Faithful Stewardship:A Pathway to Community

A Workshop for the St. Lawrence District, UUAApril 2011

Laurel Amabile, Stewardship & Development, UUA

Objectives

• To broaden awareness of the scope of stewardship among congregation leaders.

• To identify ways to create and sustain cultures of generosity among our families and in our congregations.

• To offer experiential learning opportunities through modeled application, reflection, and idea sharing.

Our Learning CommunityArticulating faith

values: giving and generosity,

UU principles, raise awareness at the individual level.

Sharing the stories of the Faith Community:

role models and experiences that

reinforce the values and inspire.

Personal reflection:Experiences and story

message. Identification with the

faith values and community.

Relationship Development:

To the faith, its values, and to one another in

community. A communal sense of mission develops.

Faith Identity Formation:

Inspired by relationship to the shared values,

stories, and mission of the faith community.

Faith in Action:Community embraces and integrates mission

and values. Individuals live out and teach others.

National Giving Data• Religious people are 25 percentage points more

likely to donate money and 23 percentage points more likely to volunteer time than secular people.

• Families with higher incomes give more money, but the percentage given decreases as income rises.

• Teenage youth who attend religious services regularly volunteer twice as much as those who don’t attend.

Spending Statistics

• Young people, newborn to age 22, represent a $1 trillion market in the U.S. marketplace, through their direct spending and influence over family purchases.

• Children and youth, ages 8-21 spend approximately $175 Billion a year of their own money.

• More children go shopping each week (52%) than read (42%), go to church (26%), play outdoors (17%), or spend time in household conversations (32%).

The pathway from scarcity to abundance is called

community. -Parker Palmer

Please join me on the pathway….

Money!

You & Money

What one word or phrase would you use to describe your relationship with money?

(past or present)

How does money relate to your faith and spiritual life?

How comfortable are you with regard to money in your professional life?

Giving is personal. When we give a gift of money we are giving part of ourselves. Money is associated

with worth, both self-worth and the worth we place on our

relationships. ~Faith & Fundraising Handbook

Holistic Stewardship in Our Congregations

Transforming the culture of giving….one step at a time.

Holistic Stewardship is……Wise and visionary management of all our resources:

– Money – Possessions – Land & facilities – Time– People

How might we best assess our congregation’s culture of stewardship?

The Theology of Stewardship

Central to the Judeo-Christian traditions is the idea that God is the source of everything the world has to offer.

This relationship between God and the world Is referred to as oikonomia, or the “divine economy.” Our concept of economy is derived from this root word.

Religious Giving Traditions • The offering

From the earliest times, the offering was considered the central act of worship. Sacrifices were made by the people in many cultures to express gratitude to the gods, the earth, and a supreme God or Creator, as the source of all life and abundance.

What awareness of religious stewardship might we reclaim and put into practice in our lives

and congregations?

Stewardship & Generosity Wisdom

How might we reframe the miracle story of the Loaves and Fishes in ways that could shift the

culture of giving in ourUnitarian Universalist congregations?

Sharing our Stories

We have 52 Sundays a year to share the stories of how our Unitarian Universalist faith

and congregation makes a difference in peoples’ lives and the world.

What stories come to your mind?

Stewardship is about conversion, not budgets

and income . ~C. K. Robertson

Transforming Our Thinking About Stewardship

• Stewardship is about relationships.• Stewardship is a ministry.• Therefore every conversation about

money is potentially pastoral in nature.• Every experience of giving is a matter

of faith and a reflection of one’s values.

Transforming Our Thinking About Stewardship

Practices for Transformative Stewardship Leaders:

• Personal reflection• See yourselves as role models• Articulate the congregation’s

compelling mission and vision, clearly and consistently.

• Tell the stories and invite others to share theirs.

You must regularly cast a clear , compelling vision for the

church . The key to cultivating donors for your church’s

ministry is vision.~Aubrey Malphurs & Steve Stroope

Money Matters in Church, 2007

Casting the Vision

Does your congregation have a clearly articulated vision?

If so, does the congregation understand the connection between their giving and the fulfillment of the vision?

If not, it is time to do that work!

Stewardship does indeed deal with money, but it must be far bigger, far more holistic than that. For money is the symbol, the powerful symbol, of our ongoing need for control. But as we begin to think of life in terms of what we have instead of What we lack, then we can dare to let go of the things that hold us back and strategize together as faithful stewards instead of fearful owners.

~Faith and Fundraising Handbook

Creating Cultures of Generosity-How?

Generational Differences in Charitable Giving

Understanding generational differences helps us to frame

our stewardship and giving messages and expectations

effectively and appropriately.

Celebrate Generosity!• Express gratitude when accepting the offering.

• Prepare a budget that represents the mission and priorities of the congregation and honors relationships with wider UU community.

• Give joyfully to the surrounding community by giving away all or part of the offering to .

• Play “We’re in the money” when announcing the results of Stewardship Pledging.

Do any other ways of celebrating come to mind?

Do what you can. Want what you have.

Be who you are. Love fearlessly.

~Forrest Church

Our Covenant and

Support System

Our UUA CovenantGrateful for the religious

pluralism which enriches and ennobles our faith, we are

inspired to deepen our understanding and expand our vision. As free congregations we enter into this covenant,

promising to one another our mutual trust and support.

MyUnitarian

UniversalistCongregation

UnitarianUniversalistAssociation

MyDistrict

My region My town

The WiderWorld

Our Interconnected Community

My UU Congregation

My town

My region

My District

My UUA

A Nested View ofMy UU Congregation

I belong to my church and my church belongs to me.I belong to District and our District belongs to me.I belong to our UUA and our UUA belongs to me.

The Mystery Structure

$ INUndesignated

Income

• Congregations (APF)• Friends of the UUA•Gifts/Bequests• Program Fees • Investment Income

DesignatedIncome

• Capital Campaigns• Grants from Veatch Program• Relief Funds & International• Ministerial Aid Funds • Scholarship & Ed. Grants• Restricted donor gifts

Includes:

• Services to Congregations• Ministry & Professional Leadership• Lay Leader resources & training• Publications & curricula• Website & electronic resources• District services and grants

$ OUT

Our Purposes

The Unitarian Universalist Association shall devote its resources to and exercise its corporate powers for religious, educational and humanitarian purposes. The primary purpose of the Association is to serve the needs of its member congregations, organize new congregations, extend and strengthen Unitarian Universalist institutions, and implement its principles.

The Unitarian Universalist Association:A Covenantal Partnership

Why Should We Give to Our District and Association?

• People who give generously in our congregations act upon their religious beliefs and values.

• Givers align their lives with the higher purposes of Unitarian Universalism.

• Our giving in support of our UU values makes a positive difference in the world.

Let’s Stay Connected!Laurel Amabile, Director, Annual Program Fund

• Email: LAmabile@uua.org• Phone: 207-239-7162• Twitter: http://twitter.com/givingspeaks

– Stewardship and Development Office, Unitarian Universalist Association.

– Focus is relationship-building throughout the UUA and strengthening funding of our mission at the local and national levels.

Your Thoughts & Feedback• What concepts will you take back for use

in your ?

• What questions or needs linger?

• Any parting thoughts or feedback?