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Stewardship is a year-round ministry. There is a real committee charged with the responsibility for seeing that this is so. It is not called the Every Member Canvass Committee and that activity is only one of its responsibilities.
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Members of the Stewardship Committee pray often, individually and collectively.
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Leadership (clergy, vestry, and stewardship committee) lead by example. They are committed to tithing. Commitment to tithing does not mean it is a requirement. It means we will try. It means leaders give proportionately as they work towards the title
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Talking about money is expected. This does not mean it will not be difficult.
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Telling the"story" is one of the program's primary tasks. It begins with God's story (inductive Bible study) and proceeds to the stories which come forth from the congregation.
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The annual financial stewardship program always includes a training event and training always includes Bible study.
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The Stewardship Committee meets monthly and includes a brief inductive Bible study as part of their meeting.
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The line item budget includes 3% of expected pledge income to be used to fund the stewardship program.
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The Stewardship Committee has a plan. The best case scenario is that it is multi-year (three to five-year) plan which supports the plan developed by the Vestry and is directed towards achieving the mission/vision of the congregation.
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The Stewardship Committee is intentional about its own discernment of new members. Membership of the committee changes somewhat each year.
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Training is for everyone. Continuing education for the Stewardship Committee, Vestry and clergy is expected and is provided for in the committee budget.
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Stewardship is defined as "Using the gifts God has given us to do the work He is calling us to do."
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Basic assumptions include the following:
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Stewardship involves joyous acts of thanksgiving in response to all that God has given us.
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Stewardship is about changing lives.
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Stewardship programs are guided by grace, not guilt.
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We are God's stewards. What we do grows out of our relationship with Him.
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Stewardship is fun.
