Complete Story
04/08/2020
'Keeping Stewardship Strong in Uncertain Times' workshop offered again for those who missed it the first time!
On April 2, 68 people joined Pr. Mike Ward for our first 'Keeping Stewardship Strong in Uncertain Times' workshop. The previous day, Mike met with 10 people from our Stewardship for All Seasons congregations for personalized training and support. Stewardship for All Seasons is a year-round stewardship program for congregations that creates a culture of giving that continues all year, not just in the fall. Pr. Carey Hovland, of Peace Lutheran in Beavercreek, shares this story of how Stewardship for All Seasons (SAS) has reshaped their congregation's giving even during the pandemic.
Two years ago, we jumped on board the Stewardship for All Season program after hearing how great this program was from colleagues of mine in Iowa. At the time, we were in the middle of doing long range planning with our congregation and found that the SAS plan fit well, as it is not just about a fall stewardship campaign but about the culture and structure of church leadership down through members of the congregation. In our first year (2018) as we were finalizing our 5-year long-term plan, we saw a dramatic increase in pledging: 40 new families pledged and we increased our giving by $45,000. In our second year (2019) we saw an increase in pledges by another $45,000, which shocked and delighted the congregation. We used GSB and Mike Ward for our capital campaign to go with our SAS program and the Synod wide Thrive campaign, which we launched March 1 with intent cards going out to the congregation March 16th--right in the middle of everything being shut down. We announced on March 29th that we had received over $580,000 in leadership gifts. In the midst of the pandemic chaos, we have been blessed to have a well-structured program already in place which has been working to change our congregation’s culture around generosity and stewardship. I would recommend SAS to anyone who wants to grow in their faith and giving.
Stewardship for All Seasons is a proven program, which is why the Southern Ohio Synod is offering it a part of our THRIVE! Campaign at a significantly discounted rate. Please contact Pr. Katie Kerrigan at kkerrigan@southernohiosynod.org for more information about SAS.
To get a taste of what Mike teaches in the SAS program (at no cost to you), join us on Thursday, April 23, from 11am-12pm, for a one-hour virtual workshop with Mike. He will share tangible ideas for responding during this crisis and help you put in place the infrastructure to keep generosity flowing to your congregations. Mike will also point out messaging that you should avoid during this time. A portion of the program will be dedicated to questions from participants. This workshop is suggested for pastors, stewardship leaders, council members and others engaged in congregational leadership.
- The workshop meeting is being held on ZOOM. To join the meeting by computer or tablet, Click here.
- When prompted, type in the Meeting ID, which is: 417 307 949
- Password is 114309
- In lieu of using a computer, you may dial in on your phone at: 1-646-558-8656. You will also likely be prompted to input the meeting ID shown above. This method of connecting to the call is recommended if you have slow or spotty internet connectivity.
Additional resources from Mike and GSB about responding to this crisis are also available at:
This support is being brought about through the generosity of those who have already given to the Thrive Mission Campaign which, despite being postponed for now, remains more important than ever in helping the Synod help you. Please watch for further updates.
