The term, "best practices" refers to a leadership style that employs optimal strategies.  These best practices do not guarantee an organization's financial health, nor do the promise to transform a person's financial commitment.  Rather, these strategies and policies are the exceptional practices of healthy, vital faith-based communities.  Some of these best practices will enhance the financial discipleship of your community; however, other practices may not be well-suited for your particular organization.  They are designed to stimulate your thinking and to encourage new perspectives.  These best practices are focused in three predominant areas: discipleship, cultivation, and conversation.

 

DISCIPLESHIP

·        Provide an opportunity for people to live a lifestyle with values other than consumerism.

·       Promote the faith-based joy of generous giving, starting with the church leaders.

·       Focus on the need of the giver to give, rather than on the church need to underwrite an operating budget.

·       Encourage pastors to embrace their role as stewardship leaders.

·       Establish the offering as an integral act of worship.  Link the offertory prayer to other aspects of the worship service.

·       Consistently teach children and youth about Christian stewardship through activities and reflective questions.

·        Promote a vision of ministry that attracts people and changes people’s lives. Remember: Most people are not motivated to give out of survival issues; they are motivated by mission and ministries.

CULTIVATION

·        Emphasize percentage giving and tithing at least once a year.

·        Celebrate giving and provide numerous opportunities for people to be able to give.

·        Preach at least 9 times per year on stewardship.  Remember: Jesus talked about money, things, and possessions more than any other topic in the New Testament.

·        Provide a course in personal budget planning.

·        Talk about and hold seminars on wills, endowments, and bequests – promote planned giving from people’s assets and estates.

·        Invite a different person/couple to breakfast or lunch once a month for a discussion about their faith commitment and money.

·        Offer people the opportunity to discover their spiritual gifts and to find ways to use those gifts in the church and with others.

CONVERSATION

·        Talk about money!  Lift the taboo on the discussing money in the church.  Allow more than one person to have access to the financial giving records.

·        Be intentional about telling stories of the work, mission, and ministry of the church.  Ask, “How is the local church and your denomination changing people’s lives – within the congregation, in the community, and around the world?”

·        Prepare a narrative budget for the congregation.  Distribute the traditional line-item budget only to the church leadership and others who request a copy.

·        Rather than perpetuating a crisis mode, focus on the potential of the church.

·        Inform congregations of their giving patterns – set goals; provide follow-up information; personalize giving statements.

·        Establish clear policies concerning endowment funds and memorial gifts.

·        Seek grants and the formation of a separate non-profit corporation.

·        Promote systems that provide ease in giving

·        Offer segmented appeals

·        Conduct donor capacity analysis