Lee Gagen reflects on planning a year-around approach to the annual campaign of a congregation. She provides practical ideas to organize a committee for a year of effective promotion of giving. Learn more here.
The CGC Seminar for pastors and leaders offers an opportunity to explore faithful, practical, and tested ways to promote generosity in our congregations. Be sure to recruit at least a team of two for this program. Changing the culture of your congregation requires more than one dedicated leader.
The seminar meetings for the CGC will be held virtually on June 2, June 16, June 30, July 14, July 28, August 11 from 6:00pm – 7:30pm CENTRAL TIME. There will be readings, videos and reflections to complete in-between seminar meetings.
The general registration fee is $300 per team of two. The registration fee for members of the Heartland, Wisconsin, and Minnesota conferences is $100 per team of two. You are able to register an additional team member(s) for a fee. REGISTER HERE by May 11
Andrew Warner created a series of videos designed to teach leaders the basics of effective annual stewardship campaigns. Because fundraising arises from our faith commitments, the series begins by looking at the spirituality of generosity through conversations with the national leaders of the UCC. Then, it looks at ways to express gratitude for people’s generosity. Lastly, the series turns to the practical elements of a campaign, such as giving a testimonial and creating a narrative budget. You can watch the videos as a series or singly. The videos on the spirituality of generosity might be useful as devotionals before a board or committee meeting.
Overview
1. Teach and Thank As Often As You Pass the Plate
Step One: Generosity as a Spiritual Practice
2. Generosity as the Stewardship of Hope
3. Generosity: Stewardship of Values
4. Generosity as the Stewardship of Risk
5. Generosity as the Stewardship of Gratitude
Step Two: Offering Thanks
Step Three: Running an Effective Campaign
7. Developing a Year-Around Plan
8. “Why Pledge?”
9. Calendar for your Campaign
10. Developing a Case Statement
11. Why Pastors Need to Know about Giving
12. A “Message Map” for Testimonials
13. Developing a Narrative Budget
14. The Power of Asking
The 2021 materials use the theme of “Rooted in Love” (Ps. 1:3) to help congregations tell their story while making a request for financial support. The materials include everything needed to run an effective campaign. In addition to bulletin inserts, pledge cards and graphics, a campaign guide provides support for leaders running their first campaign and offers suggestions for those looking to customize stewardship messages to their own setting. Rooted in Love stewardship resources available for purchase for download. Printed materials are also available for purchase in a bundle or individually from UCC Resources.
This 118-page manual features four fundraising methods for the local church, including “Consecrating Stewards,” as well as chapters on the theological background on the motivation for giving and understanding mission. Available from UCC Resources here.
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