Stewardship

Last Updated on Tuesday, 01 November 2011 15:41

The Stewardship Team

The Revd Carole Lloyd was appointed as Diocesan Stewardship Officer early in 2011, combining this role with being Parish Priest of Swanwick and Pentrich. Carole works closely with the Church Growth Officer, Maureen Cole to develop stewardship policy and practice.

As Stewardship Officer, Carole is here to help you, as you develop a vision of your life and purpose as a local church, to resource your mission and ministry.

You can contact Carole on 01773 607947.

or by email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

Mike Warner works alongside Carole as Stewardship Adviser

You can contact Mike on 01335 346504

Mobile 07970 842687

or by email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

Our Vision

• To promote Stewardship as an on-going process of discipleship which challenges us to consider our lifestyles as part of our relationship with God.
  
• To enable people, both lay and ordained to see Stewardship as an integral part of our Christian living rather than as an occasional campaign to plug gaps in budget.

What is Christian Stewardship?

Stewardship is the way that we look at the world when we become a disciple of Jesus Christ. At its heart is the recognition that all we have and all that we are is a gift from God.

We are on a journey and, as we come closer to God, we respond by living our discipleship in response to all that God has given us.

Stewardship

is a way of life in which we recognise that we are stewards of all that God has given us; and that includes our time, our talents, our possessions and our money.

Stewardship is an active response to the words ‘I believe!’; or to put it another way stewardship is a part of our spirituality and a way of life in which we seek to use all that we have to continue the mission of sharing the good news of the God's Kingdom.

As a result:

• we advance the mission of the church to proclaim God’s love in Christ:
• we release resources for the relief of the poor:
• we become more aware of our responsibility to be good stewards of God’s creation.

 

The four key principles of Christian Stewardship

1.   Discipleship:

How we handle money, wealth and possessions is a central part of our discipleship.

2.   Mission:

Our giving of time, money and talents resources God's mission in the world.

3.   Generosity:

Our generosity is one of the values that should mark us out as Christians.

4.   Lifestyle:

Giving is from our whole income, not from what's left over.

 

What does the Bible say about giving?

The Bible has lots to say about money, our attitude to it, and our use of it. Altogether there are over 2000 relevant Bible verses. If you want to preach on giving you can find some themed scripture references here.

Also Portsmouth Diocese have produced brief thoughts for sermons for each Sunday of the Church's year.

 

Stewardship and Mission

As parishes and MMAs across the Diocese work on their Mission Action Plans outcomes will vary depending on context. However, underlying all mission is the need to resource new initiatives, not only with the necessary personnel but also by providing adequate financial support.

If you would like support with this please contact the Stewardship Officer.

 

 

So what about the Parish Share?

Parish Share is the contribution each parish makes to the total costs of Mission and Ministry in the Diocese with each MMA contributing for the benefit of the whole body of Christ.
Parish Share Supports:

• All clergy costs stipends, pensions, housing and training:
• Diocesan Administration:
• Diocesan Ministry and Mission Support:
• The Diocesan contribution to the national Church of England.

Click here for a summary of the 2011 budget of Derby Diocese

 

Local Good Practice

Parishes and MMAs need to develop good habits and keep stewardship on their agenda; the General Synod Report Giving for Life identifies the following four key strategies for parishes:

1. effective teaching on giving:

to nurture holistically generous disciples. There are plenty of opportunities within the lectionary to raise the profile of stewardship with local congregations.

2.  linking giving with mission and growth:

enables givers to see the effect of their giving.

3.  annual review of giving:

most personal finances work on an annual basis, as do church finances, so it is good to help people review their giving once a year.

4.  thanking givers each year:

values regular givers and gives them feedback on the mission that their giving has enabled.

 

Stewardship in Derby Diocese

The Stewardship team is currently working to identify strategies to support and encourage

parishes and MMAs in their response to resourcing their Mission Action Plans. During 2012 it is planned that we will roll out a full Stewardship programme, which will involve engaging people at all levels with the principles of Stewardship to ensure that good stewardship of time, talents and finances becomes a part of all the lives of all who worship in this Diocese.

Stewardship Resources

There are many useful resources on the web which can be used to assist in stewardship campaigns. Select the heading to be taken to the website.

1. Parish Resources

This site is provided by the Church of England's National Stewardship Department and offers a wide range of resources to support all aspects of stewardship in the local church.
There are pages for those who preach and teach about stewardship, for encouraging giving in the local church, for Treasurers, Gift Aid secretaries and for those involved in seeking funding for major projects.
There are also resources for PCC members in their role as charity trustees, guidance on registering larger PCCs with the Charity Commission, a stewardship toolkit for rural churches, a good practice guide for managing parish reserves, and a number of activities for use in teaching stewardship topics to young people.

2. Stewardship – transforming generosity

Provide training and resources to help churches develop a biblical perspective on money matters. You will need to register to access all the resources available. The Seasons of Giving resources give some imaginative ways to approach a stewardship programme.

3. The Church of Scotland National Stewardship Programme

Developed by the Church of Scotland; a flexible approach to encourage congregations to review the giving of time, talent and money or just money. Poses questions about objectives, suggests events and how to communicate with individuals.

4. The Parish Funding Programme – Guildford Diocese

For parishes wishing to undertake a full stewardship programme (or annual renewal) the Parish Funding Programme (PFP) has a proven record of generating increases in Planned Giving. It encourages each parish to discern its vision and future plans, as the focus for an increase in Planned Giving.

5. The Money Revolution – John Preston

The book and associated website gives guidance on how we should handle our money based on the premise that all we have belongs to God.

6. Giving in Grace

Diocese of Liverpool site, with an abundance of resources which can be mixed and matched to form a major stewardship programme or an annual review, whichever is appropriate. It is recommended that parishes should follow their programme.

7. TRIO (The Responsibility is Ours)

Available as a binder with the materials needed for running a programme, based on presenting the needs of the parish to the church members. Includes:

a. guidance on running a programme:
b. sample presentations:
c. sample leaflets.

Southwark Diocese makes a charge for the materials to cover their costs.

8. Caring for the future - Legacies

This website offers a range of resources to help people think about making or reviewing a will, and how this fits into the Christian life.

 

Talking Money

In 2007 Derby Diocese developed these resources to assist parishes wishing to undertake a stewardship campaign. Some of the background in the programme booklet is now out of date but the basic principles still hold and the Bible Studies can be used as part of a Stewardship programme.