Stewardship Resources
Courtesy of UCC National Ministries, Made Possible By Rev. Andrew Warner, CFRE
About:
In his role serving the Philanthropy Team as Generosity Outreach Officer at the UCC National Ministries, Rev. Andrew Warner provides monthly stewardship content to many conferences, and as of June 2024, the New Hampshire Conference counts itself among those who have direct access to that information. As it comes in, we will run a spot in The Weekly News - (click here to sign up) and posts on our social channels, linking to this page.
Webinars:
Several webinars take place this year, all are welcome to most, and there is one specific to Pastors and Leaders. Go to the Stewardship Webinar page for more information
August 2024:
August is Write-a-Will month, a time we as members of the United Church of Christ (UCC) are encouraged to not only reflect on our commitments in life but consider the impact we can have in death.
By: Ginny Brown Daniel
Let me share my personal journey. I came to the UCC in 1999 because I was vocationally homeless. My previous faith community would not fully receive my gifts as a female minister. And so, you, the UCC, welcomed me with open arms, Over the years, we've been getting into a lot of good trouble. Woohoo!
When deciding what financial legacy my husband and I would leave behind, I immediately thought of the UCC. The church has served as a home to my ministry, and even though my husband does not attend church, he honors the difference the UCC makes in our world and in my life. We included gifts as a percentage of our estate to the National Ministries, to the Conferences and congregations I’ve served, and to the Antoinette Brown Society in honor of future female ministers.
Like us, many of you have been positively impacted by the United Church of Christ. Can you join us in making a commitment in your estate plans to support the settings of the Church that touched your heart?
www.freewill.com/ucc provides an easy way to draft a will or estate plan.
Let's consider how we can continue impacting lives long after we're gone by including UCC in our wills.
My husband and I treasure the way we will continue to make a difference in the world long after we have died because of our planned giving to wonderful organizations like the United Church of Christ. Woohoo! Blessings to you in your own planned giving discernment. Woohoo!
Peace,
Ginny Brown Daniel
July 2024:
Should we conduct our capital campaign concurrently with our annual stewardship program?
Jill White - Regional Mission Interpreter - Church Building and Loan Fund
“Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.”
-Proverbs 3:9-10
Your church has decided it’s time for a capital campaign to raise funds to address deferred maintenance or to repurpose your facility for a new and exciting ministry opportunity. But when should you hold the capital campaign?
A common opinion is to conduct the capital campaign at the same time as the annual stewardship campaign, and to many, this seems like a good idea. However, conducting a capital campaign concurrent with your stewardship campaign may not be a good idea for several reasons:
Timing for each campaign is different. Church Building & Loan Fund guided campaigns occur over 13 – 15 weeks. The annual stewardship program can take 3 months or more, depending upon the type of program the church conducts.
When conducted simultaneously, messaging around each campaign can be confusing. The annual stewardship program raises funds to support the church’s operating and mission budget, while a capital campaign raises funds for capital projects. When the campaigns are run concurrently unless the messaging is clear, the congregation is well-informed, and they understand how the campaigns are different, how and for what purposes the funds raised through each program will be used, confusion can occur and both campaigns are likely to suffer.
Rather than giving their best gift to both campaigns, members may divide their pledge across the two campaigns. Pledges to the operating budget are usually given from individual income. Pledges to a capital campaign often represent gifts from members' accumulated assets or things like real estate, vehicles, artwork, copyrights, appreciated stock, or sterling silver. Separating the campaigns with appropriate messaging will result in members giving their best gifts to both programs.
A capital campaign can be an enriching experience for the congregation. It allows the congregation's growth in faith, energizing spirit, and transformative generosity and mission to the community and world. For the congregation as a whole, a campaign can result in a deeper understanding of giving, helping to create a culture of generosity. For individual congregants, it can be the greatest faith-raising experience of their lives. Running the campaigns concurrently does not elevate the capital campaign to the special event it can be in the life of the church.
If you have additional questions or would like more information about conducting a capital campaign, please get in touch with Jill White, Lead Regional Mission Interpreter, UCC Church Building & Loan Fund, at whitej@ucc.org. For an overview of CB&LF’s Capacity Building Services, visit cblfund.org.
June 2024:
Plan Now for Your Future with Write-A-Will Month
Rev. Andrew Warner
In 2021, my husband and I decided to update our will. We talked about it again in 2022. A new estate plan became our New Year's resolution in 2023. We finally wrote our new wills in 2024. Four years!
I'm not the only one who delays attention to important life-planning tasks.
This is why many nonprofits promote August as a "Write-A-Will" month. A will creates a legacy. By focusing on the importance of a will or other estate plans, we can help the people in our congregation care for their loved ones and support charities close to their hearts. Promoting Write-A-Will Month can give people the encouragement they need to complete this important life plan.
Here's what you can do to promote planned giving:
· Adapt the "Gift in Will" document (Below) to your church and send this to every church member with encouragement to complete a will if they haven't. · Attend the "Planned Giving in Your Congregation" course I'm offering on the Damascus Project for practical ideas and strategies on planned giving.
· Promote "Write-A-Will" month in your congregation with a testimony in worship (and record and send it to everyone in the church). A testimony by someone who wrote their will and included a gift to your congregation can motivate another person to do the same.
Creating our will allowed my husband and me to think about the legacy we want to leave. We found ways to balance care for our young adult children with our commitment to charities. Planning together allowed us to talk through our goals, the places that shaped our lives, and the impact we want to make on the world. Encouraging the people of your congregation to write a will can be an expression of pastoral care.
The National Ministries and the Pension Boards partnered to provide additional resources to make the promotion of planned giving more accessible in your congregation. We created a new website where people can create (or draft and take to their lawyer) a will. The site prompts people to consider a charitable gift in their estate, but it doesn't require it. You can learn more about this resource by visiting www.freewill.com/ucc.
It shouldn't take 4 years to write a will. In fact, with our new website, you can create one in 20 minutes.
Take time this summer to promote planned giving, with a particular push during August.
Other Resources:
