Stewardship 101

10 resources explaining and exploring stewardship in the Episcopal Church

According to An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, stewardship is our personal response to God's generosity in the way we share our resources of time, talent, and money. Churches usually conduct annual stewardship campaigns to cover the costs of operation. Parishioners are encouraged to donate their time, talent and funds to help support the work of the church.

Below you will find 10 resources explaining and exploring stewardship in the Episcopal Church. This is only an introduction; hundreds of other articles, blogs and webinars about stewardship can be found on ECF Vital Practices, ecfvp.org.

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  • It’s the most wonderful time of the year by Donald V. Romanik (10 minutes)

    In this short article, ECF President Donald Romanik recommends that church leadership approach the annual pledge campaign with faithfulness, focus and follow-through.

  • New Use for the Annual Report by Linda Buskirk (10 minutes)

    In her blog for ECF Vital Practices, Linda Buskirk suggests consulting an annual report for inspiration as you develop a letter or email to parishioners to thank them once again for their financial support and to help them feel connected to the church.

  • 10 Counterintuitive Practices that will Improve Your Stewardship (even during a pandemic) by Ken Howard (5 minutes)

    The Rev. Ken Howard draws on more than 25 years of experience to offer ten surprising stewardship dos and don’ts.

  • An Audacious Spirit of Abundance by Sandy Webb (10 minutes)

    The Rev. Sandy Webb writes about what can happen when a declining church steps forward in faith and begins operating from a spirit of abundance, instead of narrowing their outlook in the face of scarcity.

  • The True Meaning of Stewardship by Sarah Townsend Leach (5 minutes)

    In her blog for ECF Vital Practices, Sarah Townsend Leach discusses methods for cultivating prospective donors and strengthening bonds with established givers.

  • Pleasant and Effective Stewardship by Linda Buskirk (5 minutes)

    Linda Buskirk relates how St. John’s Episcopal Church in Grand Haven, Michigan, conducts a very personal approach to stewardship.

  • Campaign of Generosity by Victor Conrado (10 minutes)

    Victor Conrado shares wisdom gleaned from St. Mark’s, a bilingual and multi-ethnic church in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, writing not just about what has worked, but also about what hasn’t and why.

  • Four Principles of Pastoral Fundraising by Sandy Webb (5 minutes)

    The Rev. Sandy Webb explains how the “principles of effective pastoral fundraising are the same as the principles of effective pastoral care that I learned in seminary and that I continue to hone today.”

Watch
  • Year Round Stewardship presented by Erin Weber-Johnson (51 minutes)

    Erin Weber-Johnson hosts a webinar on Year Round Stewardship where she explains how to move from an annual campaign to a successful year-round plan specifically designed to engage donors for lifelong giving.

Do
  • ECF 360 30 minutes

    Explore ECF 360, ECF’s low-cost, self-service, subscription site for comprehensive fundraising. Read more about it at https://www.ecf360.org/