Lay Led Groups Stewardship
Alanna's messages: Why
Do We Need a Second Minister |
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Almost immediately after accepting the position of Stewardship Coordinator, I had the opportunity to take a day-long workshop with Wayne Clark, director of Congregational Fundraising Services for the Unitarian Universalist Association, and author of Beyond Fundraising: A Complete Guide to Congregational Stewardship. It was an excellent introduction on how to help members of our church get away from the idea of the dreaded Annual Pledge Drive and take steps toward Year-Round Stewardship. What’s the difference? On the surface, it seems like we’re just changing the vocabulary – instead of referring to the Pledge Drive, or Canvass, we are encouraged to think of our spring activity as the Annual Budget Drive, which is only a part of our stewardship program. The biggest difference is how we feel about it. If we are “fundraising”, we are looking for members of the church to cough up their hard-earned dollars to keep the church going. We are focusing on the need of the recipient. If we are year-round “stewards”, we are addressing our spiritual need to give to, care for and nurture the recipient. In choosing the church as the beneficiary of that need to give, we are making it possible for the Unitarian Church of Harrisburg to comfortably care for its members whenever the need arises as well as be the voice of liberal religion in the Greater Harrisburg area. Does it have to be money? Of course not, although money is the currency of our society. PPL won’t be satisfied with a heartfelt “Thank you for our electricity this month!” There has to be a monetary component from a majority of members in a church our size, or we will be unable to achieve the mission and goals on which we’re currently working. But gifts to our faith community come also in the form of service, whether it’s teaching or assisting our Religious Growth and Learning program, serving on the finance committee, or helping to pull weeds in the gardens. It’s also expressing gratitude to the people who volunteer and serve – individuals who arrive early Sunday morning and dash out of the service before it’s over to serve coffee, people who perform the tedious chores like folding and collating the newsletter and orders of service, committee members who attend countless meetings and work overtime to produce successful programs and events. Stewardship is growing, nurturing, promoting and building the gifts of the members of this community, influencing the spiritual nature of all that we do to care for our members and help them grow as well as make our church a vital participant of the national and world community. What does year-round stewardship mean to me? My dream of year-round stewardship is that we ultimately get to the point where we do not need an annual budget drive – that individuals who are able to do so consistently commit financial gifts to the church (and honor those commitments in a timely manner) so that we have enough funds to grow the church we know we can be without spending weeks and months begging for money, time that could be better spent serving our community. It means helping all members of our UCH community reach a level of comfort in reconciling their spiritual beliefs with their relationship to money, whether in class or seminar situations or individual conversations. It means that activities and programs are never at a loss for strong leaders and willing participants. And if we are successful, it means graciously receiving the bounty of the gifts we have given to ourselves. What does year-round stewardship mean to you? I am very eager to talk to all of you about your vision for how we grow this church. See me after church, or give me a call! Alanna Berger |
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