"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.