Best Practices for Congregational Stewardship
At the most basic level, doing something, anything regarding stewardship, will improve it. Regularizing stewardship in the congregation is what really makes a difference.  These elements and practices for congregational stewardship are based on a survey of approximately 60 nation-wide stewardship staff and 25 mission interpreter coordinators of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:

1. Congregations that have positioned themselves to have a vital role in the community, that have a focus beyond themselves, and that foster a healthy spirit in the congregation through strong relationships with the broader church, including synods and churchwide ministries, are poised for healthy stewardship.

2. Leadership is key for healthy stewardship ministry.
Recurring themes regarding leadership are:

• Pastors are the key stewardship models and leaders.
• Pastors and lay leaders are passionate about and committed to growing in giving, talking opening about their personal giving.
• An active stewardship team is in place that works closely with the governing board.
• Leaders are trained and educated in stewardship.
• There is high expectation among the leadership and within the congregation.

3. Education is fundamental for growing stewards.
These elements were recurring:

• Teach and preach stewardship with strong biblical principles.
• Teach the role of money in one’s life.
• Teach personal money management.
• Preach and converse regularly about money as an expression of faith.
• Teach proportionate, regular, first fruits and growth giving.
• Children and youth education curriculum include stewardship themes.
• Teach all-of-life stewardship.

4. Interpretation and communication of congregational, synod and churchwide ministries are extremely important to increase accountability build trust within the congregation.

• Conduct a year round monthly emphasis on various ministries supported by giving.
• Celebrate what offerings are doing by using personal stories
• Communicate connections, relationships and partnerships with the larger church
• Share personal stories of joy of giving.

5. The  20  most effective practices used by congregations strong in stewardship:

• They hold a commitment that stewardship is important.
• Their vision planning includes stewardship.
  
• They are clear about their purpose and mission.
  
• They give away a growing percentage of congregational income for ministries of the whole church.
  
• They practice first fruits and proportionate giving for mission support (benevolence) for the whole church.
  
• They build relationships with their members through personal contacts.
  
• They provide multiple opportunities for giving and serving.
  
• They foster spirit-filled giving and prayer development, emphasizing the connection between faith and money.
  
• They identify, explore, and nurture spiritual gifts of members, helping them to fulfill their passions.
  
• They develop an “asset-based” climate, using members’ assets rather than meeting needs.
  
• They develop year round stewardship programs.
  
• They ask boldly.
  
• They thank profusely and often.
  
• They engage in annual every member response programs for financial commitments, estimates of giving or pledges.
  
• They provide programs for regular (undesignated) and over-and-above (designated) giving.
  
• They use a program budget in addition to a line item budget.
  
• They separate stewardship programs from budget preparation.
  
• They provide quarterly reports on member giving to the membership.
  
• They establish mission endowment policies.
  
• They model first-fruits giving by sharing a percentage of their corporate income for ministry beyond the congregation.