The planning group
A small planning group will build the case, oversee planning and advocate for a stewardship programme rooted in generous discipleship.
Abraham Lincoln famously said, “give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe”. It’s the planning group who spend valuable time sharpening the axe and then play their part in delivering a thoughtfully and prayerfully planned generous giving programme.
Champions and advocates
It’s understandable of course, but from the get-go there can be a nervousness, a reluctance to ask people to give; to think and pray about their giving. And if we must talk money it risks being an apologetic fundraising effort. The planning group will model a different approach.
In their praying and planning, the group will do the hard yards. They won’t duck both financial challenges and opportunities. They won’t pull their punches on the financial realities of church life. But the group will also be champions for and advocates of the biblical approach of Giving in Grace.
The programme will address financial problems. But the end game is the ongoing task of resourcing ministry and mission and growing generous disciples.
Who is on the planning group?
The advice of management guru Jim Collins is to get the right people on the bus. You want people who will pray, be committed, hold respect. If you have a finance or stewardship team that’s the core but consider one or two fresh faces for this task. In most churches it will be a ‘task and finish’ group. Group size depends on the size of your congregation(s) and the kind of programme you want to run. The group must be small enough to gel, large enough to do the job.
Programme planning requires skills to access online resources, work with simple spreadsheets, edit online design templates for your literature and generally good administration. Ideally the treasurer will be on the team but if that’s not possible they will assist in gathering the data and have sight of the final Knowing our Numbers report.
The planning group will also have an awareness of the the legal and regulatory frameworks that help ensure respectful privacy and appropriate sensitivity in our stewardship ministry. Guidance is given on UK GDPR considerations, including electronic communications. Guidance on how the Code of Fundraising Practice applies to churches is also available.
And the clergy?
Clergy should always be on the planning group. It’s a visible sign of commitment. Not being involved may suggest (perhaps reflect) a distancing from stewardship ministry. If it’s just not possible clergy must signal support in other ways. Of course, clergy and any lay ministry team will be hands on with the preaching options and linked liturgy, rotas and dates to fit the flow of church life and ministry. Decisions will need to be made on using the all age resources or bible studies.
But while it may be necessary, clergy need not chair the group. Older American research which found that congregations prefer lay leadership in finance (and an association with higher giving levels) feels about right.
Light and life
The work of the planning group is not just about financial problems. It’s about growing generous discipleship and sustainable ministry; the light of Christ in our communities.