Stewardship Trends that Impact Your Development Strategy

By John R. Frank, CFRE

In our world of development and relationships, we must always be watching trends, learning about people, and responding when appropriate. Our world is one of constant response to the world of our donors.

In my Doctor of Ministry-Leadership in the Emerging Culture I am studying many books and research on church and culture trends. There are many changes taking place in our world and we as development professionals must stay informed.  This does not mean that we will LIKE every one of these trends. However, we must be aware of the world in which our donors live and breathe.

Over the next few eNewsletters I will share a few of my observations of stewardship trends (my dissertation focus) that will affect your development strategies.

Today, I begin with TREND #1- Changing Definitions of Stewardship.  The builder generation lived in a world where stewardship was taught in their churches and Sunday schools. The words used to describe stewardship were usually tithes and offerings. The tithe was to be the first 10% of income to be given to the local church. Offerings were gifts given beyond those to the local church, usually to parachurch ministries.

Unfortunately, the term stewardship today means the annual tithe talk, the annual church budget talk, or just how to get money for the church.

I wish to reintroduce the concept that stewardship is a lifestyle. I say reintroduce because my research found that many before me have written of this same perspective. Douglas John Hall in his great book, The Steward, also presents stewardship as a lifestyle and a part of our walk with Christ. A stewardship lifestyle looks comprehensively at stewardship including time, talent, and treasure, but also relationships, knowledge, health, and the environment.  

This definition of stewardship as a lifestyle has more to do with our journey as stewards than it does with fundraising. God is more concerned with the journey of the steward than he is of our budgets or fundraising goals.

Another definition of stewardship that is being written about is transformational stewardship versus transaction stewardship.  Today many pastors take offerings by offering a great transaction to the person in the pew. “If you give today we will paint the nursery”.  “If you give today we will meet our budget.”  More and more donors want something in return. While that is not altogether wrong, (ex. Wanting accountability in return for giving is not wrong.) it can leads us down a potentially negative path.

To be transformed to more like Jesus is our desire as a Christian. Therefore, to be a transformational giver means you can give as part of your relationship with God, and to please Him. When we please Him, we draw closer and desire the things of God. When we desire the things of God, we are transformed.

These are just a few ideas I have been studying and I hope they are helpful to you. This is only one trend of ten I have shared at various lectures and workshops. I will be sharing #2 and beyond in future The Frank Group eNewsletters.  

Stay Tuned!

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In case you don't get the chance to read the entire series, here is the list of Trends:

I.                    TREND #1 – Changing Definitions of Stewardship

a.       Money, Budgets, Tithe

b.      Stewardship as a Lifestyle

c.       Stewardship as Transformation

d.      APPLICATION – ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL

II.                 TREND #2 - Lack of Stewardship Education

a.       In seminaries

b.      In higher education

c.       In the church

d.      INTEGRATE STEWARDSHIP EDUCATION IN DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES (NEWSLETTER, BOARD TRAINING, ETC.)

III.               TREND #3 - Builder, Boomer, Buster, Bridger Age Views of Stewardship

a.       Builder

b.      Boomer

c.       Buster

d.      Bridger

e.       MUST BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ALL AGE GROUPS

IV.              TREND #4 - Boomer Age Pastors are in power

a.       Models of leadership

b.      Training

c.       Bodies and Buildings

d.      COMMUNICATE WITH PASTORS BY UNDERSTANDING THEIR VIEWPOINT

V.                 TREND #5 - Emerging Church is gaining influence

a.       Resist tradition

b.      Church administration and bureaucracy is not popular

c.       Seeking truth

d.      INVOLVE EMERGING LEADERS ON BOARD, WEBSITE, ADVISORS, DONORS

VI.              TREND #6 - Relationships are Key

a.       People want to know you care about them and their stewardship goals

b.      They want to “own” their ministry

c.       CREATE STRATEGIES TO LISTEN TO AND MAKE CONTACT WITH DONORS BEYOND MAILINGS

VII.            TREND #7 - Vision is still vital

a.       People are motivated by “what might be”

b.      Vision is momentum

c.       Vision is spiritual

d.      CLARIFY YOUR VISION FOR NEXT 5-10 YEARS

VIII.         TREND #8 - A strong and clear case is still vital

a.       Relationships have more questions

b.      Understanding (to a point) the need and the results

c.       CREATE CLEAR AND PROFESSIONAL CASE STATEMENT FOR ALL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES

IX.              TREND #9 - The relationship between the church and parachurch continues to be unstable

a.       Various views among church leaders

b.      Pastors under enormous expectations within their own church

c.       CREATE A CHURCH STRATEGY THAT SERVES THE CHURCH

X.                 TREND #10 - Huge shift in Leadership and Followership

a.       Builder to Boomer

b.      Boomer to Buster

c.       Then what?

d.      START INVOLVING BUSTER AGE LEADERS NOW