|
June 2008
Stewardship E-news
Dear Friends and
Colleagues:
This is the last issue of
Stewardship E-news that I will edit. After eight years as Chair of the
Conference Stewardship Committee my term ends on June 30. I want to express
my deep appreciation to Bishop Hopkins, Paul White, Jessica Vargo, members
of the Stewardship Committee, the many others who have made helpful
suggestions, and especially to Russ Martin who has made invaluable
contributions to many issues of Stewardship E-news.
It is my hope and prayer
that this resource will continue to provide material to strengthen the work
of stewardship in the churches of East Ohio.
Bill McFadden
The purpose is to provide
resources for a year-round stewardship program. Each issue will include a “to
do” list for the month, articles for the church newsletter and bulletin, and
timely stewardship resources.
NOW IS
THE TIME – THE TIME TO PLAN FOR YOUR FALL STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM
A special section of this
e-news will provide you with information about available resources. Please see
below.
Stewardship is about more than raising money for the church’s ministry and
mission. Church leaders are responsible for changing the culture of our
congregations. How we view money, things and possessions reflects our values
and ultimately how we spend our time, talent and treasure.
June to do list:
-
Determine what you will do for a fall stewardship campaign (see information
below for assistance).
- Plan
stewardship studies for your fall program.
- Send
Shared Ministry payment to Conference Treasurer.
- Send
Peace with Justice offering to Conference Treasurer.
-
Include stewardship and planned giving articles in June newsletter (see
below).
- Use
Offertory introductions (see below).
Newsletter article:
Stewardship and Challenge
(The
following is reprinted with permission from the newsletter of First United
Methodist Church in Middlefield. Author-Rev. Ed Peterson)
Greetings Friends! One of the things that we are most
sensitive about in church is money. It has become our custom that money is a
taboo subject in the life of the church; something we know is necessary but that
we would rather not talk about. This is ironic, because money was one of Jesus’
favorite topics. In fact, the only thing that Jesus talked about more than
money was the kingdom of God. All of Jesus’ talk about money was to convey one
simple principle; what we do with our money conveys our true relationship with
God. In the life of the church, we have mission statements and goals. But if
you want to know where our church’s true priorities are, look at our budget.
Likewise, in our own lives, we may do a lot of talking about the place of God in
our life. But our bank statement reveals the truth.
So, what does God ask of us? All throughout the Bible, we are taught to return
to God the first fruits of our labor. Not so different from what happens with
our paychecks; the government takes their share off the top, and we live on the
rest. While we pay somewhere around 25% in income tax, all God asks of us is
10%.
For many of us, giving God
10% and living on the rest may not be possible immediately. The first step is
to look at what percentage of your income you are giving. For this year, make
it your goal to increase your giving by just 1%. God promises us that when we
are faithful in our giving to God, God honors that and provides for us. We have
seen this in the life of our church. A few years ago, the leadership of our
church decided to pay our apportionments (our church’s tithe) first, and to live
on the rest. For three years, we have been faithful in our giving, and God has
been faithful to us.
So, why all the talk about
money? Because it is crucial to our spiritual lives that we give. Giving is
just as important to our spiritual lives as prayer, Bible study, and worship.
Lots of folks say that pastors should not talk about money. I don’t agree. I
talk about money, not for the church’s sake, but for your sake. I am charged
with your spiritual well-being. I would be neglectful in my duties as your
pastor, if I did not talk about the importance of giving in your spiritual
life. I love you too much to avoid a sensitive subject. And besides, if Jesus
talked about money, I guess I’m in pretty good company.
Planned Giving Article for
newsletter: Standing on Others’ Shoulders
As we go through life and are
aware of our church, the hospital we might use, the library, or the school we
attended, we realize that all of these were provided by those on whose shoulders
we stand. As we make decisions about the ultimate distribution of our estate,
we realize we can take our place in that long line of those who have provided
for those who came after them. Have you included the church in your plan?
Introduction to the
offering:
The following are suggestions intended to be used prior to receiving the
offering.
June 1: Celebration of
the continued success of Africa University took place at the recent General
Conference. When we contribute to our Shared Ministry asking, we support Africa
University.
June 8: Our church will offer
Vacation Church School (insert date). When you share your gift, you help
support the Vacation Church School that can be a life-changing experience.
June 15: This weekend Youth
Annual Conference was held at Lakeside and tomorrow the East Ohio Annual
Conference will convene. When we contribute to our Shared Ministry asking we
support the work of youth and the administration of the East Ohio Annual
Conference.
June 22: At the Annual
Conference session that ended on June 19, we learned more about the 3Cs mission
effort to build Clinics in Liberia and Sierra Leone, Churches in Russia and
Classrooms in Zimbabwe. Support of this effort will make a difference in many
lives.
June 29: As we enjoy the
summer let’s remember to continue our support of the ministry and mission of our
church.
Stewardship
Resource:
Churches throughout the annual conference are requesting Shared Ministry
Interpreters to enable members to understand the significance of Shared Ministry
askings. Now would be a good time to schedule an interpreter for this
fall. Contact Jessica Vargo, conference treasurer, at 800-831-3972 ext.
123.
SPECIAL SECTION PLANNING YOUR FALL STEWARDSHIP
PROGRAM
Resources for Annual Fall Campaigns
Now is the time to choose the
program you will use for your Annual Campaign to secure support for the ministry
and mission of your church.
New Beginnings,
Stewardship as a Way of Life
by Paul Wilkes is a new program that incorporates commitments of Time, Talent
and Treasure. Absolutely everything you need to conduct a stewardship program
is included – a detailed leader’s guide, DVD/VHS, resources CD, pledge forms,
and promotional materials. Since the program is brand new, I cannot relate
examples of anyone who has used it. The program may be deemed expensive for
some churches.
Examine the program. Reviewed by Bill McFadden.
Preview Programs
for Annual Campaigns Samples
of a number of excellent programs are available for you to preview in the
conference office. Consecration Sunday and programs developed by LeWay
Resources are some of the most popular and have been used successfully in many
of the churches of the conference.
Resources for Stewardship Education
Why is stewardship education
so important? We are being bombarded every day by a worldview that “sells”
consumption, consumerism, me-first, hoarding, scarcity, and accumulation as the
way to happiness. This worldview is contrary to scripture and a life of
discipleship. Stewardship is about much more than money, but how we view and use
money determines our every day actions. The church has largely been in default
as a source of helping persons examine their values in light of their actions.
Excellent resources are now available to help with stewardship education.
Below are just a few of new resources that are available. (Reviewed by Bill
McFadden)
30 Days of Generosity: This resource has
been developed to engage a congregation in a month-long experience of thinking
and learning about life-changing stewardship principles. The leader’s guide
will provide helps for sermons, worship services, and a plan to engage the
congregation in 30 days of prayer-reflection-discussion centered on the
following themes: It’s about God; It’s about Purpose; It’s about Provision; It’s
about Me! 30
Days of Generosity is based on the following three foundational trusts: 1) True
stewardship is about more than money; 2) Our perspective on money needs to come
from scripture, centered on God being the creator and giver of everything; and
3) How we manage God’s resources speaks volumes about our trust in God. When
applied, these three truths will help churches: 1) Better manage God’s
resources; 2) Express their faith in all areas of life; 3) Give to the full work
of the church.
Resource
is very affordable and may be ordered here.
Three New Resources
Available.
Vist this site for stewardship resources designed for
different seasons. Unique to these resources is music written by
Ken Medena.
Example of
Effective Fund Appeal Letter
The following letter was written by Rev. David Palmer, Kent United Methodist
Church. The letter is being included here with David’s permission as an example
of an effective letter.
Christ is
risen! The good news of Easter brings hope for our lives, and gives us a
message of hope for the world! It is for this reason that our church takes a
special Easter Offering, which goes entirely for missions—so that we can help
people in many places enter a new day of life in Christ.
In our Easter
offering, we follow the commission that Jesus gave to His disciples after
Easter, when he said, “You shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem [locally], in all
Judea and Samaria [regionally], and to the ends of the earth [globally].” (Acts
1:8) With the Easter offering, for which we have a goal of $8000, we will reach
out in the following ways:
Local and Ohio projects:
$3000 for church camps; we provide crucial support for our
East Ohio United Methodist camps in their ministry of helping young people come
to faith in Christ.
$2500 for new church development in East Ohio. Our number one mission field is
right here! We are helping to start new United Methodist congregations across
East Ohio.
$1500 for local area missions to the needy, divided among the following
projects:
Portage County Habitat
for Humanity
Hartville Migrant Ministry
Kent Social Services
Townhall II (rape & abuse counseling/prevention, family crisis and medical help)
Steubenville Urban Mission (a United Methodist urban mission) The Steubenville
Urban Mission and Kent Social services will both receive matching grant funds to
double the impact of our contribution.
Overseas project:
$1000 for Africa University, to help poor African students attend this new
United Methodist University in Zimbabwe.
We look forward to our celebration of Easter, beginning on Palm Sunday, March 16
and continuing through Holy Week to Easter, March 23. It is a truly a joy to
share together in the good news of the Resurrection! In
His Service,
Rev. Dave Palmer
|
