Tom Sheffield, our Presbytery Pastor in Denver, made this observation in a recent meeting. We are living in an extraordinary time, indeed! The economic downturn has impacted all of us; it has affected some more than others. Our members hear about it every time they turn on a television or pick up a newspaper. We in the church have a golden opportunity to help our members understand and interpret this extraordinary time in light of the faith we follow.
Invite your members to be honest with you.
One of the greatest gifts that you can give to your members is to talk about this situation that impacts all of us. When you share how it has impacted you—and invite other members to share how it has impacted them—you invite all of your members to be honest with you and themselves. It is the unspoken—and unexamined—fear that controls us. To name the fear inside is to reduce it control over us. So help your members to reveal and release their fear in the midst of their community of faith.
One way to address these uncertain times is to have a Mid-Year Stewardship Check-In with your congregation. After Easter, take a few weeks to discuss economics and faith in your church. You can say something like this:
“Last fall, many of our members made financial commitments to support our congregation—we call them pledges. Others made “mental pledges,” deciding how much they would contribute to support our ongoing ministry. Our policy is that these commitments can be changed at any time—just contact the financial secretary. But because no one could have foreseen the continued economic downturn, our session wants to check-in with our members about their present economic status, and to openly offer some mid-year options.”
Give each member some concrete options.
“Option Number One. If your economic situation is worse than you projected last fall, the session invites you to adjust your pledge to a smaller amount. We ask you not to withdraw it completely because we realize the value of making this commitment and how it enhances our relationships. Likewise, we don’t want anyone to suffer for this church because they feel obligated to fulfill a commitment they made in good faith at an earlier time. We will not foreclose on your soul! The session wants you to make commitments and to fulfill them. But these commitments are good-faith estimates of our abilities, so we want to honor you with the same sensitivity and appreciation that you used last fall in making these pledges.”
“Option Number Two. If your economic situation is better than you projected last fall, the session invites you to adjust your pledge to a larger amount to help support those who had to decrease their pledges. Some members were understandably fearful last fall and therefore made cautious pledges. So if you’re able to increase your pledge at this time, we ask you to consider doing so. This will help the church greatly.”
“Option Number Three. If you would be willing and able to do this, the session invites you to give special financial gifts to support the church’s ministry during these extraordinary times. We understand that some members would like to provide extra support for the church this year but prefer not to increase their pledges. If this is your situation, we invite you to simply give extra support—either as a lump sum or extra amounts throughout the year. Your choice.”
“Know that which options you choose to give and however you choose to give, it will be greatly appreciated by your session and your church. We are very blessed.”
Celebrate God’s faithfulness.
“God has blessed us in so many ways. As we discussed all of this in our session meeting, we thought of so many instances when God’s people were afraid and in need of help—and God provided for their needs. In our own lives, we remembered times when we were unsure of our next steps—and God provided for our needs. As the people of God, we always want to remember how much God loves us and how God will provide for us. Thanks be to God for the hope we hold dear. And thank you for being God’s community of hope for the world.”
