Passionate Steward - 10th Anniversary Edition

Recovering Christian Stewardship from Secular Fundraising 121
privacy of their own homes. The meetings which follow are thus
primarily an opportunity to have questions answered, and for those
who act as “visitors” to receive a written financial declaration
(pledge), thereby ensuring that the information and pledge cycle is
completed. Some of traditional individual-based approaches include:
Personal Delivery Approach
This is the least personal of all the individual-based appeals.
The system is very methodical. In preparation, the entire parish list is
sorted into “teams,” generally of no more than ten households each.
The number of teams is thus dependent upon the size of the parish.
The process begins with the “team leader” delivering the parish’s
financial needs and appeal (generally in the form of written materials)
to the second person on the team. After receiving and turning in the
financial declaration (pledge) of this second person, the work of the
team leader is finished. It is then the responsibility of the second team
member to visit the third parishioner on the team list, and so on, until
every household on the team has not only been visited and made a
financial declaration (pledge), but has visited another household to do
the same. By having all teams begin their work at the same time, and
assuming one visit per week, the parish can expect to complete the
personal delivery approach within a ten-week period.
SOME PERSONAL DELIVERY APPEAL MERITS:
• Encourages every family to take responsibility for the
financial needs of the parish
• Can create standing “teams” of people who can be used for
many purposes, including prayer chains or other communitybased
initiatives
• Treats every household equally, embodying the Christian
idea of community
• Completes an every household visitation in a fairly short
period of time