"First Offering Sunday" and the New Year

Consecrated Stewards suggests in the Fulfillment section of the manual that members be asked to begin their new commitments on “First Offering Sunday,” which is suggested to be the second Sunday after Consecration Sunday. What we are finding, however, is that some congregations that have a late November or early December emphasis have chosen to suggest, instead, that members begin their new commitments at the beginning of the new year.

This is probably not a practice we would want to encourage. The reasons: 1) It is better to keep the time of commitment and the time of action closer together. Let people act while their commitment and the reason for it is still fresh in their minds. A five or six week wait between commitment and action weakens the link. Our materials are never prescriptive to what an individual must do, but they do suggest an action while the commitment is still strong and fresh. 2) Moving the action time to the beginning of the calendar year may link the commitment to the church’s budget and the convenience of the financial reporting system rather than the person’s response to the grace of God. Consecrated Stewards makes a point of separating stewardship from the church’s needs and connecting it to our response to God’s grace in Christ. Why not set First Offering for Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day rather than the beginning of a new calendar year? Do you catch the difference?

If, however, you have set a starting date of the beginning of the calendar year, be sure to remind people of that starting date. Do it in a way that reflects the gospel orientation of Consecrated Stewards rather than the budgetary needs or fiscal beginnings of the congregation. Some hints will be found in the Fulfillment section of the congregational manual. If some people have already begun their new commitments, it might be time for a stewardship witness from one of those people, or simply provide a stewardship witness of trust and hope as we begin a new year of uncertainty.

And please don’t forget that stewardship is a year round subject. Use your quarterly offering statements to include a mission based and grace oriented stewardship message, to thank people for their faithfulness, and to point out what God is doing through the ministry of your congregation at home and through global partnerships. Make use of the many hints that you will find on this blog and on the links listed to the right to help you keep whole life (time, talent, treasure and more) stewardship before your people all year long. Don’t try to cover all aspects of stewardship at once, and don’t limit yourself to a financial emphasis once a year. Plan ahead, and use the resources you will find here to plan other activities of stewardship of time, talent, environment, relationships, etc. at regular intervals throughout the year ahead

LCEF Conference: How Christians Handle a Challenging Economy

At the annual Fall Conference of the Lutheran Church Extension Fund, Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod president Gerald Kieschnick, speaking to the Biblical text of Jesus asleep in the boat on Galilee's sea, said "We need to remember in our present time that no matter what overwhelming issues may be challenging us or the people we are called to lead, we are in the same boat [as] a man named Jesus," Kieschnick said. "No matter what the situation is, we are not facing it by ourselves. The Lord is by our side, even if it seems in our minds that He may be sleeping."

"When we as leaders live with this kind of faith and confidence in our own lives," Kieschnick continued, "the people we lead will observe it and learn from our example that there is nothing to fear when one is in the boat with Jesus. Such faith and confidence enables us to lead with confidence and, in similar accord, set a godly course and direction for the church in the midst of overwhelming times."

Click here for the full report in the Lutheran Witness Reporter.

The Year of the Grasshopper

Pastor Roger Kruger, Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska, in his November e-news. "Fireflies," had the following interesting article. For more on the newsletter or to subscribe (free) click here.
The Year of the Grasshopper

In every congregation I have served, there were always two parties when it came to budget matters. One—I’ll call them the Grape Party—were in favor of taking risks and stepping out in faith to expand the mission of the congregation. Like the exploratory party who came back from the land of Canaan carrying an enormous cluster of grapes (Num. 13), these were the people who saw possibilities, who had a vision of the future. But then there were also always the Grasshoppers (“We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes”), who saw the dangers and risks that moving forward would entail. Often, when it came to large congregational expenditures such as adding staff or engaging in building expansion, the Grasshoppers wanted to see proof through pledges and commitments that all the money was in hand before proceeding. The Grapes would argue, on the other hand, that it was necessary to do things to expand mission in order to broaden the giving base, that to wait until the money was in hand before proceeding was to commit to decline rather than growth.

In light of today’s economic climate, I think it is likely that this will be the year of the Grasshoppers in most congregations.

How the economy operates is a mystery to me, but this much I get: it is based on faith. If banks believe they are at risk, they won’t loan. If businesses believe they won’t get loans, they cut back and lay off workers. If workers believe they might lose their job, they won’t spend. If they don’t spend, businesses have to cut back more and lay off even more. And, as the unemployed can’t pay off their loans, even more banks become at risk. It is a vicious cycle driven by fear.

As that fear takes hold of congregations, congregations also will cut back, putting new projects on hold, cutting back on staff, and in some cases attempting to balance the budget by cutting salaries. Given the realities of the global economy, some of this is simply prudence. This is a time for caution and patience.
Grasshoppers have a point. John the Baptist, after all, developed a spiritual lifestyle around a diet of grasshoppers. To simplify, to establish priorities, to make decisions about what is essential, what can be delayed, and what is no longer viable is painful but important.

Caution Fear At WorkStill, it is important to distinguish between caution and fear.

The mission of the church is not survival but service. For those who look, there will be many opportunities to serve in hard times. Even though Nebraska has seemed somewhat sheltered so far from the worst effects of the crisis, the distant rumbles are growing louder. It is likely that in the coming months the issue may not simply be fear but fact. Now is the time to begin planning ways to meet the needs of people.

But what can congregations do? I suspect that if congregational leaders are asked to think about it, they can come up with a variety of creative ministries suited to their community. Here are some that occurred to me:

* If your community is impacted by large numbers of unemployed, finding ways to provide concrete assistance to those most severely impacted will be essential. Supporting and expanding congregational or community food banks is one way to help. Opening your facility to serve one meal a week could provide an important gathering place for social, emotional, and spiritual support.

* Looking for ways to utilize the unemployed in volunteer roles might not only provide an opportunity for those who have been laid off to utilize their time in meaningful ways but also provide the congregation with a way to sustain and even expand their ministries. Even as the financial support for congregations may dwindle, the opportunity to draw from a larger pool of volunteers may increase.

* Think, talk, teach, and preach about faith. If this really has a lot to do with fear, then people need to constantly be reminded of God’s faithfulness.

There is good reason to believe that if congregations are seen as making a difference, they will also be supported even in hard times.

The Christmas Gospel in a "Peanut" Shell

Charles Schulz, raised in the Lutheran Church and later active in the Church of God (Anderson), often had his "Peanuts" characters speak a gospel witness. This Linus monologue needs no comment except to wish each of you a joyous Christmas and a blessed New Year!

"We've Already Used That Bible Study!"

Q. Suppose a congregation has already used the Bible study materials recommended for a given year of Consecrated Stewards; are there alternatives, or is the congregation on its own to find other study materials?

A. There are times when a congregation has made use of the recommended Bible studies as part of a CFS capital campaign or through another ministry of LCEF. In such cases LCEF has alternative Bible study materials that will meet the needs of the congregation and fit the grace-based approach of Consecrated Stewards. It is best not to leave the congregation find its own materials since many stewardship materials are not in harmony with the gospel-centered approach of Consecrated Stewards. Contact the Capital Funding Services office 1-800-843-5233 for information on which Bible series might be best for your congregation.

This is a subject that the Guest Leader should explore early on in the process. The “Congregational Fact Sheet” each congregation is asked to complete includes information about previous capital campaigns and stewardship emphases. It may provide a “heads up” to such an issue. At the Initial Committee Meeting, the Guest Leader should show the recommended Bible study materials, pass them around – particularly to the pastor – and might ask if the congregation has used these before as part of another LCEF program. If so, assure them that samples of other materials will be made available to them.

A Missional Credo for Tough Times

Paul Krentz, Mission Facilitator for the Texas District LCMS, posted "A Missional Credo for Tough Times" on his blog. A portion is printed below. For full text, click here.


Right now, banks are pulling back; mortgage firms are pulling back; individuals are pulling back from their 401-k plans and unloading their stock portfolios. Folks are trying to preserve what they've got and minimize their risks.

Churches might be tempted to pull back and minimize their risks as well, thinking that acting missionally is best left to better economic times. Habakkuk, the Old Testament prophet reminds us that we ought not put our trust only in what we can see with our eyes.

In Habakkuk 3:17-19 he says: "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, {18} yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. {19} The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights."

Blessed Thanksgiving

The music video below says it well. All good gifts come from God, but greatest of these is His love in Jesus Christ. We are blessed to be stewards of those gifts and partners with God in His great mission.

We wish you and your family a Blessed Thanksgiving!

Giving Patterns in Recession Times

Based on past recessions, church members will keep giving to their congregations, at least for now, said Sylvia Ronsvalle of Empty Tomb Inc.

Decreasing giving is not the first thing church people do in tough economic times, she says. In an extended downturn, congregations might begin to see a retraction in church-member giving the second year, she predicts.

Research shows church giving as a percentage of income was higher during the early years of the Great Depression (3.5%) than at any point since. Data from the last 6 recessions show reduced giving in 3 and increased giving in 3, but only in 1970 did it go down in the first year. Traditionally, people view the church second only to family in terms of accountability. General giving outside the church is spottier, although people tend to give to an immediate need.

For additional research and analysis of giving data, click here for the research section of “Empty Tomb, Inc.”
Also read an earlier post "Giving in a Time of Financial Crisis" (october 28) below or in the October archives.

Building Programs as Missional Opportunities

Building a building does not necessarily enhance a congregation’s ability to be in mission, but it can provide the opportunity to reexamine its missional philosophy, values, vision and strategy.

Stephen Shields in “Churches in Missional Renaissance: Facilitating the Transition to a Missional Mindset” (Click Here to download the full article) says “Considering that missional ministry generally takes place outside of the four walls of the church, it’s somewhat counterintuitive that some churches pinpoint a time during a building campaign as when they began moving toward a more missional focus.”

Shields gives examples of churches for whom a building program provided the opportunity to dedicate a percentage of the money raised towards missional goals or actually changed the nature of what was being built to focus more on the needs of the community.

A service like LCEF’s Strategic Ministry Planning (Click Here) can help a congregation do the necessary missional reexamination before moving ahead with a building. SMP’s process is based on a “House of Decisions” model. Most congregations start out with second floor concerns instead of foundational concerns (theology) and first floor concerns (missiology).


A building program can be a missional opportunity if it is based on a reexamination of your vision and values and if it results in a case statement that reflects those values.

Financial Red Flags

It's a difficult subject to address with congregations, but as one whose ministry was for many years at the District or judicatory level, I know from experience that many congregations do not take simple steps to protect themselves from the heartache and scandal of financial mismanagement.

Every congregation should have written procedures that govern the handling of money from the time it hits the offering plate until the time it is deposited in the bank and how it is reported to the congregation. Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company lists at least three "red flags" for financial mismanagement (Click HERE for full article):

Red Flag No. 1: A person who does it all. “If you have the same person counting the money, recording it and depositing it—you’ve got a problem.”

Good Controls:

• Provide Checks & Balances. The person who opens the mail should differ from the one who makes bank deposits. The person making payments from a fund shouldn’t balance that fund.
• Split Duties. Reduce the temptation for a single individual who handles all the funds.

Red Flag No. 2: An Opportunity for Temptation

What greater temptation is there than a pile of money passing in front of your face? Being left alone in a room to count it.

Good Controls:

• Follow the Rule of Twos. For church offerings, experts recommend that you follow the rule of twos: At least two people should always collect and count the offering.
• Select Counters Carefully. Enlist money counters who aren't related and don't work at the same place during the week. Also, avoid selecting someone experiencing a financial crisis.
• Secure Counting Area.

Red Flag No. 3: Inadequate Oversight

Tales of embezzlement often share common elements: a charismatic person in a position of trust who convinces the governing board that all is well; the board assumes the person speaks truthfully and performs his duties honestly; then regular checks are not performed. As consequence the crime goes unnoticed.

Good Controls:

• Reconcile Bank Statements.
• Hold Monthly Financial Meetings.
• Schedule Audits.

Using the CS Bible Studies in Three Weeks

Q. With the Guest Leader Bible Study on CS-1, how are we supposed to use all four Bible studies provided?
A. Here are some suggestions for using the Bible studies:
• Use all the Bible studies for all mid-week classes and use all bulletin inserts, but use only three on Sundays, substituting the Guest Leader Bible Study on CS-1.
• Start the Sunday Bible studies on CS-3 as suggested, but extend to CS+1 (week after Consecration Sunday) for the final study that was missed.
• Start the Sunday Bible studies on CS-4. If you do this, make sure you change the publicity materials to reflect the change.
• Skip one of the Bible studies.

Small Steps to Stewardship Growth

Sometimes stewardship growth best takes place not through major programs, but through small steps that may be suggested by the Stewardship Committee for use by individuals and by the congregation as a whole. The following list is adapted from one provided by "Live It!" a Roman Catholic Stewardship resource. CLICK HERE for the full (unedited) list.

INDIVIDUAL/FAMILY

• Take your watch off when entering church for worship — symbolize this is God's time, the service a doorway to eternity.
• Create a Refrigerator magnet: "What can I do to help people who don't have a well-stocked refrigerator?"
• Purchase a less-expensive car than you can afford — share the difference with your parish.
• On the First Sunday of Advent, review spending for the year, particularly charitable sharing.
• Decide on year-end sharing (including, if necessary, making up for missed offerings).
• Put a piece of straw in your wallet before Christmas shopping, to remind yourself of the greatest gift, Jesus in the manger.
• Put a stewardship sticker on your credit card, to remind you that spending is not everything.
• Take an inventory of your clothes. Decide which items you don't need, and donate them to a charity that will put them to use.
• Think carefully about alternative uses of the money before purchasing luxury items or recreation equipment or fancy clothes.
• Encourage people to set goals not only for stewardship of treasure but also for time (especially as prayer) and talent.
• Build a habit of thanking people whose work usually goes unnoticed — those who clean our business office, those who serve the food in fast-food restaurants, cashiers at the supermarket.
• Send hand-written notes to senior members of the parish, thanking them for all they have done in their lives for the church community.
• Rake leaves, shovel snow, etc., for elderly neighbors/parishioners.
• Help an elderly person learn basic computer operation and e-mail, so he/she can keep in touch with relatives and the world in general.

CONGREGATIONAL

• Put a stewardship sticker on all envelopes and other parish materials (e.g., grocery bags for food drive).
• Use the language of stewardship instead of volunteering, giving, etc.
• Have available in the Church (1) slips of paper on which people can write (anonymously) how they have used their gifts for others during the past week, and (2) a basket in which to place them. Then bring the basket to the altar.
• If the office uses a postage machine, add a stewardship message to the printing. Most machines can print a message along with the postage. "Stewardship -- A Disciple's Way of Life" would look good on all the envelopes.
• On All Souls Day (or all through November), label a bulletin board the "Wall of Remembrance"; invite people to post pictures of their departed loved ones. Give thanks for these stewards of old who helped bring us the Gospel.
  
• At the end of the service, the pastor thanks all the assistants by name.
• Leave thank-you cards in the church; ask people to address them to people whose ministry might otherwise go unnoticed.
• Take a picture of the church. Then have it made into a picture puzzle, with enough pieces so that every family can have one. Mail the pieces to parishioners and ask them to bring the pieces on Commitment Sunday. (Alternatively: People have to bring in their pieces as a symbol they have completed some step, such as visiting a Parish Ministry Fair.) At the Ministry Fair, have a table where pieces can be placed. The message is, "The congregation isn't complete without you."
• Create a button: "I'm a Steward for Christ." Ask ministry leaders to wear them regularly, in order to build interest. Then distribute them to the congregation.
• Give each parishioner a report on his/her sharing three times a year, without any request for funds. Most people will make up any missing amounts.
• Publish stories of stewardship in the Bulletin, with emphasis on actions of members.
• Recognize a ministry each week, either at worship or in the Bulletin.
• Invite community organizations to participate in Time and Talent Sunday (Ministry Fair).
• Collect travel-sized shampoos, lotions, toothpaste, etc. (hotels often have them available; after one use, the bottles are thrown out). Give them to shelters.
• Print a stewardship prayer on a business card or similar vehicle. Give one to all Board members; ask them to say the prayer at the start of each of their meetings.
• Encourage kid's groups to do community service.
• Invite parishioners to form a group that will provide meals, housecleaning, etc., for terminally ill people and their families, and other people in crisis.
• Provide credit counseling for those in need.
• Visit new parishioners in their homes. Invite them to discern their gifts and then to use them in the parish and the community.
• Invite people with auto mechanic skills to band together to obtain old cars and bring them to running condition. Give the cars to people who need transportation but cannot afford to purchase a car.
• Ask the parish to recognize the gifts of the students in the parish.
• Adopt a student who cannot afford higher education; provide financial support for education.
• Ask the parish to be aware of special-needs students in their midst; encourage help for the students and the parents.
• During Religious Education and Youth Ministry, help children to learn about their gifts and how to use them

Giving in a Time of Financial Crisis

Christianity Today did a poll of its web readers and email recipients during the week of October 19 to determine whether the economic crisis was affecting charitable giving. The results are as follows:

Has your giving gone down due to the economic crisis?

• No, it hasn't changed. I am giving just as much: 76%
• No, it's gone up: 9%
• Yes, my investments have gone down, so I have fewer resources to give: 7%
• No, it hasn't changed. I wasn't able to give to begin with: 4%
• Yes, I am saving more now because I'm not sure what the future holds: 3%

If I read the figures correctly, it would indicate a potential 1% decrease in giving among those polled, and that decrease would more likely be felt in special gifts from accumulated assets rather than regular offerings. The sample -- that of readers of Christianity Today -- is, of course, likely to consist of active, regular church members. Hopefully, many of them have caught the vision of grace-based, proportionate, joyful giving that operates not on the principle of fear, but on the principle that "As God guides, He will provide."

Another resource comes from the Episcopal Diocese of Southwestern Virginia (Click Here for Article) entitled "Holy Habits for a Fickle Economy". Among the words of advice:

• It is more important to nurture holy habits than to fret over a budget.
• Sometimes the conversation comes down to cutting expenses or increasing income. Faith is always found when focusing on the income side.
• As a church we are called to confront the culture of greed and the spectacle of debt.
• You can't sell soap if you don't take a bath. If you think others should call on the Gospel, call on it yourself. If you think giving is important, give of yourself.

More Than One Service

Q. How is Consecration Sunday handled if a church has more than one service on Sunday?
A. There are different answers for different congregations.
You need to know the “culture” of a particular congregation. One possibility is to have some type of celebration meal after each service. One Guest Leader recently wrote us to say, “I just completed a program at a church that had four services on a weekend and we had a meal for every service. We utilized the gym for that, which meant that the contemporary worship on Sunday morning also moved to the sanctuary. This meant a tight time frame (1 hour 15 minutes from start of one service to the start of the next), but it was doable.”
Another possibility: A Committee Chair at a large congregation said they decided to invite everyone back for Bible Classes and a single meal. They promoted attendance heavily and made all the follow up calls, and attendance at the meal equaled their average adult attendance.
When it comes to announcing results, cumulative results may be announced for each service with the final totals announced in time of thanksgiving on the following Sunday.

CS a Springboard to Year-Round Stewardship

Consecrated Stewards will often be the first “success” story a congregation has had in stewardship both in terms of its spiritual impact and its level of response. Be sure to encourage congregations to build on that with a year-round calendar of stewardship events covering many aspects of our stewardship life. The materials and resources in the Fulfillment section of the Guest Leader Guide will help, as will the many resources available on the Synodical Web site. (Click Here)
The Guest Leader Guide urges you to spend time on this during the final telephone fulfillment meeting, but many Guest Leaders raise the issue of year-round stewardship at the Initial Committee Meeting for two reasons:
1. They want people thinking of a broader stewardship program from the very beginning.
2. Some guest leaders report that attendance at that final fulfillment meeting is often poor.
They want to get the message across early to the whole group.

Watch for news about CS3. It will take Year-Round stewardship preparation to a new level.

Creating Cultures of Generosity

Pat Springle had an article on Leadership Network (Click here for article) about creating cultures of generosity in congregations that is worth reading. It reinforces the principles that stewardship is linked to a sense of and participation in mission and that motivation begins with the generosity of God, not just in material things, but in His grace in Jesus Christ.
Stewardship and a culture of generosity are not a program. They are a blessing and an attitude that permeate everything we say, are and do. This is the motivation behind Consecrated Stewards as well as our Capital Funding ministries.

Reservation Calls as Ministry Opportunities

Again and again we hear reports of calls assigned at the Leaders Luncheon that turn into ministry opportunities. You never know what joys God may have waiting for you to hear or what sorrows people may need to share. When call assignments are made at the Leaders Luncheon, take time to say a few words about the ministry opportunities these calls afford, not just their program value.
Some congregations have used the reservation process as an opportunity for prayer requests.
When Reservation Cards are collected at these congregations on CS-2 and CS-1, the back of the card contains a form for prayer requests. These prayer requests are then lifted up before the Lord, together with prayers for Consecrated Stewards, in a short (two to three hour) prayer vigil on the Friday or Saturday before Consecration Sunday.
Those who have not returned a Reservation Card are called by those who attended the Leaders Luncheon, not only to invite them to the Consecration Sunday activities, but also to express real concern for their prayer needs. It can be a wonderful ministry tool and a way of saying “We care about you!” when people are expecting “We want something from you.”

Including "Time and Talent" ?

Q. I’m working with a congregation that would like to include time and talents as well as “treasures” to the CS Response Card. I cautioned them against this but wanted to get your feedback on actual practice and experience.
A. Regarding including time and talents: We recommend NOT combining that response with a financial response on the commitment card on Consecration Sunday. Reasons:
• It tends to “water down” the importance of each commitment by combining the two together.
Both are important aspects of stewardship and best kept apart.
• It becomes a cumbersome process to do a proper job of allowing a genuine “time and talent” commitment together with a financial commitment. You need a financial card, plus a sheet or two for time or talent responses. That takes time for explanation and completion if done within the service.
• If not done properly, with a well thought through time and talent commitment, you wind up with a single card that looks something like this:
I will serve the Lord through...
_____ My regular prayers for the ministry of my church
_____ Worshiping the Lord and receiving the sacrament
_____ Participating through my time and talents
_____ Supporting the Lord’s work through my weekly offering of $______
The only thing specific on such a commitment is the financial amount, and many people see everything else as “spiritual fluff.”
Instead of combining the two, we recommend:
• A year-round program of stewardship education and commitment that includes various commitments at different times of the year. For example, Financial Commitment in October, Time and Talent in January, Prayer Commitment in Lent, Care of Creation in June, etc.
• Another possibility (one we are working on for CS Year 3) is to have a Ministry Fair on the Sunday before Consecration Sunday. At that Ministry Fair, the various groups in the congregation (or community) set up a display of their ministry and a sheet is distributed as people visit the Fair to enable them to volunteer for service in particular ministries. This separates the financial commitment from the time and talent commitment with two separate events.
• The best way is to have a time and talent emphasis tied in with a gift identification Bible study program at a time separate from the financial commitment.

Ordering Herb Miller "New Consecration Sunday" Material

Q. Do you still recommend that we order the Herb Miller materials for the congregational leadership? I don’t want to confuse the lay leaders with two sets of guidelines.

A. We ask the congregation to purchase ONE copy of Herb Miller’s New Consecration Sunday
Stewardship Program with Guest Leader Guide AFTER they have made the decision to go with
Consecrated Stewards and in time for the Initial Commitment Meeting with the group that will be working the program. Do NOT ask them to purchase it during the Decision Phase. Use the Consecrated Stewards materials and DVD (segments 1-4). This ONE copy is kept by the CHAIR for REFERENCE and for the few items we still use that are Herb Miller’s materials. We do NOT recommend that the congregation distribute a book to each member of the committee. This can cause confusion. Miller’s material is simply a secondary reference. Guest Leaders—Always point out that our manual and your instructions are prime directives.
Herb Miller materials may be ordered from Augsburg Fortress and other suppliers. (See link to the right under "Herb Miller materials".