How to Encourage Stewardship in Others

For many churches, the word stewardship is tied around a multi-week fall campaign or sermon series on giving. Stewardship needs to be more than a campaign – it should be a mindset incorporated in every season of your church or ministry. Your goal should be to develop a stewardship program with a focus on creating supporters whose commitment and giving increases throughout their lifetime that believe in the effectiveness of your organization in accomplishing its mission.

Stewardship – Have a Stewardship Plan

The best way to cultivate a deep-rooted spirit of stewardship in your congregation is to actually make a plan to accomplish it. Brainstorm with your team what you think you can do throughout the year to communicate your vision, regularly give feedback on how it is being accomplished, and give them opportunities to further participate. Assign responsibilities and regular revisit it to adapt and layer in new things.

Here are some things to consider when developing or building your stewardship plan.

  1. Have an ongoing conversation about generosity and giving. Stewardship should not be the focus for only two to three weeks in the fall.
  2. Tell stories of impact and the many great things that are happening because of the generosity of the congregation, rather than showing charts with dollars and deficits. People enjoy giving out of a spirit of gratitude.
  3. Invite congregants to tell stories of how the church is changing their lives. This helps them examine the impact of the church in their own life, one that is likely shared with others in the congregation.
  4. Help people see the real needs you have, not just a budget bottom line. This helps people connect their gift to the purpose and vision, rather than simply transactional.
  5. Instead of focusing on the building and its needs, shift the thinking to the mission of the building(s) and all of the things that are happening because of the people who use the building(s).
  6. Regularly show gratitude for those who support ministry, whether through their time or finances. Many Pastors and church staff do not see what people give, but donors still need to feel thanked and encouraged. You can thank supporters and volunteers each time you give an update on a ministry. You can also ask leadership to help you write thank-you notes to donors (you don’t need to see the amount given to say thank you).
  7. You can implement recurring online giving. This is a convenient way for many people that plan to tithe, but sometimes miss because they were out of town or forgot their checkbook. It also helps the church plan for its finances if giving is more predictable and doesn’t slow down as much in the summer months.

Enhancing your church’s stewardship strategy takes time. It’s not just about raising money. It’s about changing people’s mindsets.

Homework: Take stock of what your church currently does to communicate the value of stewardship throughout the year and note areas where you think you can grow or try a new tactic.