Steward-Raising Sustainability through a Biblically Bold Approach

A Work in Progress!

A new paradigmA steward-raising approach discipling

Christians to be rich toward God

CLA 2013

Why – our valuesWhat – our view of success

How to implement this approach

A new paradigm in communication

purpose and process

CLA 2013

• God and possessions• God and giving• God and asking

CLA 2013

Jesus Feeds 5,000

CLA 2013

God owns all Highest title There are two Kingdoms

Earth Heaven

Vital link between earthly possessions and eternal soul

We will be held eternally accountable God cares about how we use our

possessions

Presuppositions

CLA 2013

Possessions in Scripture

• 3 times more than love• 7 times more than prayer• 8 times more than belief

Possessions Belief

Prayer

Love

CLA 2013

Possessions in parables

• In 17 of 38 parables, Christ deals with possessions

Possessions

Other topics

CLA 2013

CLA 2013

Why does God spend so much time teaching on possessions?

Stuffocation

• People, however, became convinced they owned it all.

• They surrounded themselves with possessions and became stuffocated.

CLA 2013

Hiding

They didn’t want to hear about it in sermons, so the pastors didn’t preach it, and seminaries stopped teaching

it. CLA 2013

GodGodSelf

Self

The Self came to replace God as the center of all things

CLA 2013

The center was moved

GodGodChurch

Church

“In short, in society and in the Church the consumer is now in the driver’s seat.” - David Wells, Above All Earthly Pow’rs

CLA 2013

The Church moved God from the center in favor of cultural relevance

• A steward requires an owner to serve

• Without God in the center, there is only self

• The steward relationship disappears

Without God (the owner) of all, there can be no stewardship relationship

CLA 2013

Per capita giving is low

• General population < 1 %• Roman Catholics 1.5 %• Mainline Protestants 2.8 %• Evangelicals 4 %

CLA 2013

It is broken from both a secular and spiritual perspective

The system the Creator-King had established was broken.

CLA 2013

Difference in Giving: Rich vs. Poor

CLA 2013

Wealt

h

Giving as % of Income

Statistically, the wealthier an individual, the less they will give in proportion to their income

Possible reasons• The poor are closer to social

problems, therefore identify with the issues personally

• Money is part of how the rich identify themselves, therefore are less likely to part with it

Craig Blomberg, in Revolution in Generosity raises the core question: why is it that “Christian ministries raising money do not stress the central biblical truths that giving is a part of whole-life transformation, that stewardship and sanctification go together as signs of Christian obedience and maturity, and that God will call us to account for what we do with 100 percent of the possessions He has loaned us.” (2008)

CLA 2013

Steward Raising as a priority

Crisis in culture and church

Our culture is increasingly materialistic, and generous giving has diminished.

CLA 2013

Few Americans reach “maximum faith” in their lifetimes

5%

6%

33%

56%

Church programming

is NOT Transformati

onal

3. Aware of sin & concerned 2. Aware of sin1. Born unaware of sin

5. Born again + active 4. Born again

6. Struggle “doesn’t get better than this?”

10. Profound intimacy w God/others9. Profound intimacy w God8. Real surrender to His agenda, 7. See our brokenness; rid self

CLA 2013

New Paradigm

• Developing followers of Christ • Aligned

CLA 2013

What – our view of success

CLA 2013

What is being a good steward?

Make the budget• Protective, non-risky• Efficient + effective• Well-honed methods

and calculations

Trust in God’s abundance• Open to God’s possibilities • Listen + step out in faith;

bigger?• Be “the case” example

Our controlGod limited

Downward trend

His controlGod unleashed Exponential potential

CLA 2013

Being where God wants us to beLetting go and letting God

CLA 2013

1. Becoming broken

2. Understanding scripture; growing in new ways

3. Evaluating life; stepping out in new ways

4. Growing to a life of abundance in Him

Make me Rich toward God

CLA 2013

Lord, what do You want me to do with

MY money?

Lord, what do you want me to do with YOUR money?

transformational steward journey

MY

Time

MY

Tale

nt

YOURTalen

t

YOUR

Time

CLA 2013

CLA 2013

Faith and Stewardship Maturity Stages: A choice of Two Kingdoms

Man’s Scarcity

OrgView

God’s Abundance

Kingdom View

1) Imitator

2) Modeler

3) Conformer

4) Individual

5) Generous Giver

6) Mature Steward

sustained joy

stuff, entitled

resources inputs output

soutcom

esgoal

Secular economy = we make ourselves responsible for it ALL

God’s economy = we’re only responsible for our part

God’s economy = He takes responsibility for Kingdom Impact

What we’re responsible for?

CLA 2013

Then, what we’re not responsible for?

CLA 2013

WHO prays, volunteers, gives

HOW MUCH they pray, serve, give

HOW OFTEN they pray, serve, give

WHAT they pray for, capacity stewarded, give to

Let’s compare focuses

CLA 2013

Man’s Scarcity “Org” View God’s Abundance “Kingdom” View

Mission build a solid brand plant and water; faithfully & regularly

engage, ask, and secure gifts nurture heart growthknown by WHAT we do & give known by WHO we are

Language donor or constituent steward or ministry partner giving giving stewardingrisk, test case faith, l isten, step out

Measure outputs inputs

increased net value sowing actions takenIncreased market share sowing among ministry partners

Competition YES NO

Vision Goal met by the org Godly stewards

CLA 2013

Which metrics are key? Man's Scarcity "Org" View

God's Abundance "Kingdom" View

Short-term financial Individual hearts

CPA, 2nd gift conversion Stewards being discipledNet income Hearts connected / habits changingDonors Satisfaction God's satisfaction

ROI Redefining ROI?

Long-term financial Communites of love

Retention rate Hearts where Jesus wants; fullyLTV Talents alongside our hearts; sower

Being ALL-IN the circle; together

CLA 2013

Man’s Scarcity “Org” View God’s Abundance “Kingdom” View

Outcomes informed topic/offer/ask approachto fund & expand a ministry engine

authentic discipling+ heart & org & peer connecting to unleash a community of love

Success/failure depends on the asker

Success/failure according to God's calling

Constituent meets org needKeep & grow ministry budget efficiently & effectively

Giver conforms to Christ's image; generousityGod is unleashed in steward &in "communities of love"

KingdomGoal

TO help sustain/grow organd its minstry purpose

TO maximize overall Kingdom impact & sustainability

And what is each view’s end?

Christian Nonprofits

Secular Nonprofits

Steward-raising

Approach

Resource-raising approach

Most fundraising agencies play here

Why not here?

Where should our approach map?

CLA 2013

Person

Ministry org

Historical resourcing-raisingsupport

s donate

s

Transformational steward-raising

Ministry org

disciples

facilitates

partners

Person

Org agend

a $

TimeTalent

$$$His

agenda

CLA 2013

How our model changes the process?

A transformation of the whole community

PersonGod

Org

A “community of love” each on God’s agenda givers and receivers all-in together; collaborating all peers in God’s economy inviting, not asking

The beauty of love the power of sincere relationships discovering beauty and sustaining joy transformation & genuine stewardship giving

Other persons

CLA 2013

His story. Our stories.

Participation > Engagement > OwnershipRadical generosity – freedom from money Multiplication -- radical community loving & building

Getting there: The road to becoming rich toward God

CLA 2013

 How to implement this approach

CLA 2013

The Road to Becoming Rich Toward God

CLA 2013

Four Shifts Christian Leaders can make to encourage grace-filled, Spirit-led generosity (Gary Hoag)

Law • “have to”

• reactive / compulsion

Percentage• tithe

• limited

Obligation• planned

Earthly• self

• scarcity

Love• “get to”

• proactive

Participation• spirit-filled generosity

• limitless

Opportunity• gratitude, Christ-like care

• step out, counter-culture

Eternal• God

• abundance

• caring at every opportunity

STEP 2 – Common Message

CLA 2013

CLA 2013

Two-Way Communicat

ion StewardOrg

Step 3:

Step 4:

1) Imitator

2) Modeler

3) Conformer

4) Individual

5) Generous Giver

6) Mature Steward

Organization

Conversations, new actions &

Stories

CLA 2013

Discipling stewards where

they are

Steward Maturity Stages

Step 5

Ministry

Ministry acts as a conduit between stewards to facilitate their development.

Steward Steward

CLA 2013

MinistrySteward Steward

Step 5

CLA 2013

Step 6

Stewards are able to connect and share the stories and experiences God has blessed them with through Giving.

Steward Steward

Stories

Experiences

Partnering

CLA 2013

Channels

Learning Styles

Readers:Newsletter

sEmailBlogs

Visual: Auditory:Podcasts

Converser:

CLA 2013

Steward Development Facilitation (SDF)

1) WHAT we are trying to accomplish by helping stewards see where they are and where they want to journey?

2) WHO is being partnered and communicated with (the stewards)?

3) HOW to converse by building a community of stewards among and within organizations, as well as individuals.

A steward-raising approach discipling Christians to be rich toward God

CLA 2013