How Much is Enough? - The Tithing and Stewardship Foundation

A Deeper Look at Stewardship in an Age of Abundance
Introduction
Like shifting tectonic plates deep beneath the earth’s surface, the foundations
for mission funding in the church are changing. Some of what is familiar is slipping
beneath the surface. Simultaneously, new and unforeseen landscapes and perspectives
are emerging. The challenge for the ELCA early in the 21 st Century is to find
its footing, so that the church in mission can participate in God’s ongoing work of
transforming the world.
Several dynamics in contemporary society call for visionary efforts to learn how
to build on new foundations with resilience and sustainability.
• Whereas the church was once the source of most social services that
brought relief and assistance to local communities, today governmental
and non-governmental organizations more frequently are the first line
of response to the needs of the neighbor. Hospitals, for example, once
sprang from faith traditions but now operate as secular for-profit and
not-for-profit organizations offering the same services. As social services
become more regulated and complex, moreover, they tend to “graduate”
from the church’s sphere. Add to this the proliferation of worthy organizations
that respond admirably to human need, and givers have more and
more choices about whom and what they support. How does this affect
their giving to congregations and other church-related initiatives?
• Givers’ experience in the business world has enhanced the demand for
accountability. Given the scope of worthy causes, givers want their resources
(time, talent, or treasure) to be well spent. People still want to
make a difference. While older generations grew up expecting to give to
the church, that is no longer the case for younger generations and will
continue to change further into the 21 st Century. How do we take this
shift seriously? Frankly, if we understand that the church’s primary mission
is to make the world a better place by making tangible God’s desire
for all to experience health and wholesome hospitality, we need to be able
to demonstrate both efficiency and effectiveness in the church.
• We are living in a time when financial wellbeing is more and more an
individual’s own responsibility, both in the short-term and in the longterm.
Unfortunately, many people do not understand the basics of personal
finance and are therefore susceptible to trusting a financial services
industry that is not grounded in a fiduciary standard nor informed by