Gehman Mennonite Church - Online Church Bulletin Board: Fwd: New research and resources

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From: Kevin Nofziger, Everence <kevin.nofziger@everence.com>
Date: Tue, Oct 3, 2017 at 9:00 AM
Subject: New research and resources | Stewardship Update
To: philandkelly@gmail.com

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Dear pastors,

I hope your congregations are having a blessed start to the fall season. You may be thinking about how your budget is doing as you head toward the year-end. This month, our Stewardship Education Director Beryl Jantzi shares reflections on how pastors and attenders view generosity differently.

In this email, also learn about our new special MyNeighbor card to benefit your churches and our 2018 Stewardship Sunday resources on the special widow who redefined generosity.

Pastors, attenders differ on practices and motivation

Barna reports generosity views diverge

The motivations for generosity are many and often complex. The spiritual practice of giving can vary greatly especially when comparing pastors with their attenders. According to a new Barna report titled The Generosity Gap, there is little agreement on why people should be generous and what counts as generosity.

Generosity: Planned or spontaneous?

As a rule, attenders and pastors have similar, but not always identical, ideas about what characteristics make an act generous. Generally speaking, most agree that generosity comes from an unselfish spirit, not from a sense of duty or of self-interest. Pastors agree that generosity is always "a response to Christ's love" (66% vs. 47% of attenders). Pastors are also more likely to believe generosity is both an inward attitude and an outward discipline.

On the other hand, attenders have a slightly more casual view of giving. They are more likely than their pastors to say generosity can be mainly a spontaneous act and rooted in compassion. Just one in five pastors say generosity is always (2%) or often (18%) spontaneous. Lay members are also more likely to say it is never or seldom "sacrificial" (16% vs. 5% pastors).

So what does this research suggest pastors might teach on giving and motivation? 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 suggests:

Now about the collection for the Lord's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.

Paul seems to be suggesting that intentionality based on what we earn is important. This does not rule out the joy that can come from spontaneous generosity, but giving based on emotions alone has its limitations. Attenders may have a more romantic view of giving that lacks the discipline and intentionality in their giving practices often called for in the scriptures.

For more ideas on how to teach and preach about giving, consider a new resource on the topic, Generous Living in a Self-Centered World, or contact me, Beryl Jantzi, Everence^® Director of Stewardship Education, at beryl.jantzi@everence.com.

My card, My cause, MyNeighbor

Practical new tool for churches to increase giving

Everence is pleased to introduce the MyNeighbor credit card, its newest tool that can help your congregation encourage generosity.

Here's how it works: When you use the MyNeighbor card, Everence will donate 1.5 percent of your transaction amount to the charity of your choice. When your church staff uses the MyNeighbor card in buying office supplies, paying bills or making other purchases, you can earn the 1.5 percent on every transaction. And your congregation can encourage attenders to use the card to direct donations to the church.

Since MyNeighbor launched in April 2017, over $100,000 has already been generated for nonprofits and churches like yours! Learn more at everence.com/MyNeighbor and receive congregational resources on the card by contacting me, your stewardship consultant.

The widow who redefined generosity

New stewardship Sunday worship and sermon resources

Thinking about your next sermon or worship series on stewardship? Everence is releasing new Stewardship Sunday resources to help you plan ahead for worshipping and preaching on stewardship in 2018.

The story of the widow's mite has challenged the idea of generosity for thousands of years, and continues to inspire and guide us in better grasping how Jesus thought about a generous life.

This story is the focus of our 2018 Stewardship Sunday resources available online for you and your worship team to download. Resources include: worship service and sermon outline with a call to worship, along with a bulletin insert and PowerPoint slide.

In closing, please let me know if you have any questions about the new Everence MyNeighbor card. We're very excited about the value this card offers to churches to enhance giving!

Blessings to your ministry in your congregation this fall,