Transcript Diocese of Hawaii Leadership Training

Diocese of Hawaii
Leadership Training
Parish Stewardship…
Like trying to teach a bear to ride a
motorcycle?
Brought to you by the Stewardship Commission
Presented by The Rev. Ben Nelson, All Saints’ Kauai
A Prayer of Self-dedication
Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so
guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our
wills, that we may be wholly yours, utterly dedicated to
you; and then use us, we pray, as you will, and always to
your glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen
(paraphrased from The Book of Common Prayer, p 832)
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all
that I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20a RSV).
1 Peter 1:1-8
I, Peter, am an apostle on assignment by Jesus, the Messiah, writing to exiles scattered to
the four winds. Not one is missing, not one forgotten. God the Father has his eye on each of
you, and has determined by the work of the Spirit to keep you obedient through the
sacrifice of Jesus. May everything good from God be yours!
What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master
Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand-new life and have
everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is
keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you'll have it all—life
healed and whole.
I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of
aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine
faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up,
it's your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.
You never saw him, yet you love him. You still don't see him, yet you trust him—with
laughter and singing. Because you kept on believing, you'll get what you're looking forward
to: total salvation.
Parish stewardship is like teaching a bear to ride a
motorcycle…
It can be done!
And it’s awesome!
What is Stewardship?
“Stewardship has been
kidnapped and is being held
hostage by a sinister villain
named “Paying the Bills.”
‘Chick’ Lane,
author of Ask, Thank, Tell
Our Goal today is to Rescue and
Renew our understanding of
stewardship in the parish.
What is Stewardship?
Start with the Basics…
What does the word Stewardship mean?
What is the ministry of the Laity?
•
•
•
•
To represent Christ and his church
To bear witness to him wherever they may be
To carry on Christ’s work of reconciliation in the world*
To take their place in the life, worship, and governance
of the Church.
To follow Christ, To come together week by week for
corporate worship; and to work, pray, and GIVE for the
spread of the kingdom of God! (BCP p856)
*According to the gifts given them!
steward |ˈst(y)oōərd|noun
1 a person who looks after the passengers on a ship, aircraft, or train and brings
them meals.• a person responsible for supplies of food to a college, club, or other
institution.
2 an official appointed to supervise arrangements or keep order at a large public
event, for example a sporting event.• short for shop steward .
3 a person employed to manage another's property, esp. a large house or estate.•
a person whose responsibility it is to take care of something : farmers pride
themselves on being stewards of the countryside.
verb [ trans. ]1 (of an official) supervise arrangements or keep order at (a large
public event) : the event was organized and stewarded properly.2 manage or look
after (another's property).
DERIVATIVES stewardship noun ORIGIN Old English stīweard, from stig (probably in
the sense [house, hall] ) + weard [ward.] The verb dates from the early 17th cent.
We are Wardens of the Sty…
“There is something wonderfully rewarding in
being part of an effort that does make a
difference. And there’s something sparkling
about being among other people when they're
at their best, too.”
Brian O’Connell, non-profit leader and educator
Oikonomia: The Greek word which is translated as
Stewardship in the bible. It connects several motifs of the
Gospel and responsible living in community! Namely, that all
persons are considered stewards by virtue of our creation of
the image an likeness of God.
Re-Imagining Stewardship
•
•
•
•
•
Stewardship = Discipleship
Following Christ… changes ways of thinking
Membership vs. Discipleship
Elks Lodge vs. Apostolic Mission
Education + Opportunities for Commitment =
Parish Stewardship
• There are no experts… only participants.
• How do we participate? Reluctantly? Joyfully?
How do we fish?
• We Share our
Stories!
• Stories of
Reconciliation
• Stories of
Gratitude
• Stories of
Generosity
Discipleship vs. Membership
Members are expected to…
• Give money to support
others who do ministry.
“Professionals”
• Maintain the institution…
lights on, children Sunday
schooled, committees filled
• Be good citizens- don’t
embarrass.
Members assume…
• The mission field is
elsewhere.
• The goal of the
congregation is to get and
keep members. Add to the
rolls before the old
members die.
• Low expectations for
membership.
Discipleship vs. Membership
Disciples hope to grow in their
relationships by…
• Doing the ministry.
• Giving radically out of who
they are.
• Living life in community.
• Reinforcing the notion that
the primary relationship is
not with the congregation,
but with God in Christ.
• Congregation is a means to
an end.
Disciples assume…
• The mission field is right out
the front door.
• The Goal is to make other
disciples… membership
isn’t enough.
• Higher expectations
– Daily Prayer, Daily Scripture,
weekly worship, tithing and
beyond, serving in Jesus’
name, sharing our stories!
Small Group Discussion
Think about the language used in your own congregation.
Discuss times when your congregation has used “membership” language.
Discuss times when your congregation has used “discipleship” language.
What are some “action items” you could use to make “discipleship” language
more prevalent in your own life?
How does your congregation talk about or demonstrate the need of the giver to give,
rather than the need of the congregation to receive?
The Giver’s need to Give
vs.
The Congregation’s need to Receive.
Good Stewardship…
• Focuses on conversion of people
• Enables leaders to talk about money in ways
that transform lives
• Calls for recruiting leaders, not taking
volunteers.
• Means developing people who are committed
and competent
• Values the time and talent of all God’s people!
Using Ask, Thank, Tell in Congregations
Chapter 1 – Discipleship, Not Membership
Chapter 2 – It All Belongs to God
Chapter 3 – Money & Possessions in the New Testament
Chapter 4 – Portrait of a Biblical Giver
Chapter 5 – Practicing Biblical Stewardship
Chapter 6 – Ask: The Annual Response Program
Chapter 7 – Ask: Making the Pie Larger
Chapter 8 – Improving How You Ask
Chapter 9 – Thank
Chapter 10 – Tell
Chapter 11 – Organizing for Your Stewardship Ministry
What is the Stewardship Commission?
• Pam McCoy, Stewardship Commission Chair
Louise Aloy
Peter Denman
John Hawkins
Lindsay Kamm
The Rev. Paul Lillie
The Rev. Ben Nelson
Wayne Yoshigai
Peter Pereira
Final Thoughts
• Conversion, not collection!
• Accepting people wherever they may be on
this wonderful stewardship journey
• Using our God-Given Imagination to create
opportunity and excitement!
• Generational differences… what is the future
of Stewardship?
• The Pledge, the tithe, annual giving, and other
thoughts.
Seven Truths about Financial Development Programs
by The Rev. J. Hugh Magers, TENS board of directors
1. The first place to look for money is in the
heart, not the wallet.
2. Most people find it hard to talk about God and money.
3. We still have to talk about the tithe.
3 (a) YES, we really do.
4. We aren't saved because we give money to God.
5. Everyone is already doing the very best they can.
6. Yes, we really do need to sign pledge cards.
7. If you are not smiling when you sign your pledge card, then you have filled in the
wrong amount.