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Every
fall when schools start up, one topic every student has to consider is
grades. But have you ever considered grading your congregation's
stewardship performance. We're well aware that there are differences
of opinion as to what makes good stewardship in a congregation.
However, there are some standards that hold up pretty well. Give
yourself a grade on the ten principles used by congregation's with
high levels of giving. A report card might look something like this.
1. Are we basing our stewardship on a sound, positive biblical
foundation rather than on a budget building or institutional
foundation? Grade ______
2. Do we have a holistic understanding of stewardship in our
congregation? Grade _______
- Does our congregation have a year-round plan for stewardship
education? Grade _______
- Do we conduct a stewardship campaign EVERY year? Grade _______
- Are we sensitive to peoples' desire to give beyond their
lifetime by providing an effective endowment trust vehicle to
enable bequests without harming our ongoing stewardship ministry?
Grade _______
3. Does our pastor provide effective leadership for our
stewardship ministry? Grade _______
- By providing both theological and methodological leadership to
our stewardship ministry? Grade ______
- By stressing the biblical teachings of tithing and percentage
giving? Grade ______
- By setting a strong example of stewardship in her/his personal
life? Grade ______
4. Realizing that in congregations where members estimate their
giving, and that those who do give about 30 percent more than
those who do not, do we have an effective plan by which we ask our
members to estimate their giving? Grade ______
5. Have we been careful to utilize fully existing step-by-step
"how-to-do-it programs" rather than asking the
stewardship committee to design our annual campaign? Grade ______
- If the stewardship committee has decided to design our own
campaign, have we begun the planning at least six months before
execution begins? Grade ______
- If the stewardship committee has decided to design our own
campaign, have we taken the precaution of writing it out
step-by-step? Grade ______
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