Passionate Steward - 10th Anniversary Edition

Recovering Christian Stewardship from Secular Fundraising 115
charged worship service. Further, all that is recorded is the amount of
money pledged, and the frequency with which it might be given. The
desire to match people’s understanding and love of the Divine with
their commitment to provide a commensurate financial pledge is
laudable, but if not administered extremely well, can leave donors
with the unfortunate but aptly described impression that “the Church
gets us on our knees to take our wallets.”
Regrettably, Faith Covenant Sunday appeal programs tend to
wildly overestimate financial giving prospects. Maybe this is
because exuberance and group dynamics can lead people to “over
promise;” maybe it is because people’s names are not attached to
the pledge cards; or maybe it is because commitments are made on
the spot, without careful reflection and prayer. Whatever the reason,
parishes which lack several years’ experience administering the
program are ill-equipped to know how much to “discount” pledges
as over against actual gifts received (creating a baseline), and as a
result, can quickly find themselves in serious financial trouble.
Moreover, the sense of “failure” parishes can experience when they
realize the significant gap between these two figures can be
distressing and de-motivating, further alienating parishioners from
financial appeals and stewardship in general.
SOME FAITH COVENANT SUNDAY APPEAL MERITS:
• Can promote a healthy sense that stewardship is congruent
with our faith life
• Can be quickly implemented with limited resources
SOME FAITH COVENANT SUNDAY APPEAL CONCERNS:
• Highly impersonal
• Enthusiastic group dynamics can lead to over-generous
declarations
• Creates difficulty in following up with reminder letters and