Here S Your Stewardship Toolkit for December 2017!

Here’s Your Stewardship ‘Toolkit’ for December 2017!

Rev. Rob Blezard, Assistant to the Bishop

Lower Susquehanna Synod

Good, thoughtful, consistent communication, education and actionwill help develop a healthy culture of stewardship and generosity in your congregation. This kit is designed to help get you there!

Here’s what you’ll find below:

-Stewardship Snippets: Put a “Stewardship Snippet” every week in your Sunday bulletin! It’s a quote from the week’s Revised Common Lectionary lessons, followed by a brief reflection. Just cut and paste!

-Newsletter Articles: Publish something in your newsletter every month on money and faith, or post it on your website. Keep your people thinking about stewardship. Just cut and paste!

-Links to Resources: You’ll find links to resources on the Web:

-The “thinkit” resource – Something thoughtful and insightful to get your mind turning and your soul fired up. Share it with your leadership, or use it for a temple talk.

-The “teach it” resource – Your folks ought to prayerfully and faithfully wrestle with some of stewardship’s biblical, theological and discipleship issues.

-The “do it” resource – Talk, as they say, is cheap, so put your stewardship efforts into high gear.

-The “preach it” resource – Check out the weekly Lectionary Reflection written by Lower Susquehanna Synod pastor and synod staff person Sharron Blezard.

-General Resource Websites: – These are places you can go for great ideas!

-Consultation and Coaching: – Did you know there are experts willing to meet with your congregation?

Stewardship Snippets

Copy and paste into your bulletin!
Source: Rob Blezard

Stewardship Snippet

December 3, 2017 (1st Sunday of Advent, Year B)

“Yet, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.” –Isaiah 64:8

You already know that you are a creation of God, and that knowledge most certainly helps shape your self-identity. But Isaiah adds a wrinkle: we are clay that God, the potter, shapes and forms. When we are good stewards of our lives, we prayerfully and eagerly invite the Holy Spirit to help us discern how God wants to mold us. The closer we are to who God means us to be, the happier and more fulfilled we are.

Stewardship Snippet

December 10, 2017 (2nd Sunday of Advent, Year B)

“Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.”–Psalm 85:8

Are you listening for what God is saying to you? To your congregation? All of God’s people? It’s hard to hear anything with the anxious noise of the world. Living right, we turn away from the noise and listen for God’s word of peace. And we live it!

Stewardship Snippet

December 17, 2017 (3rd Sunday of Advent, Year B)

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.”–1 Thessalonians5:16-19

Ever notice how some people are always complaining, even when their lives seem (to us, anyway) to be pretty blessed? They aren’t living right and being good stewards of their gifts. By contrast, these short verses from 1 Thessalonians give sage advice – Rejoice! Pray! Give thanks! That IS the will of God for you!

Stewardship Snippet

December 24, 2017 (4thSunday of Advent, Year B)

[The angel Gabriel said to Mary,]“Nothing will be impossible with God." –Luke 1:37

Fear is a big part of our modern life. How would you live if you had no fear? Gabriel’s words to Mary are his words to us today: Nothing is impossible with God. So, stop fearing, have faith, and live!

Stewardship Snippet

December 31, 2017 (1st Sunday after Christmas, Year B)

“When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.”--Luke 2:39-40

Stewardship of faith involves showing up, doing the right thing, and taking care of responsibilities. Joseph and Mary practiced this by fulfilling God's law for their son Jesus. Why not make 2018 a year to develop good, consistent stewardship practices all year long?

Newsletter article

Just copy and paste into your newsletter!

Source: Rob Blezard, Lower Susquehanna Synod

Stewardship 101

Make a year-end contribution to your church

In the Advent and Christmas seasons, we celebrate the new beginning that God gives us in the birth of Jesus – the son of God who came to give us salvation, reveal the heart of God, and set us free from the powers of the world that turn us from God and teach us how to live.

But in the excitement and busyness of celebrating the new beginning, we may forget to plan for an important ending – the close of the year. There are two things to remember about the end of the year:

December 31 is when most congregations close their financial books for the fiscal year.
December 31 is the IRS deadline for important tax filings.

First, the congregational books: It’s not just your church treasurer and financial secretary who love it when the congregation ends the year “in the black.” When income matches expenses, everybody breathes easier and celebrates not only God’s abundance but also the generosity of God’s people. We all begin the next year dreaming of the ministry before us.

By contrast, anxiety and tension rise when a congregation ends the year “in the red” and must use savings to make up the difference. People focus on scarcity -- what they (and the congregation) lack, rather than what God provides in abundance. Rather than dreaming of what God may do among them, folks entertain nightmare scenarios of budget cuts and curtailed ministry.

Your year-end contribution helps your congregation begin the year with optimism, joy, and a stronger belief in God’s mission for your community.

Now the IRS deadlines: There’s a bottom-line benefit to you for making a sizeable contribution before the end of the year. Charitable giving is tax-deductible, but you must give before the year’s end in order to claim the deduction for 2017.

A cash gift is always the easiest and most welcome way to contribute to your congregation, but it’s not the only way. Talk to your financial advisor about giving in appreciated stocks or securities, which can help you avoid capital gains taxes. Or, if you are more than 70 ½ years old, your financial advisor can help you make a Qualified Charitable Distribution from your IRA:

Last but not least! The year-end contribution you make to your church is also a spiritual gift to yourself. How? Giving generously is the spiritual discipline that helps us to develop generous hearts. It’s true! Just ask anyone who tithes. By giving we fully understand the joy and delight that comes from generosity.

In this season, when we celebrate the generosity and love that God has for us, it’s a great lesson to learn.

--Rob Blezard

Links to resources

The “think it” resource

Shaping Your Theology of Money:Many churches and church leaders mistakenly avoid talking about money. In fact, a theology of money is central to our individual spiritual formation, the health of our institutions and the way we participate in God’s mission in the world, writes David P. King, director of Lake Institute on Faith & Giving. He explains why and how in this article in Faith & Leadership, aDuke Divinity School publication.

The “teach it” resource

Eight-Part Bible Study: Stewardship Basics Here's an in-depth stewardship curriculum that can help your congregation learn not only what the Bible has to say about stewardship, but also how to live as steward-disciples. From the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, the free eight-part studyinvites deep engagement with Scripture to explore what stewardship means to us as 21st century disciples of Christ. Leader and participant guides are offered in PDF download.

The “do it” resource

Start Planning NOW for Year-Round Stewardship in 2018: January 1 around the corner, so now’s the time to plan for a year-round stewardship effort that can help transformthe culture of your church and the hearts of your people to incline toward generosity. This resource from the United Methodist Church lays out a simple 12-month plan to educate, inspire and nudge people to link giving with their discipleship. (Photo by Grublee, via Bigstockphoto.com)

The “preach it” resource

Weekly Lectionary Stewardship Reflection – Sharron Blezard, Lower Susquehanna Synod assistant to the bishop and pastor, takes a look at stewardship implications in the week’s Revised Common Lectionary and Narrative Lectionary lessons.

General Stewardship Resource Websites

Stewardship of Life Institute– Headquartered at United Lutheran Seminary, this site has a trove of resources on stewardship in areas of congregational finance, individual finance, discipleship, education, preaching, creation care, and more.

Center for Steward Leadership – Luther Seminary’s excellent website with lots of resources.

The ELCA Foundation has resources at its website, as well as consultants who can meet with your congregational leaders to develop ideas and plans for long-term financial stability.

Lower Susquehanna Synod Stewardship – You’ll find a selected group of great resources.

Consultation and coaching

If your congregation is looking for direction, we have experts who are ready to help. We can provide guidance by telephone or email, in one-on-one meetings, in workshops and seminars for your team. Give us a call. We’re here to help.

The Rev. Rob Blezard, Assistant to the Bishop

717-652-1852, Ext. 109
Pastor Blezard specializes in stewardship development for congregations. He can assist in communication, education, programming and planning.

The Rev. Elizabeth Polanzke, Central Pennsylvania Gift Planner, ELCA Foundation

717-654-2334

Pastor Polanzke specializes in helping with legacy gifts, estate planning, endowment funds and other planned-gift topics.

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