Surprising Gifts

2013Best Practices

inBasic Stewardship

Surprising Gifts

*Opening Prayer

Where we are today…

*In a still-uncertain economic climate

*Moving from a relaxing summer

*to the quickening pace of a new church year

*Yes, it’s September, and November is coming!

…or to build on your year-round stewardship ministry.

*This is a great time to get started on your Fall stewardship campaign…

the “big picture” of the life of the church…

and

Stewardship

an everyday spiritual practice for Christians

Stewardship

From now to November…

Ten Best Practices for your

Fall stewardship

campaign

1. Build the stewardship committee

If you have a committee that’s meeting, great! * Re-connect with a fun autumn gathering* Add a few new members* Consider an ad hoc campaign committee

If you don’t have a committee, form one!* Invite the unexpected* Create a timeline

www.ucc.org/stewardship

Enlist all of the leadership of the church

2. Set the tone

Adjust your perspective:

* abundance, not scarcity

* positive, not negative

* joy, not anxiety

Shape your language:

* “the budget” is really

the mission spending plan

all mission: local and wider

“Abundance is not something we

acquire; it is something

we tune into.”– Wayne Dyer

Abundance

3. Nurture Financial Wellness

*Don’t shy away from the topic of money

*Provide support and education

*Ask for the same gift from everyone: not the same amount, but meaningful

Challenge the comfortable, comfort the challenged

4. Approach giving as a year-round,

whole life spiritual practice.

A practice forms us as disciples:

We grow into more generous people as we give generously.

Practice Pledging

*The spiritual practices of first fruits giving

and proportional giving…

*challenge us to grow our giving by a regular percentage each year

Our time and talents…are also shared with joy

Theme art may be used with a Time and Talent Pledge form you’ve created

5. Understand motivations

*Reasonability

*Challenge

*Commitment

*Compassion

*CommunityKennon Callahan

Stewardship and Giving in an Effective Church

(San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1992)

Compassion and Community:The Universal Motivations

We often TRANSMIT on the Commitment and Challenge

frequencies,

but our RECEIVERS are set

on

Compassion and Community.

6. Ground your work in Scripture

*Surprising Gifts: 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

*Other Scriptures in the theme materials

*Abundance Bible study www.ucc.org/stewardship

*Share Scripture in all of your communications to the congregation

7. Teach giving by modeling it

*First fruits: the first line on your budget

*Ask preachers to share the story of their own giving

*Talk/write about the church’s giving

Our Church’s Wider Mission

8. Make giving moments life-giving

*The offering A time of delight in giving?

*Consecration Sunday A celebration you

wouldn’t want to miss?

9. Tell the story of your church’s vision

*Creativity: gather an ad hoc committee of story-tellers

*Create a narrative budget

*Use DVDs, photos, skits, etc.

Review of the Ten Best Practices:

1. Build the stewardship committee.

2. Set the tone.

3. Nurture financial wellness.

4. Approach stewardship as a year-round, whole-life

spiritual practice.

5. Understand motivations for giving.

6. Ground your work in Scripture.

7. Teach giving by modeling it.

8. Make giving moments life-giving.

9. Tell the story of your church – lay out the vision!

10. Use the UCC 2013 stewardship theme materials

Use the theme in your communications

This year a graphics package is available

*Surprising Gifts

Scripture assures us that first God gives to us: “God reached out in love and

surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence.” We can take heart; God knows our needs and hopes and wants

only the best for us.

Surprising Unmerited Love

We are encouraged to keep our focus on God, confident that God wants the best for us.

Surprising Unmerited Love

* The world may ignore us

* Take heart – God knows who we are

* Pray, ask, engage deeply in your faith

* Engagement aligns us with God’s love and intent

* We might surprise ourselves with Godly giving

Surprised!Isn’t it surprising that God does not look and point a finger at us for what we do wrong but rather loves us enough to show mercy and grace?

Quite simply, the reason for all giving is God’s

surprising grace!

Surprised!“Our prayer life can help us to face ourselves honestly, our faults as well as our gifts… Honesty flows from openness:

* An open heart,

* An open mind,

* A life opened to God and to transformation.

– Kathryn Matthews Huey

Transformed Giving

*Zacchaeus had a transformative encounter with Jesus

*Transformation comes for us when we remain willing to see, to ask, to believe, to grow

*Transformation comes from our hearts

*Our giving is transformed when we let our hearts be surprised by the power of salvation

“Casi Cielo” Almost Heaven

* First, God gives to us

God… reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence

* With confident and hope-filled hearts, we respond

It’s “casi cielo,” almost heaven

*Question:When have

you experienced surprising

gifts?

When have you offered a

surprising gift? Who was

surprised – you or the recipient?

When has

giving

led to deeper

connections with others in your life?

*Discussion