Passionate Steward - 10th Anniversary Edition

Recovering Christian Stewardship from Secular Fundraising 127
passionate stewardship in the same time-limited period with equal,
if not superior, financial results. Campaigns can be so much more
than mere financial exercises to perpetuate our organizational
existence. They should, can, and must be recovered as opportunities
for engaging the faithful in the life of stewardship.
Most parishes and organizations where I have worked have a
collective memory of some previous campaign (whether recent or
long past). During our preliminary discussions, I invariably receive
more instructions about what people don’t want than what they do.
I suggest that this stems less from a parish’s clear sense of vision
respecting stewardship and fundraising than from negative prior
experiences, and similar tales of woe from friends. This is the
consequence of abandoning our own first principles. Hence, before
treating the actual elements of campaign administration, it behooves
us to reiterate once again our fundamental priorities for Christian
stewardship. Throughout this chapter, for the purposes of
illustration, we shall treat the campaign as a parish activity; it
should be noted, however, that the issues raised apply similarly to
dioceses/presbyteries and other faith-based organizations.
It is difficult to write about special financial and capital
campaigns without falling into the trap of writing a “how to” manual
or a “step by step” guide. However, just as the discussion of good
stewardship can be grounded in certain fundamental principles, so
can our consideration of special campaigns. For the most part, our
decision-making needs to be guided by three basic concerns:
1. Is what we are doing consistent with our baptismal
promises, and the values and tradition of the Church?
2. How does any given task or action further the individual
parishioner’s stewardship journey?
3. Does the campaign encourage gifts in a manner that
preserves the dignity of the Church and respects the dignity
of parishioners asked to contribute their time, talent and
treasure?