Starting in the fall of 2022, All Saint Lutheran (Spokane, WA), King of Glory (Boise, ID), Trinity Lutheran (Nampa, ID), and Lord of Life Lutheran (Kennewick, WA) embarked together on a two-year financial stewardship journey utilizing a year-round stewardship program called Stewardship for All Seasons designed and administered by Gronlund Sayther Brunkow (GSB) Fundraising. Working with GSB consultants, each congregation tailored their own annual stewardship appeal that addressed their individual needs for their specific context. The four congregations were partially supported each year by a SHARE (Synodical Help and Response Endowment) grant from the Synod. Without exception these congregations found the experience spirit filled and inspirational.
GSB provided the training and industry best practices to the cohort congregations’ stewardship committees that helped inspire their respective congregational members to respond in a much more meaningful and generous manner. The congregations supported one another in prayer, through sharing both their ideas and how they overcame their challenges. No congregation felt they were in this effort alone. This program really framed the Biblical meaning of spiritual stewardship for these congregations.
Each of the four congregations in the cohort reported a significant increase in giving because of this program. For instance, Trinity Lutheran will be able to fund new initiatives relating to essential elements of 2024 being their Year of Welcome; Lord of Life has dedicated its increase in giving in 2024 to expanding support to local missions and engaging in a new congregational strategic planning process; King of Glory will be using some of its increase in giving in 2024 to install automatic front doors to better accommodate members and visitors using wheelchairs, walkers, or strollers; and All Saints will be expanding their music ministries. Funding of these ministry initiatives would not have been possible without the generous responses of the members of these congregations who were motivated to increase their giving because of their church’s Stewardship for All Seasons program.
Several congregational members have shared:
“We give because this is our community. We give our time and financially, because we want to contribute. We love that our church is so transparent about where our giving goes." Scott, Katy, Charli, Sammi, and Will of Lord of Life
“The Kind of Glory congregation enjoys and supports the music program in many ways, including their pledging for the financial undergirding of this ministry.” Shirley of King of Glory
“My faith and my church have always played a key part in my dealing with the ups and downs encountered throughout my life. Lord of Life is my church family and like any family requires financial support to meet the needs of its members. My financial contribution to Lord of Life is a key part of my budget and I try to increase it each year as my finances permit.” Pete of Lord of Life
If you think your congregation could benefit from a more disciplined, systematic approach to stewardship, know that the Synod Staff and Synod Council executive committee are considering a second cohort using a grant from the SHARE fund. If you would simply like more information about the experiences of these four congregations contact Cathy Steiner of the Synod Office. She can provide a contact from one of the congregations. If you might be interested in participating in a future cohort, please contact Bishop Meggan Manlove.
- Jerry Ethridge, member Lord of Life and Synod Council Exec Committee