2. Diocese of Hawaii Leadership Training
Parish Stewardship…
Like trying to teach a bear to ride a motorcycle?
Brought to you by the Stewardship Commission
Presented by The Rev. Ben Nelson, All Saints’ Kauai

3. A Prayer of Self-dedication
Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly yours, utterly dedicated to you; and then use us, we pray, as you will, and always to your glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen
(paraphrased from The Book of Common Prayer, p 832)
Dedication to discipleship… the ol’ bait and switch- you thought you were going to come in here and brand new tips and tricks for raising money. Well, if you really want that, then I’ll give you a number for the Hawaii United Way, they can help you understand philanthropy a little more. We’re here to talk about stewardship. And in order to do that properly, we’re going to start with a stewardship bible study.
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20a RSV).

4. 1 Peter 1:1-8
I, Peter, am an apostle on assignment by Jesus, the Messiah, writing to exiles scattered to the four winds. Not one is missing, not one forgotten. God the Father has his eye on each of you, and has determined by the work of the Spirit to keep you obedient through the sacrifice of Jesus. May everything good from God be yours!
What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you'll have it all—life healed and whole.
I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it's your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.
You never saw him, yet you love him. You still don't see him, yet you trust him—with laughter and singing. Because you kept on believing, you'll get what you're looking forward to: total salvation.
What is the Holy Spirit saying to you in this passage? What is the Word of God calling you to do?

5. It can be done! And it’s awesome!
Parish stewardship is like teaching a bear to ride a motorcycle…
What we are talking about is a monumental shift in thinking. Can a bear ride a motorcycle… conventional wisdom would say it can’t be done. That photo says otherwise.
It can be done!
And it’s awesome!

6. What is Stewardship?
“Stewardship has been kidnapped and is being held hostage by a sinister villain named “Paying the Bills.” ‘Chick’ Lane, author of Ask, Thank, Tell Our Goal today is to Rescue and Renew our understanding of stewardship in the parish.
Being present today is a huge step for all of us today because as leaders who are committed to stewardship development we are committed to being co-learners in a life long process of transformation. Fortunately we are not just twisting in the wind… we are shown the way by the one we have committed our whole lives to… Stewardship, for our purposes, is everything that we say and do after our commitment to Jesus Christ. It is everything we do after we say “I BELIEVE”

7. Start with the Basics… What does the word Stewardship mean?
What is Stewardship?
Start with the Basics… What does the word Stewardship mean?
The Old classic trinity- time, talent, and treasure. Carried out by the ministers of the church (laity, bps, priests, deacons) Now what are the laity called to do?

8. What is the ministry of the Laity?
To represent Christ and his church
To bear witness to him wherever they may be
To carry on Christ’s work of reconciliation in the world*
To take their place in the life, worship, and governance of the Church.
To follow Christ, To come together week by week for corporate worship; and to work, pray, and GIVE for the spread of the kingdom of God! (BCP p856)
*According to the gifts given them!
What about these responsibilities? How do they connect to stewardship? Well, let’s look at the dictionary definition of “steward”

9. steward |ˈst(y)oōərd|noun
1 a person who looks after the passengers on a ship, aircraft, or train and brings them meals.• a person responsible for supplies of food to a college, club, or other institution.
2 an official appointed to supervise arrangements or keep order at a large public event, for example a sporting event.• short for shop steward .
3 a person employed to manage another's property, esp. a large house or estate.• a person whose responsibility it is to take care of something : farmers pride themselves on being stewards of the countryside.
verb [ trans. ]1 (of an official) supervise arrangements or keep order at (a large public event) : the event was organized and stewarded properly.2 manage or look after (another's property).
DERIVATIVES stewardship noun ORIGIN Old English stīweard, from stig (probably in the sense [house, hall] ) + weard [ward.] The verb dates from the early 17th cent.
Steward as a waiter is actually a very good image for us… especially if we consider our role as disciples to be someone who brings the food of the gospel to a hungry world.
Shelia’s definition of an antiques collector… we’re just holding on to it until someone else gets to enjoy it.

10. We are Wardens of the Sty…
“There is something wonderfully rewarding in being part of an effort that does make a difference. And there’s something sparkling about being among other people when they're at their best, too.”
Brian O’Connell, non-profit leader and educator
This comes from the olde english term that reflects the practice of appointing particularly reliable workers to be wardens of the pig sty… these wardens, lived under the ward or “word” of the Lord of the manor. They were expected to become trustworthy custodians of these resources and lovingly and prudently cared for that which they had been entrusted.
Oikonomia is what they call in Godly play a golden thread throughout scripture. Now if we are stewards and have some responsibility… then how do we carry that out in our congregations… well, stewardship leaders have to be ambassadors for the idea of discipleship.
Oikonomia: The Greek word which is translated as Stewardship in the bible. It connects several motifs of the Gospel and responsible living in community! Namely, that all persons are considered stewards by virtue of our creation of the image an likeness of God.

11. Re-Imagining Stewardship
Stewardship = Discipleship
Following Christ… changes ways of thinking
Membership vs. Discipleship
Elks Lodge vs. Apostolic Mission
Education + Opportunities for Commitment = Parish Stewardship
There are no experts… only participants.
How do we participate? Reluctantly? Joyfully?
Notice at this point I have yet to talk about money. I’m still laying some ground work here.
I can watch some of you getting nervous… tell me how to get at the money… how do we focus in on the time talent and treasure?
Well, let me talk a little bit about participation…
At the End… tell the story about discipleship and fishing. Marcel Ledbetter.

12. How do we fish? We Share our Stories! Stories of Reconciliation
Stories of Gratitude
Stories of Generosity
Sharing my own story: Reconciliation of my family’s relationship with the church. Stories of Gratitude- Mother Teresa Generosity “mama the neighbors are hungry too”- Osceola McCarthy- a lasting gift.

13. Discipleship vs. Membership
Members are expected to…
Members assume…
Give money to support others who do ministry. “Professionals”
Maintain the institution… lights on, children Sunday schooled, committees filled
Be good citizens- don’t embarrass.
The mission field is elsewhere.
The goal of the congregation is to get and keep members. Add to the rolls before the old members die.
Low expectations for membership.
Chick Lane’s book that you’ll all be receiving a copy of today has a very important distinction at it’s core. The difference between discipleship and Membership.

14. Discipleship vs. Membership
Disciples hope to grow in their relationships by…
Disciples assume…
Doing the ministry.
Giving radically out of who they are.
Living life in community.
Reinforcing the notion that the primary relationship is not with the congregation, but with God in Christ.
Congregation is a means to an end.
The mission field is right out the front door.
The Goal is to make other disciples… membership isn’t enough.
Higher expectations
Daily Prayer, Daily Scripture, weekly worship, tithing and beyond, serving in Jesus’ name, sharing our stories!

15. Small Group Discussion
Think about the language used in your own congregation.
Discuss times when your congregation has used “membership” language.
Discuss times when your congregation has used “discipleship” language.
What are some “action items” you could use to make “discipleship” language more prevalent in your own life?
How does your congregation talk about or demonstrate the need of the giver to give, rather than the need of the congregation to receive?
The Giver’s need to Give
vs.
The Congregation’s need to Receive.
Newsprint available… groups of four

16. Good Stewardship… Focuses on conversion of people
Enables leaders to talk about money in ways that transform lives
Calls for recruiting leaders, not taking volunteers.
Means developing people who are committed and competent
Values the time and talent of all God’s people!
We can also talk about statistics and belief about money. Power and leverage. How do we stack up in this diocese? We don’t want to be numbers driven, but must be aware of them.
Because behind those numbers are the stories. J & L at All Saints.

17. Using Ask, Thank, Tell in Congregations
Chapter 1 – Discipleship, Not Membership
Chapter 2 – It All Belongs to God
Chapter 3 – Money & Possessions in the New Testament
Chapter 4 – Portrait of a Biblical Giver
Chapter 5 – Practicing Biblical Stewardship
Chapter 6 – Ask: The Annual Response Program
Chapter 7 – Ask: Making the Pie Larger
Chapter 8 – Improving How You Ask
Chapter 9 – Thank
Chapter 10 – Tell
Chapter 11 – Organizing for Your Stewardship Ministry

18. What is the Stewardship Commission?
Pam McCoy, Stewardship Commission Chair
Louise Aloy
Peter Denman
John Hawkins
Lindsay Kamm
The Rev. Paul Lillie
The Rev. Ben Nelson
Wayne Yoshigai
Peter Pereira

19. Final Thoughts Conversion, not collection!
Accepting people wherever they may be on this wonderful stewardship journey
Using our God-Given Imagination to create opportunity and excitement!
Generational differences… what is the future of Stewardship?
The Pledge, the tithe, annual giving, and other thoughts.

20. Seven Truths about Financial Development Programs
by The Rev. J. Hugh Magers, TENS board of directors
1. The first place to look for money is in the heart, not the wallet.
2. Most people find it hard to talk about God and money.
3. We still have to talk about the tithe.
3 (a) YES, we really do.
4. We aren't saved because we give money to God.
Hugh Magers, a retired priest from the Diocese of West Texas, is formerly the director of Stewardship at the Episcopal Church Center. Now he serves on the Board of Directors of The Episcopal Network for Stewardship, and as a consultant to dioceses and parishes on stewardship, evangelism and Hispanic Ministry Development.
5. Everyone is already doing the very best they can.
6. Yes, we really do need to sign pledge cards.
7. If you are not smiling when you sign your pledge card, then you have filled in the wrong amount.