Key Leaders and Support Systems for A Culture of Stewardship

Part of Leadership Training by Congregational Role

two skeleton keys tied to a white felt heart

The stewardship team needs the support of the congregation, both in structure and in culture. Here are a few key areas to pay attention to.

Mission, Vision, and Covenant

Congregations that have living vision, mission, and covenant statements are the ones that are growing—not only in numbers but also in the depth of membership commitment and attraction of new members. This is foundational to a culture of stewardship.

Relational Communication

A culture of stewardship is comprised of meaningful congregation-wide dialogue and personal conversations about how your church is serving its mission—and is changing lives. Your letters, brochures, articles, and announcements—though helpful in reminding people that there is a campaign—cannot replace the effectiveness of sharing personal stories and asking for a financial gift face-to-face.

Clear Responsibility and Authority

Note: This article is adapted and edited from a document authored by Sean Hale: First UU Church of Austin, TX Executive Director; Bob Hood: UU Fellowship of Chico, CA Lay Leader; Mark Ewert: UUA Congregational Stewardship Services Consultant. 

Each congregation has different structures dependent on tradition, size, congregational polity, and maybe even location. However, every successful annual budget drive needs crystal-clarity about authority and responsibility, and the two should almost always reside in the same person.

The responsibility and authority of all stewardship leaders should be carefully and clearly described in documents created by your lay and professional leaders. Each setting has its own policies and governance that determines who writes and maintains these documents, but clarity is essential to the recruitment of good leaders.

What is the responsibility and authority of the stewardship team chair? The annual budget drive chair? Committee members? Minister? Governing body? The data entry person? Please see Beyond Fundraising: A Complete Guide to Congregational Stewardship for stewardship ministry team description documents.

Good Membership Database & Pledge Statements

The stewardship team need to have a granular understanding of the congregation’s membership. Having access to pledging history is essential, but detailed information from a Congregational Management System is priceless.

It’s also important that the congregation have a good track record on sending out timely pledge statements—at least quarterly, and at the end of both the fiscal and calendar years.

Support from Other Leaders

If you’ve done good work on mission and budget, everyone in the congregation should fully believe and feel invested in the annual budget drive. Congregants should also feel some responsibility for its success and not just a passive thumbs up.

For example, governing body members must understand, before they are elected, that part of their responsibility is to take an active role in the annual budget drive. In many congregations that means governing body members are expected to become visiting stewards during the drive. That also means that these folks must be fully oriented to fulfill their role.

A select group of congregational leaders and consultants were asked about the preferred relationship between a stewardship team and other elements of congregational life. They listed the following relational priorities:

  • The minister
  • The governing body
  • The annual budget drive team
  • The endowment committee
  • The planned giving committee
  • The communication committee
  • The membership committee
  • The finance committee
  • Adult education
  • Social justice
  • The investment committee
  • Building & grounds
  • The hospitality committee
  • The religious education committee

Stewardship and New Members

Healthy congregations have a clear and intentional path to membership. Before someone can become a member, they must learn about the church’s history, customs, mission, vision, operations, and budget.

As part of the new member process, a lay or professional leader conducts a one-on-one conversation about stewardship. No arm-twisting. No guilt trip. No shame or threats of violence. Instead, there is a mature, respectful conversation about what it costs to live the congregation’s mission. There is also a conversation about the expectation of giving generously according to one’s means. The new member’s financial commitment is always solicited toward the end of the conversation.