Cayman Islands Conference

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Cayman Islands Conference

• Stewardship Department
• Wilton G. McDonald

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HOW TO PROMOTE STEWARDSHIP
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Good Stewardship begins with good Leadership

• Spiritual leader
• Understands basic stewardship principles
• Serves as a model of a good steward
• Appreciates the value of stewardship education
• Plays a personal role

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Promotion or Education?

• Objective is to develop an understanding of and
  commitment to the biblical concepts of individual
  and corporate stewardship
• Not fund-raising
• Expected outcome is discipleship
• Possible only through consistent education

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Why the Need for Stewardship Education?

• Some church members have had little or no
  education in Christian stewardship principles
• Some church members have lost sight of the
  mission of the church
• Some church members feel that the programs of
  their church are not worthy of their support and
  sacrifice

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Why the Need for Stewardship Education?

• Some church members have lost confidence in the
  way the church handles money
• Some church members place their own priorities
  and values before the interests of Christ
• Some church members do not see a sense of urgency
  and expectation on the part of church leadership

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Why the Need for Stewardship Education?

• Some church members have real difficulty in
  managing their personal finances
• The growing materialism and secularization
  impacting the church

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Types of Givers

• The member who gives nothing
• The occasional giver
• The selective giver
• The impulsive giver
• The committed giver

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Educational Activities

• Stewardship sermons
• Tithe and offering comments during worship
  services
• Teaching through Sabbath School, special classes,
  seminars, and Bible studies
• Testimonies sharing stewardship experiences

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Educational Activities

• Printed materials such as posters, leaflets,
  commitment cards
• Visuals, films, videos
• Seminars on subjects such as personal and family
  finance
• Visitation

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Educational Themes

• Mission of the church
• Biblical basis for stewardship
• Total life stewardship
• Individual and corporate accountability
• Global mission
• Tithing principles

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Educational Themes

• Offering principles
• Planning our giving (systematic benevolence)
• Stewardship of health and the body temple
• Covetousness and selfishness
• God first
• Motivation

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Educational Themes

• Ownership
• Partnership
• Praise
• Unity
• Prosperity and wealth
• Lordship
• Discipleship

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Plan Strategically

• Establish Stewardship and Strategic Plans
  Committee
• Train the committee members to become involved in
  all the recommended functions of education,
  budgeting and receipting, and strategic planning
  and promotion

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Plan Strategically

• Plan an annual Every-member Response
• a. Review with members the mission
  statement, challenges, strategic objectives,
  and ministry action plans
• b. Show how the church budget is based on the
  mission statement and the churchs challenges
  and objectives

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• c. Answer members questions
• d. Invite members to participate
• e. Pray with members and their families
• f. Leave commitment card with church members

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Inspired Counsel

• The Lord made a special covenant with men, that
  if they would regularly set apart the portion
  designated for the advancement of Christs
  kingdom, the Lord would bless them abundantly, so
  that there would not be room to receive His
  gifts. (Counsels on Stewardship, p.77).

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Plan Strategically

• Develop a Stewardship Education Planning
  Calendar

Person Responsible
Date
Plan
Objective
January
February
March
April
May
June
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Keeping Members Informed

• Regular Church Board meetings
• Regular business meetings
• Give facts about church member participation
• Share information on whether or not the church
  budget objective is being met
• Transparency in operations

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Measure Progress

• Progress is being made if there is
• a. An increase in understanding and acceptance
  of biblical stewardship principles
• b. A willingness by church members to give
  testimony of their personal growth in stewardship

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• c. An eagerness to serve in the churchs
  organization related to stewardship
• d. A desire to place all entrusted gifts into
  the service of God
• e. An increase in the number of members who
  are regularly returning tithe and giving
  offerings
• f. An increase in the number of members who
  are growing in their giving

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Use of the Tithe Envelope

• Regular explanation of how to fill out the tithe
  envelope
• Regular explanation of the Simplified Giving Plan
• Encourage members to take tithe envelopes and
  plan their giving at home

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Conclusion

• Those who hold positions of trust in the church
  should not be negligent, but they should see that
  the members are faithful in performing this
  duty.Let the elders and officers of the church
  follow the direction of the Sacred Word, and urge
  upon their members the necessity of faithfulness,
  in the payment of pledges, tithes and offerings.
• Counsels on Stewardship p. 107