Carolyn Kitto

Some things do change

By Carolyn Kitto

In 1993, I undertook some work as part of my role with the NSW Synod of the UCA, on the so called “Mission Funding Crisis” facing mainline churches. This crisis was researched extensively by significant grants by the Lilly Endowment in the 1980’ and 1990’s. In the end, the research identified that people’s sense of ‘belonging’ and ‘ownership’ of the mission and vision of the church (local and wider church) was key to their generosity and the only reliable predictor of their giving.

17 years later, I was asked by the SA Synod of the UCA, to research what supported and encouraged generous giving in congregations. I discover that some things haven’t changed….. and some things have ……

Recently we have seen a number of changes in bank regulations but in Britain, one rule has not changed. In order to provide free and fair access to the banking system, any legible cheque must be accepted regardless of what it is written on. This law has sparked a series of antics, the most legendary being from the humourist AP Herbert. He has sent cheques on serviettes, bottles and even an egg. Then the tables turned and Herbert received a five-pound cheque from Punch magazine written on a cow. He had to lead the cow into a bank for the cheque to be cashed.

In 1993, I undertook some work as part of my role with the NSW Synod of the UCA, on the so called “Mission Funding Crisis” facing mainline churches. This crisis was researched extensively by significant grants by the Lilly Endowment[i] in the 1980’ and 1990’s. In the end, the research identified that people’s sense of ‘belonging’ and ‘ownership’ of the mission and vision of the church (local and wider church) was key to their generosity and the only reliable predictor of their giving.

17 years later, I was asked by the SA Synod of the UCA, to research what supported and encouraged generous giving in congregations. I discover that some things haven’t changed.

• In it still the case that 20% people give 80% and 10% of the people give 50% of the money
• Ministers, pastors and priests, continue to report being unprepared for the financial aspects of ministry expected of them and there is still no training offered. In particular they struggle with how to clarify their own values and express their spiritual practices[ii]
• The best predictor of giving is still people’s sense of belonging to and participation in the organisation they are giving to.[iii] Any funding crisis or decline must first be treated as a ‘belonging’ and ‘relationship’ crisis, not a financial or process crisis
• The portion Congregations are spending on running their local operations, compared with what they give to wider church or outside mission, is increasing. This is not only as a result of the increasing costs in funding a congregation but also the sense of dislocation and distance that has occurred between congregation and the rest of the church. [iv] (Please note, that this is not the case in lay led congregations.)
• Planned giving (the decision to give a regular amount to a congregation or organisation) as a way of giving continues to be correlated with higher levels of giving and the primary income source in most churches.

Again, some things haven’t changed

• Congregations that do not embed planned giving invitations in their annual calendar but rely on individuals’ week-by week decisions have lower per person giving. Asking people to consider their response to God ‘s generosity and make a response appropriate, helps to grow generosity

• Congregations that do not ask people to renew their giving annually have lower per person giving over a 3 year period
• Congregations that do the same thing (or nothing) year after year usually have a declining per person giving
• Congregations which create a ‘crisis’ – ‘we are running out of money’ can generate a response but it rarely sustains over time. In the end their giving is less than those who plan their mission and invite people to be a part of it
• Congregations which develop and communicate their budget in terms of their investment in mission rather than the expenses of ministry have higher levels of giving

 

Many of the ways in which we talk about giving in the church haven’t changed and they need to. If I had a dollar for every time I have heard the phrase “Time, Talent and Treasure” both back in 1993 and in my recent research, I would be a wealthy woman. Those in “the know” would recognise that this phrase was introduced into Australian in the 1950’s by the Wells organisation. It broke the “put a bob in the plate” mentality of many churches but does not reflect the more expansive understanding of stewardship we need today nor the complex ways in which we now deal with money. Many of the reasons why churches struggle with money are because they have not understood what motivates people to give and have continued to rely on people’s loyalty rather than their sense of mission.

So what has changed?

The “e” revolution has impacted churches and givers. The “Please Donate” box on any charitable group’s webpage, places you just a mouse click away from being generous.  The local church and the denomination can easily be bypassed with money going directly to groups such as Uniting World and Frontier Services. Most denominations have introduced some kind of ‘direct giving’ program for members of congregations to give to their congregation anonymously and without bank charges. It is not unusual to see the offering plate being passed by these days and yet the people passing it by giving on average 3 or 4 times more than those still using cash cheques or envelopes.

Just as the word ‘mission’ was embraced by businesses and organisations as a way of describing what they did and ‘mission statements and plans’ became their strategy for doing their ‘mission’, so ‘stewardship’ is invading range of other sectors. The Corporate Social Responsibility movement encourages companies to be good stewards and to assess their “triple bottom line”. The environmental movement encourages stewardship of the environment. The financial planning industry, almost unknown 20 years ago is now regulated and many planners include help on being a good steward in your community through charitable gifts. Community organiser Peter Block defines ‘stewardship’ as ‘choosing service over self-interest’.[v]

All these movements have the potential to reimage and reinvigorate our conversations in the church. Stewardship is not a religious fund-raising methodology. It is a way of living that recognises everything belongs to God. A church leader exercising leadership in stewardship could be expected to

• Have developed their own deep understanding and practices of Christian stewardship in their own life
• Has a profound sense of being a steward of the people (church, local community, wider world), physical (environment and church property), and financial resources entrusted to their care as a leader in their congregation, as a leader in their denomination and as a part of the Mission of God in the world
• Grows this same sense of Christian stewardship amongst members of their church and in the community through example, teaching, preaching and pastoral care
• Has the leadership and management skills (or know enough about the skills needed to identify, recruit, and lead consultants, volunteers and staff) in best practice budgeting, financial planning and resourcing for mission

Henri Nouwen has written a helpful resource called “The Spirituality of Fund-raising”[vi] which helps focus giving as a spiritual practice. It is a good next read for anyone seeking to develop spiritual practices in this area. He talks of fund-raising as a ministry as important as preaching and visiting the sick. He claims that from the point of view of the gospel, the giving of money is a part of the process of conversion both in relation to wealth and relation to needs. It is something where the process enriches the spiritual journey of the person.  This is the kind of expansive and missional view of giving we need for our future.

And, the rule about cheques in Britain? Well, it is all about to change! In December 2009, UK banks voted to end the 300 year old tradition of paying by cheque. Cheques are proving too expensive and will be phased out over the next 8 years. You will have to use plastic or go on line. Something else has also changed in the UK. For the first time church in decades church attendance is starting to grow[vii].  These statistics don’t include Fresh Expressions which researchers admit are growing so quickly it is difficult to count what and where they are, let alone how many people are attending them! Sure the UK isn’t Australia or New Zealand but the people going to these churches aren’t that different to people who might come to our churches. They are not looking for religion, they are looking for faith. They are looking for faith which impacts the whole of their lives, including their money. Their arrival in churches heralds new opportunities for mission which will require funding.  We can live into that future with hope and generosity, eager to grow new resources for the mission of God.

 

 

Tags: Australian Leadership, generosity, mission, money, stewardship