Comparison of Annual Financial

Stewardship Campaign Methods

The first eight methods described here each have a corresponding Confident Steward CD-ROM which may be ordered for $10.95 on the PC(USA) stewardship website, www.pcusa.org/stewardship/ordercd or by calling 888-728-7228 x5676.

1. Every Member Visitation – This is a plan to make personal contact with members and friends of the congregation in their homes.  It involves training callers to make careful presentations on Christian stewardship, noting dreams and goals.  Since each caller or team of callers is expected to make only four or five calls, extensive recruitment and careful training of callers are required.  Commitments are received by the caller and dedicated in worship.

2. Small Group Meetings –  This plan depends on enlisting each member to attend a meeting in another member’s home. At each meeting, a carefully trained team of leaders makes a presentation highlighting the proposed program.  Often, the small group meetings are held simultaneously to give them dramatic appeal.  Commitments are sometimes received during the meetings, but more often are presented in worship later on.

3. Sunday Worship – This strategy focuses on the commitment invitation and reception during the Sunday service.  The focus may extend through several Sundays, culminating in a special service during which commitment cards are completed, returned and dedicated.  The planning committee’s energy is directed toward promoting large attendance at the worship services.

4. Direct Mail – [This is the program used in "Stewardship in a Box".]  An effective mail appeal depends on a series of carefully written letters sent to every member of the congregation over a period of several weeks.  A final letter includes a commitment card to be mailed or brought back to the church.  Some of the letters are handwritten and/or personally composed.  The program may involve personally calling on those who did not respond.

5. Congregational Dinner – This is similar to the Consecration Day method except that all of the energies of the congregation are directed toward one dinner.  The congregation considers the dinner the big event of the year. An outstanding presentation is prepared, usually involving the top leadership of the church.  Commitments are seldom received at the dinner but are usually presented in worship later.

6. Telephone Approach – This plan is similar to the every member visitation except that contact is made by telephone.  Callers must be carefully trained to make effective presentations.  The plan works best when callers have access to a bank of telephones and also to persons who are familiar with church programs and administration.  Commitments are either made during the telephone conversation and verified by mail or during a worship service.

7. Consecration Day – This program concentrates in a single, 24-hour period when every member of the congregation is expected to participate in a highly charged worship service and share in a separate consecration period where commitments are received.  A victory dinner is held.  An outside guest leader is recruited to lead these events.  The main energies of the committee are directed toward promoting a very large attendance for Consecration Day.

8. Personal Delivery – This plan is sold commercially under several names.  It involves organizing the congregation into several chains of families.  The first family is to call on the second and deliver a packet of materials including commitment cards; the second family is to call on the third, and so on until the chain is complete.  Area leaders monitor the progress of the packets and keep the process moving.  Once signed, the commitment cards are either returned in sealed envelopes to the packet, or they are presented in worship later.

9. Faith Promise Plan – [Note: there is no Confident Steward CD-ROM for this method, but the following information is provided since some people have asked for it.]  This plan stresses an individual’s personal commitment rather than loyalty to the church or its mission.  Members are not asked to submit pledge cards or estimates of giving.  Instead, they are asked to make faith-promises of the amount they will strive to give as God blesses their lives.  Names do not appear on faith-promise cards, only amounts.  Members are asked to submit a separate card with their names, indicating that they have made a faith promise.  Sometimes a dollar amount is noted on this card as a minimum promise.  With this information, follow-up is possible on those who did not respond, and budgeting can proceed.