Stewardship

“Stewardship” is about so much more than finances. It is about all of the ways God weaves our lives together to create the fabric of Christian community. 
Below you will find some resources that may help your congregation tell the stories of God’s activity and connect that work to the resources we pool together in the church.
  1. The Generosity Project: An intergenerational, household-focused approach to stewardship.
  2. Because of God’s Great Mercy: Pre-written stewardship materials including a commitment card, bulletin inserts, Temple Talk scripts, newsletter article, and more.
  3. The New Consecration Sunday: 2007 model that still holds up well today. Comes complete with leader guide and all other resources needed.
  4. Walk With Jesus: Written by Charles Lane in 2006 for ELCA Churches, this model is especially a good fit for smaller congregations.
  1. “Embracing Stewardship” by Charles R. Lane & Grace Duddy Pomroy: One of the best new books out there about a modern stewardship approach.
  2. “Ask, Thank, Tell: Improving Stewardship Ministry in Your Congregation” by Charles R. Lane: Purchase Book / Download Summary
  3. “Rich Church, Poor Church: Keys to Effective Financial Ministry” by J. Clif Christopher: A quick and motivating read for a stewardship team, teaching abundance vs. scarcity thinking.
  4. “Not Your Parents’ Offering Plate: A New Vision for Financial Stewardship” by J. Clif Christopher: A quick and motivating read for a stewardship team that includes “10 Things To Do Now.”
  5. “A Spirituality of Fundraising” by Henri Nouwen: A beautiful and short pastoral guide. For a special workbook edition of this book, click here.
  6. “The Soul of Money, Transforming Your Relationship With Money and Life” by Lynne Twist: A longer read, but rich with meaning for leaders of any kind.
  7. “The Power of Asset Mapping: How Your Congregation Can Act on Its Gifts” by Luther K. Snow
  1. ELCA Churchwide’s stewardship e-news, “Where Your Heart Is”: Click here to subscribe.
  2. Goal Setting & Communication: One example of how a congregation communicated its goals for the coming year, attaching dollar amounts to each one.
  3. Narrative Budget Basics: How to build a narrative, story-telling budget.
  4. Modern Step Chart Example
  5. “Number of Givers Formula”: A simple excel spreadsheet that will help you figure out how many gifts at various levels are needed to reach a particular goal. (Provided by the folks at GSB Fundraising.)
  6. ELCA “Stewards of God’s Love”: A teaching document for new or continuing members of a Stewardship Team.
  7. “5 Key Steps in Fundraising”: A simple outline of the five steps in inviting a gift. (Provided by the folks at GSB Fundraising.)
  8. Example of a congregation’s brochure sharing goals for the future & connecting those goals to funding. (Many thanks to St. Luke’s Lutheran in Waukesha for allowing us to share an example of a past brochure to inspire others!)