concurrent breakout session stewardship agenda … · 3. work with your board team establish to...

2013 NTUUC Boards Training

Saturday, July 13, 2013

CONCURRENT BREAKOUT SESSION – STEWARDSHIP – AGENDA

Objectives:

1. Explore Stewardship models and philosophies, one of the six primary functions of

the board.

2. Work with your board team establish to establish a stewardship practice that will

improve your board’s fiduciary performance.

3. Work with your board team establish to establish a stewardship practice that will

improve your board’s strategic performance.

4. Develop some ideas on how to become more generative in your stewardship

practice.

Agenda:

5 min Welcome and Introduction of the Breakout Session

15 min Discussion – Models and philosophies of Stewardship

15 min Exercise #1 – Fiduciary Leadership Level - Stewardship

10 min Exercise #2 – Strategic Leadership Level – Stewardship

10 min Exercise #3 – Generative Leadership – Stewardship

5 min Summary and Discussion

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NTUUC July 2013 - Stewardship

2013 NTUUC Boards Training

Saturday, July 13, 2013

CONCURRENT BREAKOUT SESSION – STEWARDSHIP – EXERCISE

WORKSHEET

Exercise #1 – Fiduciary Leadership Level – Stewardship

Instructions: Work in board teams for this exercise. 1. Review the assessment of your board’s fiduciary performance 2. Develop one stewardship practice that will improve your board’s fiduciary performance.

Exercise #2 – Strategic Leadership Level – Stewardship

Instructions: Work in board teams for this exercise. 1. Review the assessment of your board’s strategic performance 2. Determine one stewardship practice your board could consider to significantly improve your

strategic performance.

Exercise #3 – Generative Leadership - Stewardship

Instructions: Work in board teams for this exercise. 1. Review the assessment of your board’s strategic performance 2. Determine one stewardship practice your board could consider to significantly improve your

strategic performance.

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NTUUC 2013 Board Training

Stewardship Breakout Session Notes

“Stewardship is about gratitude, generosity, and commitment. It asks us to appreciate what we have and to use our resources in service of our deepest

values and aspirations.” In preparation for a careful examination of Stewardship in your church, you may want to consider these and other similar questions:

1. What hopes and values motivate you to be a member and leader in your church?

2. How do these hopes and values find expression in the life and work of the church?

3. How do you want this church to change your life? To help change the lives of other church members? The larger community?

4. What gifts/resources to you have in abundance? What gifts/resources do you you’re

your church has in abundance?

5. How are your gifts being used? Are you able to give yourself (your time, talents, and financial resources) to the people and ideals you care about most? How would you need to change your life to insure that you could?

6. What steps might the church take to insure that its resources have the greatest impact?

Possible Objectives for Stewardship Work in your church

Arrange forums and discussions that encourage leaders to work together and to identify with larger aims of the church

Work with your nominating or leadership development committee to cultivate and integrate emerging leaders with a focus on Stewardship

Develop and publicize new, larger visions of stewardship

Begin to re-define and populate a new stewardship infrastructure that reflects a new view of Stewardship

Is Stewardship a Ministry in your church?

How does this church change lives? Affect the community? How might it deepen or expand this mission?

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How would you describe this moment in the church’s history—strengths, critical tasks, challenges for the coming year?

How would you characterize the stewardship program and your vision for it—why talk about stewardship now? How do assembled participants experience current stewardship efforts? Is our Stewardship characterized more by feelings of scarcity and desperation than that of abundance and generosity?

Members as stakeholders- a different way to approach Stewardship

What is a Stakeholder? Who are the groups of stakeholders in and among your church members? What is the investment of stakeholders? How much ownership do stakeholders have in your church? What is the resource power among the stakeholder groups in your church? How might stakeholders further the ministry of stewardship in your church? If you recruited stakeholders into the Ministry of Stewardship, what could you do? Here are some sample objectives for stakeholder and other work groups:

Articulate a sense of how their participation advances element(s) of mission they are passionate about;

Identify three steps and/or priorities in their sphere of leadership/interest;

Make the connection between this vision/commitment and stewardship. Here are some discussion topics for stakeholder and other work groups that may further the mission:

How might the kind of stewardship discussed in a new vision, influence your participation in the life and work of your church?

What does stewardship ministry look like in your stakeholder and other work group(s)?

How can the priorities you identified incorporate the broader concept of Stewardship?

What are some specific activities in which your group can engage that reflect these concepts?

Who among you and in your stakeholder group volunteers to be a part of the new stewardship Ministry?

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RECOMMENDED READING Creating Congregations of Generous People Beyond the Collection Plate: Overcoming Obstacles to Faithful Giving The Almost Church Revitalized, Michael Durall

Challenging and insightful, Durall’s speaks directly to UU congregational leadership.

Beyond Fundraising, Wayne Clark A comprehensive guide to congregational stewardship by the director of Congregational

Stewardship Services at the UUA. Not Your Parents’ Offering Plate, J. Clif Christopher

A quick read covering the basics, memorably and effectively. Written for ministers, but a good primer for anyone working in stewardship. Assumes churches are Christian, but most suggestions apply more broadly.

Giving: The Sacred Art, Lauren Tyler Wright

A multi-religious look at generosity and giving, with personal budgeting worksheets in the Appendices and a nice collection of suggested reading and resources. Because it looks at multiple wisdom sources and faith traditions, this book is a good foundation for reflection and discussion of the meaning of giving. Wright considers giving as worship, stewardship, obligation, redemption, charity, and justice-making.

The Spirituality of Fund-Raising, Henri Nouwen

Nouwen’s passionate vision of fund-raising as ministry. Nouwen is Christian, but he speaks to a more universal hope of building beloved community. Available through the Henri Nouwen Society (www.HenriNouwen.org).

Asking, Jerold Panas

“A 59-Minute Guide to Everything Board Members, Volunteers, and Staff Must Know to Secure the Gift.” Complete with practice scripts and sample letters. Focused on Capital Campaigns.

Inspired Philanthropy, Tracy Gary

Gary mostly works with very wealthy people, but she’s an inspiration for anyone. A comprehensive and practical guide to finding purpose

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http://www.henrinouwen.org/

Why People Give- (adapted from Not Your Parents’ Offering Plate, J.C. Christopher)

1. Belief in Mission

2. High Regard for Leadership

3. Trust in the fiscal Responsibility of the Institution

Belief in Mission

Communicate mission and vision clearly and with conviction.

Cultivate an attitude of Generosity, not scarcity. Members are

“stakeholders” not donors to someone else’s priorities.

Connect stewardship and mission.

People do not give to pay the light bill. But they will give to the Vision

of making sure the Youth Group has a safe place to meet and explore

their world.

Make stewardship one way your church changes lives.

Include as many people as possible in the stewardship of the church.

Giving and generosity are matters of the spirit and are at the heart of

the church, and should be open to all.

High Regard For Leadership

Ministers and Lay Leaders must be visibly and convincingly committed to

stewardship.

Make sure all committees are involved, ask for input on budget and

ideas throughout the year, and communicate clearly.

Provide trainings and conferences to cultivate the Culture of

Generosity and involve as many members as possible.

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Trust in the fiscal responsibility of the Institution

Financial systems must demonstrate competence, transparency and

accountability.

Work with Finance Committee to set realistic yet optimistic goals to

establish a firm foundation for your stewardship program

Follow through on plans and promises

Stewardship Programs must reflect stewardship values

Invite input at all stages to ensure funding is for stakeholders’ desired

programs

Report progress and convey confidence as well as consequence.

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RECOMMENDED READING - Stewardship

Creating Congregations of Generous People

Beyond the Collection Plate: Overcoming Obstacles to Faithful Giving

The Almost Church Revitalized, Michael Durall

Challenging and insightful, Durall’s speaks directly to UU congregational leadership.

Beyond Fundraising, Wayne Clark

A comprehensive guide to congregational stewardship by the director of Congregational

Stewardship Services at the UUA.

Not Your Parents’ Offering Plate, J. Clif Christopher

A quick read covering the basics, memorably and effectively. Written for ministers, but a good

primer for anyone working in stewardship. Assumes churches are Christian, but most

suggestions apply more broadly.

Giving: The Sacred Art, Lauren Tyler Wright

A multi-religious look at generosity and giving, with personal budgeting worksheets in the

Appendices and a nice collection of suggested reading and resources. Because it looks at

multiple wisdom sources and faith traditions, this book is a good foundation for reflection and

discussion of the meaning of giving. Wright considers giving as worship, stewardship, obligation,

redemption, charity, and justice-making.

The Spirituality of Fund-Raising, Henri Nouwen

Nouwen’s passionate vision of fund-raising as ministry. Nouwen is Christian, but he speaks to a

more universal hope of building beloved community. Available through the Henri Nouwen

Society (www.HenriNouwen.org).

Asking, Jerold Panas

“A 59-Minute Guide to Everything Board Members, Volunteers, and Staff Must Know to Secure

the Gift.” Complete with practice scripts and sample letters. Focused on Capital Campaigns.

Budgets with a Mission; Second Edition, Jerald L. King

“An attempt to provide a tool that will help congregations increase involvement and the

financial support they need to conduct their programs and to reach toward their mission.”

Provides step by step process for moving to a program budget, and then to a mission budget.

Asking Makes a Difference; A Guide for Stewardship Teams, Book Two in the Healthy Congregation

Series, Jerald L. King

A guide to three different ways of running a Successful Stewardship Campaign

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Inspired Philanthropy, Tracy Gary

Gary mostly works with very wealthy people, but she’s an inspiration for anyone. A

comprehensive and practical guide to finding purpose

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