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It all begins, and ends, with stewardship

Welcome to the first issue of “Where Your Heart Is,” the new stewardship newsletter of the ELCA. The name should be no mystery to those of us who grew up hearing the Scriptures regularly. In the Gospels, Jesus tells us a difficult truth: we will find our own heart walking alongside what we value.

What do you value, beloved?

In the coming months and years, I hope we not only dig into some of the things valued in our lives, both personal and collective, but also highlight the important and honest fact that all of life is an act of stewardship, from our first breath to our last. How do we use our days? How do we use our energies? How do we use the gifts entrusted to us? Do we invest them in what we say we value or in what we truly value?

I think the honest answer for all of us here is a mixed bag of “amens” and “nopes.”

In these pages, though, I hope to elevate the conversation, provide some resources and take an honest look at how stewardship can be life-changing work — both for the steward and for those people, places and entities blessed by the gifts given.

Finally, let me express unequivocally that one place my heart lies is with you all and the work you’re doing in the world. God has called us to do great things in tough times, and the one who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it, from beginning to end.

After all, all life begins, and ends, as a story of stewardship.

Pax,

Tim Brown
Director of Congregational Stewardship

UPCOMING EVENTS

Executive certificate in religious fundraising — Lake Institute on Faith & Giving

In partnership with the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, the ELCA’s Congregational Stewardship and Generosity team is offering rostered leaders in the ELCA an intensive certification course on religious fundraising. Participants will sharpen their fundraising skills, explore the spirituality of fundraising and, upon completion of the course and an independent project, earn a professional certificate.

The full class meets Wednesdays from Jan. 4 through March 8 (except for Ash Wednesday), with a smaller cohort meeting an additional day each week. Typically costing over $1,300, the course is offered at a steep discount for parish deacons and ministers, at only $550.

If you have any questions, please contact Rev. Larry Strenge or Rev. Timothy Brown.
LEARN MORE

Upcoming stewardship webinar: “Learning Donor Motivations”
Have you ever wondered why people are generous in the ways that they are? Are you curious how you might tap into giving motivations to encourage generosity? In an increasingly post-pandemic world, motivating givers has taken on nuances that rostered leaders and congregational leaders might well explore. This webinar is free and open to all. Keep an eye on ELCA communications for more information and the opportunity to register for this event.

Mark your calendar:
“Learning Donor Motivations”
Monday, Jan. 30, 2023
6 p.m. Central time

STEWARDSHIP RESOURCES

Are you looking for stewardship resources to fuel your ministries and your imagination? Here are three places to find guidance and support:

• J. Clif Christopher’s Rich Church, Poor Church: Keys to Effective Financial Ministry (Abingdon Press, 2012). An excellent and concise primer for church leadership, this book compares communities that live into the sufficiency of God with those that become paralyzed in a mindset of scarcity. Though a few years old now, this material holds up — even after the recent pandemic. Church councils, stewardship teams and rostered leaders will all gain insight from this resource.

• Lake Institute on Faith & Giving. The Lake Institute has a new and improved website with a generous assortment of articles, think pieces and facts regarding stewardship for nonprofit leaders. Though some of the resources require subscription, plenty are free — and people participating in “Cultivating Generous Congregations” get full use of the resources for a year.

• “My Church Is a Beautiful Waste of Money.” In this brief but bold article from Duke University, the Rev. Melissa Florer-Bixler makes the case that churches work in ways that defy the economies of the world because churches operate in a context of beauty, not efficiency. Though at first blush this argument might seem wasteful, you can’t help but recall the woman who anoints Jesus’ feet in John’s Gospel. Her perspective challenges us to examine our preconceptions around stewardship and what God calls us to be in the world. This resource would be a wonderful opener for a council meeting, congregational retreat or stewardship workshop.

Have a great stewardship resource to share? Please send articles, books, movies and other media to tim.brown@elca.org. The best gifts are those that are shared!

STEWARDSHIP IN THE TEXT

A common challenge I hear regarding stewardship is that finding organic ways to speak about it can be difficult, especially in relation to the lectionary texts. Not every sermon should be a “stewardship sermon,” but on any given Sunday, stewardship themes arise from the biblical witness and can be highlighted!

The following excerpts from upcoming readings this Advent and Epiphany are just a few hooks on which a stewardship thought might hang:

Matthew 24:36-44 | Nov. 27
The readings for this first Sunday of Advent, as for the whole season of Advent, call us to consider how we steward our time. We practice waiting in these Advent days so that when the time comes for our own waiting — for births, job transitions, diagnoses, death — we can do it well. How do you, individually and as a community, steward your time? In this holy season, consider how your own stewardship of time is reflected in your social calendar.

Matthew 3:13-17 | Jan. 8, 2023
On a Sunday when we celebrate baptism, take stock of how your community stewards its water consumption. Initiate water-saving measures in your parish, and lift up your local water sources in prayer. In Genesis, stewardship of creation is the first charge God gives humanity; fusing that charge with the holy gift of baptism can create a powerful Sunday message.

Matthew 5:13-20 | Feb. 5, 2023 This Gospel lesson will be familiar to many because salt and light are now common metaphors for how we steward our faith. Imagine how our gifts and treasures might be salt and light in our world, encouraging others in their generosity. After all, giving begets more giving, and being open and honest about how we give can motivate others to give too.