ELCA Congregations Move from 'Scarcity Thinking to Abundance'

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- In the context of the current economic climate in the United States, the stewardship ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is providing the 10,766 congregations of the church opportunities to move from "scarcity thinking" toward "abundance and generosity" with a new "money leadership" approach.
Nancy L. Snell, director for stewardship and mission giving, ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries (DCM), said stewardship has often been about "dealing with scarcity." In an interview, Snell said "there is abundance and generosity" in stewardship ministry.
"People are generous. If we base our ministry in congregations on an asset-based approach -- looking at what we have instead of what we need -- we can quickly learn what we can accomplish and how we can do it. That becomes a whole new way for a congregation to be and think about itself with some confidence," she said.
"Stewardship is not always about money; it's about how we live our lives, about how we live out the call that God has for our lives. But, because we are a 'money society'; we think of stewardship in financial terms. If stewardship is our response to God's love and how we're living out our lives, then stewardship has a lot to do with how we manage our money, how we give and set priorities," Snell said.
The ELCA stewardship team has produced a series of resources designed to make stewardship "exciting," said Snell. "We want to bring Technicolor to stewardship and make it something that people are not afraid of in the church."
The new stewardship resources are crafted so that congregations can start a stewardship program, connect its mission, vision and goals with funding, and develop sound principles for money leadership and management, Snell said. They are also designed for pastors to help "lead the way" in congregational stewardship, she said.
Developed by the ELCA and the Alban Institute, Bethesda, Md., "The Whys and Hows of Money Leadership: A Curriculum for Pastors and Lay Leaders" is a seven-lesson curriculum that examines the connection between personal experiences with money to one's spiritual journey and "congregational economics" -- connecting a congregation's mission, vision and goals to its use of money.
"Pastors often feel inadequate in dealing with stewardship issues. A lot of that stems from their own insecurity about how they manage their own personal finances," Snell said. The seven-course curriculum begins with the personal management of money and "moves to how to connect money to faith" and "into the corporate structure of the church," she said.
The curriculum was originally put together for people coming out of the seminary. Some new pastors "have given zero thought to the fact that they will be the chief person in the congregation responsible for funding that church. So, we put this curriculum together hoping that pastors will feel confident that they can become stewardship leaders," she said.
Another new resource produced by the ELCA stewardship team designed to ground pastors and lay leaders in stewardship theology is "Step by Step: Fostering Financial Stewardship in Your Congregation." The 48-page booklet provides 17 steps to help congregation leaders implement a "solid" stewardship foundation. It includes a "bonus section" on the theology of stewardship, Snell said. The booklet was written by the Rev. Michael L. Meier, director for leadership development, DCM.
The booklet was developed because congregations interested in starting a stewardship ministry asked for a "stewardship primer" or "stewardship 101," Snell said. In response to that request, the ELCA stewardship team produced "Step by Step," which has become "hugely popular," she said.
The ELCA stewardship team has produced a different resource called "The Great Permission: An Asset-Based Field Guide for Congregations." It offers new ways for congregations to maximize their stewardship potential, Snell said. The 140-page "field guide" assists congregations with "mapping their assets" and illustrates some general principles of abundance and generosity, she said. It also includes case studies, "how-tos for congregational leaders," workshops and Internet-based programs.
Future stewardship resources will focus on the notion of accountability, Snell said. "The notion of accountability really began with Enron and our country's concern with accountability," which has been "a negative term," she said. "I think accountability is a love- your-neighbor-as-yourself kind of issue," Snell added.
The ELCA stewardship ministry team holds an annual Stewardship Leadership Conference every year. It brings together more than 200 Lutheran stewardship leaders, mission interpreters and partners, and staff from the ELCA churchwide office, congregations and 65 synods. The next conference will be held here at the Marriott Hotel O'Hare Feb. 6-9. The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, will deliver a keynote presentation Feb. 6. _ _ _
Information about the ELCA's stewardship ministry and resources are maintained at http://www.elca.org/dcm/stewardship/ on the Internet.

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