In many of our churches, the fall Stewardship campaign is getting underway, so this month's newsletter has some things to help with that.

 

I've met with several of our churches over the past two months, with more scheduled in the weeks ahead. It is has been a privilege to meet so many good stewards seeking to do their best in creating a culture of stewardship among our members.

 

Stewardship is about much more than money, and should be a year-round enterprise in our congregations. The best part of my ministry is being with our member churches. Although my schedule is pretty much booked up through the end of the year for Sunday visits, some weeknights remain open. Call or email to check my availability - and if that's not possible, I can be available for phone consultations or provide help with resources.  

 

Looking beyond your stewardship campaign, if your church leadership would like any assistance with year-round stewardship, church vitality, or planned giving, please do be in touch.

 

Jim Thomas

Business Manager/Stewardship Associate

Vermont Conference, UCC

 I am often asked the seemingly simple question: What Stewardship resources are available? The answer is complicated; what works in some settings does not in others. A fuller answer would take all the space we have for this month, so I'll just say that it is conversation I would be happy to have with you.

 

Having said that, there are a lot of good Stewardship materials out there. Here is a list of some of the resources available from the national offices.

 

 CONGREGATIONAL STEWARDSHIP RESOURCES
From the United Church of Christ
 
Order all these resources from United Church of Christ Resources. Call 800-325-7061

Inspiring Generosity
A Stewardship Resource for the Local Church
This resource looks at ways to understand and approach money and mission realistically, given the changing conditions in congregations of the United Church of Christ today. Intended for use by lay leaders as well as clergy, it includes the theological background on the motivation for giving, as well as four programmatic approaches to fundraising in the church. SCIGM. $15.00.

A Giver's Guide to Stillspeaking Money
Your money speaks...even when you can't be there
Introducing your congregation to electronic giving is made easy with a brochure that answers most frequently asked questions about this method of giving regularly and faithfully, even when we're away from our home church. SCSM5B. Free.

7 Ways to Increase Giving in Your Congregation
Good ideas and lively conversation-starters for your stewardship committee, trustees, and other church leaders. Basics of stewardship in a condensed, easy-to-use brochure. Free.

Asking for Support
A handy 8-page guide to the most popular and effective stewardship methods in use by churches today. Briefly summarizes 10 annual stewardship commitment programs and tells where to get more information on each as well as links to other sources of helpful stewardship material. Valuable for pastors, lay leaders, or committees as they decide on which stewardship method will work best for them. SCF2304. Free.

God's Gifts, My Gifts
Sandy Lueschen
Helps children recognize that God is the source of who we are and what we have, and is our model for being generous and faithful. Elementary-age children will have fun in class or at home using these five colorful and snappy foldout sheets with individual and group activities, including scriptural texts and prayers to reinforce the church; personal decisions; loving God, self, and others. The full set includes stickers for additional activities. Activities:
"Share Love With Your Offering"
"Seek God with Whole Heart"
"Rooted in Love"
"Love is the Greatest"
"DARE 2BU"
Set of all five activity sheets plus stickers: 1-10 sets, $5.00 each; 11-25 sets, $4.50 each; 26 or more sets, $4.00 each.

Stewardship Messages on UCC Weekly Offering Envelopes
Provide a biblical or theological perspective on stewardship every Sunday of the year. Order by calling 800.634.5235.

Take Hold of Real Life!
A stewardship DVD and video for every congregation, biblically based on the story of Ezekiel and the dry bones. Includes special stories of giving and generous living and questions for discussion. Can be used along with "Take Hold of Real Life" Stewardship Theme Materials for 2006 as well as Inspiring Generosity. Includes new Study Guide! 54 minutes. $15 (DVD or video).

What Scripture Says about Giving
This brief brochure for distribution to all church members looks at the question of how much to give to the work of the church and why. Also available in Spanish. $2.00/50.

Our Church Is 5 for 5!
Is your church 5 for 5? If you contribute to all four special mission offerings in the UCC (One Great Hour of Sharing, Strengthen the Church, Neighbors in Need, The Christmas Fund) and give to Our Church's Wider Mission Basic Support, then your church is 5 for 5! Celebrate this with a 16" x 32" poster that says "Our Church is 5 for 5!" and stickers (1" x 2") that say "My church is 5 for 5!" Poster and stickers are free. Brass-backed lapel pins with "2005" on them to reflect your church's giving in 2005 are $2.00 each.

How Important Is the Sunday Morning Offering?
A four-page worship resource for the offering to help congregations and worship planners re-think the offering as an occasion of praise. SCHIS. Free.

How Much Shall I Give?
A brochure to help church members think about what percentage of their income to give to the church's work. Also available in Spanish. SCL6E. $2.00/50.

What Scripture Says about Giving
A brochure that grounds our giving in the witness of Scripture about God's own generosity and love. SCLF5. $2.00/50.

Beyond Control: Giving and Community
The Generosity of Praise
The theology and motivation of stewardship understood in terms of abundance, praise, and generosity beyond gratitude and reciprocity. Two seminary lectures by William C. Green, minister and team leader of Stewardship and Church Finances, United Church of Christ. SCBCB. Free.

Every Sunday Bulletins
Full-color Sunday bulletins with United Church of Christ mission stories on the back covers. Vision Series and Imagine Series available. Two sizes in lots of 25. For price information and ordering call 800-325-7061.

United Church of Christ Desk Calendar and Plan Book
2009-2010 
Pastors and church leaders alike find this calendar/plan book helpful in the planning of worship, promotion of offerings, and interpretation of mission. United Church of Christ resources and staff are also listed.

SPECIAL MISSION OFFERINGS

The Christmas Fund: Remembering Those Who Serve the Church
Materials developed by the Ministerial Assistance office of the Pension Boards designed to help local congregations collect offerings to help low-income retired clergy and their widowed spouses. Monies collected for the Christmas Fund provide emergency grants and supplementation to pensions and health insurance premiums for low-income ministerial and lay retirees. Free.

One Great Hour of Sharing: Giving Help, Hope and Life
An assortment of materials and activities to promote this Lenten offering that supports programs internationally for building sustainable communities, emergency relief and rehabilitation, and refugee advocacy and resettlement, as well as domestic and international disaster preparedness and response. Free.

One Great Hour of Sharing: Frequently Asked Questions
This resource addresses the what, why, when, who, where, and how questions regarding this UCC special offering. Order from Global Sharing of Resources, 866.822.8224, ext. 3215. Free.

Neighbors in Need: Justice and Compassion like a Mighty Stream
Materials to promote this autumn offering that allow us to reach out and touch neighbors with justice and compassion and to advocate for a society in which all people have a voice in the decisions that affect their lives. This offering includes support for the work of the Council for American Indian Ministry, efforts to eradicate hunger, and the promotion of justice, peace, and reconciliation. Free.

Strengthen the Church: Faithfully Building the Body of Christ
Promotional materials for this Pentecost offering that supports the renewal of congregations, helps fund leadership for new churches, and strengthens the witness of the United Church of Christ. Free.

OUR CHURCH'S WIDER MISSION BASIC SUPPORT

Our Church's Wider Mission Brochure
A colorful brochure that gives current figures for Our Church's Wider Mission expenditures by the national UCC and briefly tells the story of UCC mission beyond the local church. Ideal for mailing to members or placing in pews. SCWMB5, packs of 25. Free.

Our Church's Wider Mission Poster: "Our Church's Wider Mission: It's who we are."
Black and red poster proclaims our mission. Free.

Our Church's Wider Mission Video: Great Generosity, Abundant Blessings
This 15-minute video features three UCC churches whose members are committed to supporting the church and Our Church's Wider Mission. Energizing and inspiring, this video is suitable for showing in a worship setting or with stewardship and outreach committees. SC05WMV. Free.

"God Is Still Speaking,"/ Our Church's Wider Mission: Offering Envelope
A free offering envelope to put into the pew racks so that worshippers can make a special gift any time for Our Church's Wider Mission (OCWM). Use it on special occasions to receive an offering for Our Church's Wider Mission or to seek special year-end gifts to help meet your church's OCWM goal. PIC0E. Packs of 100. Free.

Our Church's Wider Mission: Design for a Workshop
Everything you need to know to do a workshop about Our Church's Wider Mission (OCWM). A detailed outline for workshop leaders in the local church. SC103. Free.

Our Church's Wider Mission: Frequently Asked Questions
A one-page fact sheet about Our Church's Wider Mission.
SC104. Free.

The Crisis in the Churches: Spiritual Malaise, Fiscal Woe
Robert Wuthnow
This book offers a searching study of the financial crisis in the churches, letting clergy and laity speak for themselves. UCCTCC. $36.00.

The Great Permission: An Asset-Based Field Guide for Congregations
Bob Sitze
This little book gives you a way of thinking and behaving, rather than just another stewardship method. Shows how to move congregations past problems and toward opportunities-a way to claim the abundance already ours. $6.00.

Living with Money
An ecumenical adult education course for congregations that examines the subject of money in the context of Christian faith, for persons of all backgrounds, races, and economic status. Living with Money will liberate the taboo subject of money and allow healthy, open dialog to emerge. You will be amazed at how eagerly members of your congregation will begin talking about this subject. Contains four, 20-minute video segments featuring an outstanding diverse panel of experts, a leader's guide, and participant journals with Bible studies, essays, bibliography, and discussion starters. SCLWM. $125.00.

 

... to Help Increase a Congregation's Giving 10-25%

 

 

Continue Reading "Planning and the Budget"

 Lawyer John P. Karoly's pastor testified today that Karoly told Dubbs Memorial United Church of Christ to direct $383,000 of his donation to the Urban Wilderness Foundation. He then used the money for personal and business expenses, according to court proceedings and records. The former pastor of the Dubbs Memorial United Church of Christ took the stand this afternoon and testified about money the church received from the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation after Lehigh Valley attorney John P. Karoly made a $500,000 donation in 2004.

Pastor David Brown said the church received $433,000 from Karoly's donation. He said Karoly directed the church to use $32,000 of that money to pay expenses for Peter Karoly's funeral.
Brown said the church never would have paid for Peter Karoly's funeral expenses if John P. Karoly Jr. had not directed him to.
"It was an unusual expense," Brown said.

Karoly also directed the church to use several thousand dollars to add to the church's general fund and to supplement the pastors' income, Brown said.

But Karoly directed the bulk of the funds, $383,000, should be sent to Karoly's privately held Urban Wilderness Foundation, Brown said.

Karoly asked the LVCF to transfer the balance of his donation to Dubbs Memorial United Church of Christ after the LVCF denied his request for the donation to be paid to his Urban Wilderness Foundation, according to testimony. Read about this morning's testimony by Maggie Prorok, director of philanthropic services for the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation.

Brown said he did not know Karoly was the president and sole signatory of the Urban Wilderness Foundation. Brown said he thought the money was going to be used for charitable purposes and would not have given up the funds if he knew it was not a non-profit organization.

But the funds ultimately were directed to the Urban Wilderness Foundation and used for Karoly's personal and business expenses, according to court proceedings and records.
"We all assumed it was a true foundation and a real foundation," Brown said.

The donations were not unusual for Karoly, Brown said, because he had been so generous in the past. Karoly donated nearly $200,000 to the church between 2003 and 2008, according to testimony.

Brown said he had some misconceptions about Karoly and the Urban Wilderness Foundation following his interviews with FBI agents. He said his impression was that the foundation was simply a checking account. He also was frightened because FBI agents had implied that Brown was accepting bribes from Karoly to further a money laundering scheme.

"(Karoly) certainly never asked me to do anything beyond being his pastor," Brown said.