Transcript Slide 1

Living in God’s Family
360 Degrees Session Three
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Stewardship Ministry
Titus 2:11-14
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing
salvation for all people, 12 training us to
renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and
to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in
the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed
hope, the appearing of the glory of our great
God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave
himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness
and to purify for himself a people for his own
possession who are zealous for good works.
God’s Family
I have come so that they may have
life, and may have it abundantly.
John 10:10
For freedom Christ has set us free;
stand firm therefore, and do not
submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1
Christ’s Church
Charles Lane, in Ask, Thank, Tell suggests..
“The goal of our stewardship
ministry is to help God’s people
grow in their relationship with
Jesus through the use of the
time, talents, and finances God
has entrusted to them.”
Congregational Culture
“Every organization has it’s own culture,
which is reflected in how people behave in
expected ways. Those behaviors produce
predictable results. So, to change the
results, you change the culture.”
-George Gates, “Changing Culture by
Changing the Conversation”
Culture Change
Technical, Adaptive or both?
Technical changes are the kinds of
changes we make on the outside. They
are intended to “fix” something quickly.
Adaptive changes are the internal
changes in our attitudes, beliefs, and
feelings.
Congregational Culture
“An organization’s culture is defined first
by the way we talk – the language, nature
and quality of the dialogue we engage in.
So, to change the culture, change the
conversation.”
-George Gates, “Changing Culture by
Changing the Conversation”
Lifesaving Station
Luke 7:31-35
“To what then shall I compare the people of this generation,
and what are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in
the marketplace and calling to one another,
“‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’
For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking
no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34 The Son of
Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at
him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors
and sinners!’ 35 Yet wisdom is justified by all her
children.”
Children at Play
Luke 7:30
“but the Pharisees and the lawyers
rejected the purpose of God for
themselves, not having been baptized by
him.”
The children at play illustrate those who
reject the purpose of God.
Key Question
Whose Church is it?
Ephesians 5:32
Abiding Word
“Christ is the Head of the Church…but He
is more than that. As the head directs the
body, so Christ (directs) the church. His
will guides it. He is its life. Without this
Head the Church would be a lifeless
body, it would not and could not exist.”
It is Christ’s Church!
Martin Luther
“I too am a part, a member of it. I am a
copartner, participating and sharing in all
its blessings. I was brought to and
incorporated in this community by the
Holy Spirit through my hearing and my
continuing to hear the Word of God.”
- Large Catechism
It is my church, too!
Discussion
What are some misunderstandings people
can have when saying “It is my church.”
What are the stewardship issues here?
Why is getting this straight so important?
Key Question
What is the purpose
of the church?
Ephesians 3:20-21
Model Constitution
Example: “The purpose of this congregation shall
be to give honor and glory to the Triune God, to
carry out His will, to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus
Christ to all the world, to manifest the unity of our
faith in Jesus Christ as God and Savior, to foster
Christian fellowship and love, to extend a helping
hand to human need, and to achieve its objectives
by the preaching of the Word of God, by the
administration of the sacraments, and by the
religious instruction of all its members according to
the confessional standard of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church.”
Discussion
What is the difference between rejecting
the purpose of God and forgetting or
ignoring it?
What are the stewardship implications of
this question?
Why is this important?
Levels of Conversation
•
•
•
•
Higher Level
Higher Level
Lower Level
Lower Level
Mission
Identity
Administration/Finances
Personal Preference
Rev. William O. Avery
The place to begin meaningful stewardship
conversation is with the concept of
FREEDOM
Lutheran Pastor
This is at the heart of this whole
stewardship conversation…the issue of
TRUST
R. Scott Rodin
We must focus on the whole discussion of
what it means to be a…
STEWARD
Finally…
Stewardship is primarily a…
SPIRITUAL ISSUE
Conversations
What are some concrete steps your
church can take to change the
stewardship conversation?
Rev. J. E. Herrmann
“What about our stewardship of the Gospel as
individuals, congregations, and as a church
body? Have we the missionary zeal of Paul? Are
we deeply concerned about the world’s perishing
millions? Do we agonize for them in frequent
and fervent prayers? Do we flood the Lord’s
altars with our generous mission offerings? Are
we on fire for missions? Are we training our
children, our youth, and our adults to have a big
heart and a generous hand for missions?
Good Stewards Or Not?
J. E. Herrmann’s view:
1. We lack conviction as far as fulfilling our
stewardship of the Gospel is concerned.
2. Most of our congregations treat missions
as a project, something extra, something
not directly related to their God given
purpose.
3. Those who give little or nothing to
missions are not personally admonished
and encouraged.
Herrmann (cont.)
4. Too many of our congregations look upon the
growth of their own missionary outreach into all
the world as a liability rather than rejoicing with
the angels over the many sinners who come to
repentance.
5. The average congregation has no planned
program of missionary education and
information for year-round implementation in
the pulpit, the educational agencies, and in the
organizations within the congregation.
-From “A Trust, O Lord, From Thee”
Mission and Stewardship
Mission without stewardship is impossible;
Stewardship without mission is unnecessary.
Luther
• How does a Christian “speak
and act” for God in the area of
mission?
• How does a Christian “work
and fight” for God in the area of
mission?
• How does a Christian “tear
down and rebuild” for God in
the area of mission?
The Church At Large
“Congregations withdraw and withhold
mission support (from district and synod)
for any of a variety of reasons. When this
happens it puts the whole church at risk,
offers the poorest of stewardship models
for their membership, even poisons the
vital relationship with the congregation and
the regional judicatory and church wide
expression.”
-ELCA Bishop
Case Study
“We have learned at our congregation that we
simply get more evangelism ‘bang for the buck’
when we support missions directly rather than
through synodical efforts. The latter has too
much overhead, and wastes precious resources
on inconsequential or even downright silly things
rather than funding real ministry. Through our
direct efforts, for example, our congregation has
built a church in Siberia, given vital support to a
seminary in Sudan…”
Culture
• Behavior refers to action patterns.
• Ideas indicate a certain view of life and
relationships.
• Products are the physical artifacts
created by a culture.
Activity One
False Starts
“For too long, attempts to under gird Christian
tithing and fundraising with some sort of
theology have employed the term stewardship.
The problem that should be immediately
apparent is that this focus indicates a classic
false start.”
-R. Scott Rodin
Activity Two
Stewardship
Conversations
[email protected]
Rev. Wayne J. Knolhoff
Director of Stewardship Ministry
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod