Small Membership Church

9. Ideas for Stewardship in Small Churches

by Julia Kuhn Wallace

Welcome to the ninth article in a series designed to enhance the use of the Small Membership Church Guideline. Ideally, this Guideline will be shared among your church leaders, read, discussed together, and used to strengthen ministry.

Here is added material that will help you get the most out of this resource in your small-membership church. Try one or more of these exercises to stretch your "passion for people."

Exercise 1: Passion for People Survey
Print this page. Then read each question and then write the number in the space at the end of the line that accurately describes your response in the situation.

Response Key
1= No way!
2= Depends on the person
3= Sometimes . . .
4= Usually/I really try to do this, but
5= Always, no exceptions

a. When there are visitors at the church, I speak to them. ____

b. I encourage others who are in leadership. ____

c. New members should be given positions of responsibility. ____

d. Even younger people can serve God. ____

e. I believe all are equal at church. ____

f. The church should be accessible. ____

g. Having outside groups use the church facility is important. ____

h. Taking the time to listen to another is a caring act. ____

i. I invite people to worship and to church activities. ____

j. Building trust and respect is an ongoing process. ____

_____ Total

Total Your Score
If your score is 50 points, congratulations — you're a people person!
A score of 35-45 means that you are people aware.
A score of 25-30 shows potential.
A score under 25 means you need a "people passionate" coach.

If you want more help in cultivating "people passion," read Partnersteps: Developing Cooperative Ministries Today (Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 2003).

Exercise 2: Show Respect
We respect members and visitors when we give appropriate attention to their needs, abilities, and gifts. One marker of respect is using language that is inclusive, welcoming, and clear (no acronyms, using full names, explaining positions, describing programs). Others include having accessible facilities, using age-appropriate language and illustrations, serving food that accounts for various dietary concerns, racial and ethnic sensitivity, clear signage and directions for classrooms and other areas of the church, and so on.

Think of the last worship service that included guests, or a gathering in the church that included people from the community or another church, or some other mixed gathering. List specific ways your members showed respect for:

Leaders:

Newcomers or visitors:

Children:

Youth:

Middle adults:

Older adults or elderly adults

People with disabilities:

People different from the majority of the membership:

Others:

As you review this list, are there groups that are not served or are underserved? What two or three things might you do to raise your sensitivity and care for these people or groups?

Exercise 3: Pastor-Parish Relations Committee Check-up
In The United Methodist Church, the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee has responsibility for supporting healthy relationships between the pastor and the church. An important prior step is in maintaining a healthy personal spiritual life. How does your committee do this? For those serving on the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee:

Do I participate fully in the life of the congregation?
Am I growing as a disciple?
Can I listen to others without being judgmental?
Am I able to care about others and still be objective about the life of the congregation?
Can I keep confidences?
Am I willing to support and respect the pastor even if we disagree?
Do I tend to want to tackle complex or difficult issues or tend to keep the peace?
Am I willing to do what's right for the entire church?
Will I give this work the time it deserves?

Which of these questions (and the activities they imply) come easily and naturally? present a challenge? seem impossible for you? If you have responded no to several of these questions, what do you think that means for your presence on the committee?

Exercise 4: Decision-Making Factors
Prioritize how decisions are made in your church by ranking the following from first to last.

___ Cost (How much will it cost and where will the money come from?)

___ Facility (Who gets to use the facility, when, and how?)

___ Calendar (Can the church accommodate more than one activity or group meeting at a time?)

___ Membership Preference (Are decisions usually or always oriented to serve only the members?)

___ Community Needs (Is the congregation aware of these needs and able to respond appropriately in a timely manner?)

___ Season/Traditional Routine (Can your regular routine also support the emerging needs of the congregation and/or community?)

___ Making Disciples (Is the mission of the church to make disciples a high priority?)

___ Someone says, "Do it!" (Do certain members have a stronger decision-making voice than others?)

___ Other __________________

Review your priorities. What do they say about the importance of people in the ministry decisions of your church?

Copyright © 2004 The General Board of Discipleship. Permission is granted for use in local church training or study groups. No portion of this article may be reprinted or republished in any form for any other reason without written consent.

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" target="_blank">Small Membership Church Guideline. Ideally, this Guideline will be shared among your church leaders, read, discussed together, and used to strengthen ministry. Here are some additional stewardship ideas to get the most out of this resource in your small membership church.

Eight Great Stewardship Ideas
Look over the following list of eight ideas for cultivating a stronger sense of stewardship in the small church. Make a note of any that you have tried and what the response was in the congregation. Was it positive? Choose one of the newer items on the list and plan to try it in the next four months. Remember: Stewardship is more than financial giving. It is a sense of thanksgiving for all that God has given us, including care giving for the world around us! Try one of these ideas in your church soon.

Help people in the congregation see a real need — not just a challenge to meet the bottom line in the budget amount. Whenever possible place a face on special appeals, financial needs, clothing or food drives, or emergency crisis by inviting those knowledgeable about the situation to speak about what is happening and why the church's support is vital. Small churches are relational!

Create fun fundraising events that involve the larger area around where your congregation is located (village, town, or even city.) Be the small church that can! People enjoy participating in good causes that capture their attention. One small church raised thousands of dollars for volunteer emergency medical services in its small town by having a "pumpkin hurling" in the fall. One year the event drew the attention of a major TV network when it was discovered that the men of the church had designed a pumpkin canon to throw the pumpkins. They had thousands attend. The next year they challenged NASA.

Celebrate the church's ministry throughout the year. While most churches talk about what happens at the church only when they are trying to raise a budget, a strong small church celebrates God's activity through the church continually. It's important for people to be a part of a place that makes a difference in their lives.

Invite individuals to talk about how God and the church's ministry make a difference in their lives. One of the unique gifts in smaller churches is hearing what happens in the lives of others. This can be done from the pulpit on Laity Sunday, in the sanctuary in small groups during prayer times, as personal testimony, or even in meetings and retreats. It is important to make time for people to talk about where they are encountering God in their lives.

Be practical! Not everything a congregation needs is financial. Some needs may be for new items for refurbishing a part of the church or a special ministry. Publish or post a "wish list" for your nursery or Sunday school and allow people to donate the specific items you need. Cross items off the list as they are received. Send thank you notes.
One church planning to open a preschool ministry registered with the local Target store as if the church were having a new child. They registered the items they needed. To their surprise, they even received gifts from people in the community. They publicized a baby shower, and had two pregnant women in the community (not even members of the church) open the gifts on behalf of the new ministry. At once, they had preschool and nursery supplies. They also had community partners.

Encourage church leaders to be role models in stewardship. Whenever there is a special offering or campaign, ask your leaders to pledge or give first. Announce the leadership amount as a start to the fund raising. Thank them for leading the congregation.

Tell people often that you believe in them and their generosity of spirit. As I travel, I often read how far behind a congregation is in its budget or how much more it needs to catch-up. Occasionally, I hear a leader praise the members of a church for their generosity (financial, abilities, spiritual, time, and so on) and the difference it makes in the ministry of the church. Which one motivates you?

Participate in the county or school surplus auctions to obtain furniture and equipment at an economic cost. Some companies even dispose of equipment when they replace computers and furniture. Keep your ears open.

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