Start Planning for Stewardship Month – Part Duex: Should You Do a Fall Campaign?
No, I have not recently returned from France. I just like that I know the French word for “two.” Duex, duex, duex. Please don’t ask me what the French is for any other numbers. Merci.
Last week’s post (Start Planning for Stewardship Month – Part 1) was about developing your Generosity Team. These folk should be Spiritually grounded, Positive, Organized, Generous: SPOG. In addition, the post also noted that it is an opportunity to ask some critical questions around mission/vision/purpose before you start your nitty-gritty planning.
As you hunker down in a cool spot, it’s time to keep planning for your fall Stewardship month...if that’s what you plan on doing.
There are other options.
1. You can wait until the next calendar year to do a focused program. Check out the post by Joe Park at Horizons on Why January and February are the Best Months to Collect Annual Estimates of Giving.
As Joe says,
Most churches begin their pattern of fall generosity efforts to meet the needs of the church and culture that existed 60 years ago. If your church is still collecting giving estimates in the fall, is it time to ask why and whether this practice still serves you well?
Moving your stewardship month to January or February deserves a discussion.
2. Or you can do more than one ask for estimates of giving. How about planning for Two or More Annual Pledge Campaigns?
As I wrote several years ago,
But why do we do an annual campaign just oncea year? Don’t a number of people forget to turn in a pledge card in the fall? Or some might not realize the first time that giving is a spiritual discipline – they need to hear it again. Or they might not understand how your ministries rely on pledges and giving for planning purposes. Or they may be just learning what discipleship means.
Two or more stewardship months also deserve a discussion.
Let your generosity team struggle with what’s best for your congregation:
A one-and-done October (or fall) campaign
A January or February program
Or two opportunities to pledge during the year.
If you’re in the October-is-Stewardship-Month mindset (and I dare say that’s the case for most mainline churches), then you’ll want to read next week’s post.
Here’s my request:
What has worked in your congregation?
Did you move to a January-February time? Are you happy with that?
Is there a program you've used that you like and that worked well?
Did you come up with your own program – and if so, what was it and how did that work out?
Others will want to learn from you.
Send on your responses to me at InspiringGeneorsity@gmail.com no later than next Tuesday.
As I wait to hear from you, I’ll just sit in a cool room watching Emily in Paris and practicing my French pronunciation of “deux.”
Until next week, au revoir!
Photo credit: Leiada Krozjhen@upsplash.com
Cesie Delve Scheuermann (pronounced “CC Delv Sherman,” yes, really) is a Stewardship Consultant for the OR-ID Annual Conference. She is also a Senior Ministry Strategist with Horizons Stewardship – helping with capital campaigns and encouraging more generosity. For 25 years, while working as a volunteer and part-time consultant, she has helped raise millions of dollars for numerous churches and non-profit organizations. With an unlimited credit card, you too can dress just like Emily in Paris.
You can reach Cesie at inspiringgenerosity@gmail.com, at CesieScheuermann.com, or at cesieds@horizons.net. Want to schedule a meeting? She’s got you covered!
Schedule a meeting now.
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