Rethinking our stewardship strategy

I don’t know about your church but during the pandemic our church had to rethink our church’s giving procedures and strategies. Several years earlier we had begun an online giving option but only two people were taking advantage of it. It was now time for us to help our congregation to utilize different methods of giving and to present our offering time in a more meaningful way.

We lovingly began a gentle campaign to educate and move our church members and friends to give their offering differently during the transition to our Zoom services. We did this by giving several options to give: by mail, online via our website, through our church mobile app and even offered a home pick up. We even provided testimonies from people who were making the transition and shared the ease of use.

It was not long before the leadership of our church realized that we had to do something more to promote and encourage our church in their weekly giving. After some prayer and creative thinking, we launched a four-week cycle to help our church see how their giving made a difference and an impact in many ways.

On the first and second Sundays of each month, our focus becomes North American and International Missionaries. As Southern Baptists we have such a rich history of mission service and this gives us a great way to highlight them. 

“It is so important that we get past just asking for money, but instead help the church see the many ways that God allows us to lovingly steward the resources that He generously gives.” 

We download their stories online at https://www.sbc.net/resource-library/52-sundays/. Their stories are shared during the offering time and we include a special time of prayer for their work. This strategy has opened our church’s eyes to the thousands of missionaries that we support through our cooperative program giving. It has also helped us to better communicate how our tithes and offerings are an integral part of supporting the work of a network of missionaries who sacrificially give to share the Gospel around the world.  

On the third Sunday of each month, our focus becomes the ministries of our own church and how our giving supports these efforts. It has given us a showcase to let our attenders know the various ways we are stewarding the resources to make a difference inside and out of our church. We have shared our food ministry, small groups, outreach efforts and more. This focus has invited and motivated people to become involved more actively in the many ministries of our church.

Finally, on the fourth Sunday of each month, we share a stewardship scripture and share a devotional thought or testimony. This helps us to bring the truth of the Word in view and gives our congregation the opportunity to understand God’s heart for stewardship and how we are partnering together to further His work in so many different ways.  

It is so important that we get past just asking for money, but instead help the church see the many ways that God allows us to lovingly steward the resources that He generously gives. Perhaps it is time for your church to rethink how you are doing your offering time? 

Sandy Coelho serves as lay leadership development coordinator at the Baptist Convention of New England.