Please share your ideas for stewardship emphasis that focuses on growing the Church Deep & Wide.

[Peggy Owens]

I often get requests from congregations asking for new stewardship ideas. I'd love to hear from some folks who are doing stewardship in new ways that emphasis growing the Church.

[Lis Valle]

I ran a one-year program in some churches in Puerto Rico that resulted in church growth. In the Guacio Presbyterian Church we had a period of interviewing attendants of the congregation and neighbors of the community. Then we conducted a 4 week bible study on stewardship (Generations of Generosity) in small groups in houses. That culminated in a celebration where each small group shared in a creative way their dreams for the congregation over a meal. It was like a dinner theater. The session took the input from the interviews and the small groups and developed a plan to enhance existing ministries or create new ones and then presented those plans to the congregation with a challenge to increase their financial support to the church in order to accomplish the goals. The result was an increase in attendance, involvement and giving.

[Bob Wollenberg]

Our congregation is in the process of transforming our committees into what we are calling "ministry groups." These groups still work on particular ministries of the church, but they are also engaged in a regular study and prayer discipline. In other words, the committees are turning into something of "small groups." So...the stewardship connection is this... Our old stewardship committee is becoming a ministry group. No longer will they just convene when fall rolls around to plan the year's campaign. They will be meeting all year round, studying a book on Christian stewardship and praying. We'll see what all their study and prayer leads to next fall.

[Lis Valle]

That bible study and praying model was what we did in the four week small meetins at homes.

[Peggy Owens]

I appreciate the conversation about stewardship. I believe a lot of congregations are finding the small group or ministry team model very helpful, particularly if they are based upon Bible study, prayer and discernment.