Passionate Steward - 10th Anniversary Edition

Recovering Christian Stewardship from Secular Fundraising 89
raising the funds they need using a model more consonant with our
Christian values. But, not surprisingly, once presented with the
daunting task of finding several wealthy donors to underwrite the
bulk of the goal, they often give up before they even start. The use
of the gift chart method is quite simply inappropriate to evaluate a
parish’s ability to raise money, and is wholly inadvisable for Church
use at all in fundraising or stewardship campaigns.
Even worse, because the gift chart method does not promote
ownership of stewardship as a personal value amongst parishioners,
parishes find themselves having to implement campaigns on an
increasingly frequent basis. When parishioners do not respond to
God’s call to stewardship as part of their ongoing Christian
vocation, communities lapse repeatedly into crisis, and financial
campaigns are required to provide the resources for ministry.
Unfortunately, once gift chart methodology is fixed in the
experience and expectations of the faithful, the Church falls into an
endless loop of campaigning to keeping its head above water,
expending the majority of its time, talent, and treasure seeking time,
talent, and treasure. This is a strategy for survival, not for mission.
If the Church is to provide the resources it needs to undertake
the work to which all Christians are called, then we have to go
beyond gift charts and invite parishioners to be stewards. Only
stewardship will encourage all people to be open-handed with their
time, talents, and treasure, in order that Christians, both individually
and corporately, may respond to God’s call. The gift chart method
may be easy, but expediency makes a poor God. Our future lies not
in gift charts, but in the values inherent in our Christian faith.