REB)

Think of it. God gives us everything we need. Our lives, our bodies, our families, our innate talents, skills, abilities, and our work. God gave us that. I know homeless people who live with great courage, because they know God will provide. Do I have faith like that? Not sure. I hope so.

When we practice generous giving, growing into giving a tithe, it does our souls and bodies good. How? In returning a tiny portion of all God gives us for our use and pleasure, we acknowledge God’s provision. It lifts our souls. We find release from money worries. And it’s plain fun!

“Let’s Spend Someone Else’s Money!”

Put it this way. We already are spending someone else’s resources, someone else’s capital: God’s resources, God’s capital. It’s fun to spend someone else’s money! God simply asks, “Use the first ten percent to further the work of the Kingdom. You can make an offering above that, too, if you’d like. The rest, live on as you choose. But choose wisely. Don’t worship it, or serve it, over me.” Remember: Money can become a god in people’s lives.

In fact, people discover that tithing in a sense “forces” them to use their money more wisely. Generous givers make better decisions with finances and spending, saving, acquiring debt–all of it. So, when you tithe you tend to become a better money manager for yourself. Now you have better finances, and you gave more money to your church to achieve its mission. Well done!  Thank you for furthering the work of God’s kingdom through your generosity.

Now just imagine. Imagine if more people practiced the tithe. Imagine our churches having all the money they needed. And imagine they had to deal with the issue of having thousands of dollars extra to give away.  Imagine the lives they could transform in their local community.  Imagine the hungry people they could feed. Imagine providing shelter and clothing for those who cannot provide for themselves or their family. Imagine giving help and hope to the needy and homeless. What a reputation THAT church would have—“The church that gave away all its extra money!”

Guess what? If more Episcopalians practiced tithing, that’s a headline that could come true.  Now wouldn’t THAT be news?

Resolve To Do Three Stewardship Practices This Year

I know. New Year’s resolutions are bogus. Nobody keeps them, good intentions notwithstanding. Let’s just say that upfront, and take a breath, and admit that some things have to change. Here are three simple ideas that if practiced over the coming twelve months will transform your stewardship efforts and your church. In reality, we truly can’t do without them:

Write Thank You Notes Every Week

That’s right, every week. Look for people to send hand-written notes of thanks to–your church is full of them. In the line at the post office yesterday, several people lamented to me that no one sends letters any more unless they are important communications. Bingo!  Your notes of thanks are just that—important communications that build and cement relationships with your church.

Begin with a hand-written thank you to all households that pledge, and to each pledger in a household if there is more than one. If the rector or vicar makes the effort to send a hand-written thank you to all your pledgers, and sends them all at the same time so no one receives theirs before anyone else, people will be amazed, and in the long run your church will benefit in ways unimaginable. Take 15-20 minutes a day until completed. It is worth doing. Send them in January and again in June, without fail. When I did this, the response overwhelmed me. It may overwhelm you, too.

Make time each week to send sincere notes of thanks and praise to five or six people, and you will change your church inside out. A priest from the Diocese of Texas heard me say this at Camp Allen this past summer. At a Gathering of Leaders conference later that fall, he happened to be there and he told me he did that, he “wrote five or six thank you notes a week for over a month and it changed everything.”  For him, it worked; I can’t imagine that saying “thank you” often and sincerely wouldn’t work for you.

Ask People What They Like About Your Church and Listen To Their Answers

Do I really have to say this? Yes, I do. Because most clergy and stewardship ministry leaders THINK they know why people love their church, but unless you actually ASK them you are making an assumption.  And you know the rule about assumptions.

How do you do this without sounding obvious? Easy! Get them to tell you a story. Try starting with this prompt: When you look back over the entire time you’ve been a member here, tell me about the best experience you’ve ever had at Precious Blood of Jesus Episcopal Church? What made it the best experience? Who participated in it? How did you feel about it? What you did do as a result of the experience? (These questions come from the Appreciative Inquiry approach by the Rev. Dr. Rob Voyle, at ClergyLeadership.com: see his “The Power of Great Questions” here.)

Without making it sound like you’re interviewing parishioners, you might ask them what they value about the church, what they think the core value of your church is (“you know, that ‘thing’ without which it wouldn’t be Precious Blood of Jesus Episcopal Church”), and what three wishes they have for your church.  That is a key question because it points to a vision your people have of where they want to see the church go. When they give you their wishes, write them down in front of them, so they see you seriously meant the question and value their answers.

The most important thing is to truly listen. Don’t assume you know what they’re going to say. Ask follow-up questions without sounding nosy or like you work for 60 Minutes. People will tell you everything you need to know if you only listen to them. The best book—by far—that I’ve ever read on listening is Just Listen, by Mark Goulston, MD.

Tell Stories of Transformation, Again, and Again, and Again

Over the last month I have been listening to a fascinating book on my daily commute, The Storytelling Animal, by Jonathan Gottschall. Unlike any other creature on the planet, human beings are built for stories: to tell stories, to hear stories, to be influenced by stories.  Well, every one of our churches has multiple stories to tell of the lives changed and transformed by the ministry of each congregation.

We must tell those stories to our people, so they know that we have used their resources rightly in the building up of God’s church. And whenever we tell a story of transformation, which I think should occur on a monthly basis at minimum, we should also say “thank you. Without your generosity and financial support, this story wouldn’t have happened. When you give to Precious Blood of Jesus Episcopal Church, you know it changes lives. Thank you for your generosity.”

How hard is that?  Tell stories of transformation throughout the year, and not just at “pledge time.” Make communicating how lives are changed by the ministries of your church a regular part of your communications: in newsletters, in emails, from the pulpit, at announcement time, on bulletin boards, in bulletin inserts—tell real life, flesh and blood stories of transformation, over and over and over again. Let people know their giving matters, that it changes lives, and thank them for their giving regularly.

Adopt these three stewardship practices during the coming year, and by year’s end, you, too, will have a story of transformation to tell about how such practices can change people’s lives, and a congregation, as well.

Best wishes for a blessed and prosperous New Year.

The Church is Not a Charity

Some talk on the worldwide web caught my attention recently about how churches give less of their financial receipts in direct ministry to the poor and needy compared to registered charities—501(c)(3) organizations and the like. (See here and here.)  I understand that argument, and why some people are at a loss for words over it, to explain the high “overhead” of church budgets, and explain how little money goes to direct relief of the poor, destitute, homeless and hungry.

Is it just semantics?

It’s understandable how church leaders feel embarrassed and flustered when some of their members bring this up. Some of these same members use this reality to give to their favorite charities in lieu of giving to their church, because “those organizations are giving more to the poor than this church.” This is all true. Such thinking also ignores a fact so basic, so fundamental, that most church leaders, clergy and laity alike, forget: the church is not a charity.

“First and foremost, the church is the Body of Christ gathered for worship of Almighty God and the formation of disciples…”

 “Semantics,” one might say. “The church is too a charity,” some may respond indignantly. No doubt, the church is treated as a charity under the current tax code, and for that we can be grateful. But the church is not a charity. Ask your regular, faithful church goers exactly why they go to church; among the hundreds of different reasons people give for going to church, you probably won’t hear “I go to church so I can give money to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked, and deduct it from my income taxes.”

Now some of the money given to church does exactly that: feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and clothe the naked. But the church is far more than a charity. First and foremost, the church is the Body of Christ gathered for worship of Almighty God and the formation of disciples to be sent into the world in Christ’s name. In fact, no other organization exists with that as its mission.

What’s the Return on Investment for the church?

A long time ago, many churches, particularly those of the mainline tradition, found it so necessary to accomplish their mission that they adopted the practice of a paid class of clergy. We issue a “call” to these men and women, and ordain them to be set apart for leadership in building up the body—people like you and me—through Christian education and formation (also called discipleship), through preaching, teaching, pastoral care, and leading Divine Worship, which may include the celebration of the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Eucharist—the Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion, the Mass—whatever your church may call it.

In workaday parlance, that is a full-time job right there, and I didn’t even include any necessary stewardship work to garner resources for ministry. But the church has thrived for centuries under this idea and practice, because people were clear about the church’s role and mission.

These days, we hear of people looking for a “return on their investment,” even when it comes to giving to church and charity—and in some respects, they should. It is important people know that when we give to emergency outreach drives—think of the generous outpouring of funds following the Boxing Day tsunamis, Hurricane Katrina, the Haitian earthquake, Super-storm Sandy, the typhoon in the Philippines—that, except for very small administrative costs, most of their contribution is going to help those in need. That is what a charity does; but a charity does not have “the worship of Almighty God and the formation of disciples to be sent into the world in Christ’s name,” as its mission.

“What about the ‘return on investment’ that Jesus has made in us?  Jesus gave his very life for us… How are we doing in providing a return on His investment?”

What then is the “return on investment” when we financially support the church? Much debate could take place over that, but I believe the money we give for worship, formation and outreach ought to provide experiences of transcendence and lead to life transformation by God. Through the work of our congregation, its worship, ministries, and outreach, people’s lives should be changed, transformed, “until all of us come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ” to quote St. Paul (Eph. 4:13).

Last of all, what about the “return on investment” that Jesus has made in us? Jesus gave his very life for us, that we might have abundant life and share that life with others. How are we doing in providing a return on His investment? One way is through generosity.

Whose job is it?

Then there is this: While charities have done and continue to do amazing things in communities around the world, a charity (most likely) will not perform a baptism for you, your child or grandchild.

With all due respect, it is not the mission of Habitat for Humanity to do premarital counseling; they will not perform your wedding ceremony. It is no reflection on them or their worthiness, but Heifer International will not provide extreme unction nor console your family upon your death, nor plan, preside and preach at your funeral.

The Humane Society will not perform live sacred organ or choral music (or any other style music) that sends our spirits and souls soaring, offered in a dedicated worship space designed and appointed to quiet the mind and lift the heart into the presence of Almighty God.

Churches do for us human beings what no other organization does. If we expect to enjoy the ministrations of our church, to partake in its worship, to receive its sacraments, we might want to do our part through generous giving to ensure that the church is there for those who follow us, just as those who came before us—and on whose shoulders we stand—provided a church for our worship, transformation and service.

Not a budget, but a statement of Mission.

Church budgets, unlike the budgets of commerce or corporation, are more accurately called “Financial Statements of Mission,” for indeed, they spell out how we will invest the financial resources entrusted to each congregation in its pursuit of their God-given mission and purpose. We must never consider staff and clergy expenses as “overhead.”

“We must never consider staff and clergy expenses as ‘overhead.’ Clergy and staff are essential elements of our mission.”

Clergy and staff are essential elements of our mission. We invest in clergy and staff to lead us and prepare us for our God-given mission through formation and transformation. They pray for us regularly, and it is by their gifts for ministry—imbued with Holy Spirit power—that our lives become transformed, that we begin to grow into the full stature of Christ.

The best investment we can make

Giving to your local church represents one of the most important investments we as followers of Christ can make with our financial resources, and it is a privilege to give generously. For we know that lives will be changed, and going forth from our churches, those changed lives will transform our communities, our world.

After all, we don’t own any aspect of our lives: our breath and bodies, our resources, our gifts, skills, talents, or privileges—all come to us as gifts from a generous, ever-giving God. Let us use these gifts as a faithful steward would, and bring about the world God dreams of, a world grounded in kindness, justice, and humility.

The church is not just a charity—and for that, we give thanks to God.