Stewardship 101
Living! Daring! Confident!
“Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that you cand stake your life on it a thousand times.” --Martin Luther
If you had been rescued from drowning, some of the first words you’d say would be “Thank you” to the lifeguard. Although those words would seem inadequate payment, what else could you do? How much would you have paid the lifeguard? How much is your life worth?
In Holy Baptism, we understand ourselves to have been rescued from Death (capital D) by the Lifeguard (capital L). In that moment, with water, we are welded to the death and resurrection of Jesus, with the promise that as he was raised, so shall we. And how can we repay Jesus for what he did for us on the cross? All we can do is say thanks.
Stewardship = A life filled with saying thanks to God every way we can, with all we have and all we are.
Discover your need to give.
Interesting fact: in the land Jesus walked, there are two significant bodies of water: The Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. As most everyone knows, the Dead Sea is dead because it has an inlet but no outlet. The Jordan River flows in from the north, but has no outlet. And all the minerals the river brings makes the lake increasingly salty - and dead. It receives but never gives - it’s dead.
The Sea of Galilee, on the other hand, receives fresh water from the Jordan River entering from the north and sends as much as it receives on its way south. As a result it is a body of water, teeming with fish and surrounded by fishing villages - it is alive. It receives and it gives - it is alive.
Do you want to be like the Dead Sea and receive but not give, or the Sea of Galilee, one who receives and gives? Discover your need to give.
Stewardship has nothing to do with the church’s budget.
Stewardship has everything to do with your need to give
A just and equitable way of meeting the church’s budget would be to divide the total budget by the number of members. The resulting number would be each one’s “fair share.” That might work for a club or other organization, but not the body of Christ. If we divided up the budget in this way, for some it would be a true financial hardship. But on the other side, the fact is there are many households that could start giving less than they are now, sometimes far less.
If everyone discovered their need to give (of time, talent and treasure), and responded ccordingly, the church budget would be quite healthy.
We generally stay away from the word tithing and instead focus on the phrase first fruits giving. Too often a tithe is rigidly thought to be 10%. And right away that seems too steep a mountain for someone to climb that has never had a disciplined practice of giving before.
We emphasize the importance of giving what is right, and not what is left. If we only give what is left, after paying all the bills, often there will be nothing left. But using Simply Giving (electronic funds transfer), means the first portion is taken each month. That is the right way to give.
Stewardship FAQ
(Faithfully Asked Questions)
What does the word stewardship mean? Hundreds of years ago, those who first translated our Bible into English were looking for just the right way to translate a tricky Greek word meaning, “the one who looks after the affairs of a household to insure its survival”. They decided to use the word for the “one who looked after the pigs”: the sty warden (steward), a critically important person in the community. On the biggest scale in the church, our stewardship is to see that God's economy works here on earth: that everyone has access to God's table, that there are no human barriers for any of God's children to the necessities of human life. On the personal scale, we are to manage what belongs to another in such a way that needs are faithfully met.
How is my stewardship related to the life of the church? A church is like a tree and its members are like leaves. Leaves make food for the tree, using water, light, and carbon dioxide. Without all three of these things, the tree cannot grow or even live. Without constant donations of time, talent and treasure a church will suffer and may not survive. However, with careful stewardship, the church will flourish.
And like a healthy tree, it will benefit others. It can be a source of food, shelter and inspiration, too. Remember this as you decide how you can provide your time, talent and resources to make the "tree" flourish."
Do I need to give? You are not required to give to attend Faith Lutheran Church. However, re-visiting the metaphor off the Dead Sea and Sea of Galilee: The Dead Sea is dead because the Jordan River flows into it, but nothing flows out of it. This lake, which only receives, is dead. The Sea of Galilee receives from the Jordan River in the north and then sends that water out to the south. It is alive because it receives and gives. It is like that with people, too. In Christ, through the Holy Spirit, God continuously infuses you with grace. But if you only receive, you die. If you receive and give, you flourish. Consider this when you consider your need to give.
What is right giving? Right giving is giving what is right, not what is left, as in left over. Many people give to God and God’s work after they have given to their other needs and wants. When they do this, they find that God gets the left-overs. What is right to give is the first portion. We are taught to give off the top—the Bible calls it “first fruits giving.” We love and thank God by giving first...before the mortgage or rent, the car payment, even food. Giving first, whenever we receive income, is a sign of trust that is even more important than how much we give.
What is planned giving? Planned giving is not accidental or left-over giving. It is the result of thought and prayer and calculation. Here is a simple process you can use to start planning your giving:
Current weekly giving: $
Divide by weekly income: $
Equals current percentage: %
[Consider growing by at least 1 % ]
Enter new percentage here: %
Use the Proportionate Giving Chart (below) to determine your new weekly giving amount:
$
When you receive a new Plan for Giving card, enter this new dollar amount.
What is proportionate giving? There is no correct amount for your regular offering. There is a Biblical way to give. We are to give in proportion to what we receive. The Biblical guideline is tithing (10%), but the percentage itself is less important than the commitment to give proportionately. If you’re new to proportionate giving, you can use the percentage chart below to determine a place to start.
What is sacrificial giving? The one and only sacrifice that was able to restore a right relation between God and the world was made for us by Jesus on the cross. All of our giving is marked by thanksgiving for all the benefits we have received because of Christ. If you want to strengthen your muscles you must work them beyond their current ability. In other words, you must lift a weight that is heavy enough to exhaust you by lifting it 5-7 times. Lifting a very light weight many times will not strengthen your muscles. One of the reasons God calls us to give sacrificially is that it strengthens our faith and helps us grow spiritually. If we merely give out of our excess we don’t give God the opportunity to prove faithfulness. That’s like lifting a very light weight. It won’t strengthen your muscles. But when we give sacrificially, when we give to the point of it hurting a bit, we exercise our faith. We learn to trust in God by giving sacrificially.
What is the right method to use for my giving? When you have decided the right way you need to give (first fruits) and planned a proportionate amount, where do you put your money? One choice is to place cash in the offering in the plate. This anonymous giving honors the fact that what you give is between you and God. Another choice is to use the offering envelopes that our church provides its members. Those who use envelopes for their giving receive periodic reports of their giving that help when calculating charitable giving deductions on income tax forms. These reports also help those who make a pledge keep track of how they are doing during the year (more about pledging below).
What is Simply Giving? Simply Giving® is an automated giving program designed to help you conveniently and consistently contribute to your church. Through Simply Giving®, your gifts are made through a pre-authorized withdrawal from your bank account. You determine the frequency of your automatic gift—weekly, semi-monthly or monthly—the option is yours. Your gift or payment is deposited into the recipient's bank account on the same day it is withdrawn from your account—at no cost to you or the recipient. Simply Giving® benefits to you and to your congregation. Simply Giving® is a reliable, safe way to move your stewardship plan into action. It allows you to share your gifts through planned giving and activates your generosity into ongoing stewardship. Because your gift is given consistently, you won't need to play "catch-up" at year-end or worry about forgotten checkbooks or missed Sunday offerings. But you're not the only one that benefits. Your congregation benefits from steady, more predictable revenues throughout the year, more efficient bookkeeping and greater confidence in meeting its financial commitments.
What is pledging? Try to imagine this: you start a new job and you are told that you will be receiving a salary. You ask, “How much?” and are told, “Don’t worry about how much, you’ll get your money.” And when you ask when you will get paid you are told, “Don’t worry. You’ll get your money.” This is a little like the situation in which the leaders of your church find themselves from time to time. The people of Faith Lutheran have been good and generous givers; you only have to look around at the facilities and programs we have to know this is true. But the leaders of our church sometimes have to use guesswork to plan for the financial future of the church. When people choose to pledge, they are letting the church’s leadership know of their giving intentions for the coming year. With these pledges from the congregation in hand, a budget can be prepared and plans made to accomplish the mission Christ has given to us.
What if I cannot keep the promise I made on my pledge card? A pledge card is not a promissory note. It is your estimate of your best intentions. But we know that people’s situations change and their ability to give changes, too. Your church understands this.
If I fall behind on my pledge, will someone call me? Everyone who pledges receives a quarterly report of their giving. It shows the amount they intended to give during the year and the amount given-to-date. You can use this to keep track of how you are doing. But no one is ever contacted personally about the status of their giving.
What if the whole congregation is falling behind? If this happens, we will send out a letter to the whole congregation, letting all of Faith Lutheran know that we are behind in our commitments. But we never single anyone out.
What if the pledges the congregation makes are not enough to meet the budget? If that happens, the decision might be made to ask all the members of the church to pledge a second time to see if we can make up the difference.
What is the Time & Talent Report? Your church uses this report to organize a different kind of offering; not the giving of money but the giving of your time and ability. The Time & Talent Report lists many different ways you can serve your church and community, from singing in the choir or working in the Personal Needs Pantry to being a blood donor or sewing a quilt.