Forming Your Stewardship Committee

by Tom Gossen

Pledge Program - Principles for an Effective Response

1. Organize And Form The Stewardship Ministry Team

The Stewardship Ministry Team should include the Rector/Vicar/Pastor along with a leadership team of four to eleven people (depending on the size of the congregation.) Leadership positions often include: general chairperson; chairperson for year-round education; chairperson for the annual response/commitment/pledge program; and a clerk to maintain minutes of the meetings and assist with communications. Meetings of the Stewardship Ministry Team should always begin with Inductive Bible Study to assure a focus on understanding why we do what we do (building up the Kingdom of God rather than simply acquiring more money for the parish treasury.) Meet regularly and be sure to maintain a rolling 12-month (or even 18-month) calendar of future activities to insure adequate planning for upcoming events.

2. Design/Select The Most Appropriate Program(s)

Remember to keep the main thing, the main thing: bringing people into a closer relationship with God through increased commitment to support God’s work in the world through the ministry of their church.

Identify the current conditions in the life of the congregation (consider emotional/spiritual conditions, sense of vision/mission, leadership, energy, recent successes and failures) and design a program/theme that will respond to the current needs of the stewardship journey of the parish.