Relate giving to the mission of the congregation.
Christ gave each Christian and each congregation a mission: to reach the entire world with the gospel. Give members a vision beyond the immediate needs of your congregation by illustrating how their gifts help minister to your community, state, nation, and world.

Encourage giving.The South Carolina Baptist Convention: Stewardship Development: Financially Empowering Congregations
Members will respond positively to carefully developed promotional activities that challenge them to give. (See Suggested Activities and Emphases)

Provide examples.
Members are influenced by the examples of congregational leaders. When leaders are committed givers, their faithful and generous giving usually raises the level of giving throughout the membership. Involve leaders in encouraging members to give, especially leaders of organizations and committees that request budget funds. Encourage leaders to speak positively about giving at times other than budget promotion time.

The congregation is an example too. As the congregation gives to associational missions and through the Cooperative Program, it says to members that the congregation and its leaders are serious about accomplishing Christ's mission.

Teach how giving is part of financial discipleship.
A person's life, influence and resources belong to God. Christian stewardship is managing what belongs to God. Regular giving to one's congregation is a part of discipleship. Generous giving is possible only when a Christian manages carefully everything God provides so a growing percentage can be used for Christian causes.

Ask for commitment, and expect members to give.
Paul asked for forgiveness for not expecting the Corinthians to give (2 Cor. 12:13). He wrote to tell the Philippians how their need to give was greater than his need for money (Phil. 4:17).

Encourage people to give a definite percentage of their income; the tithe can be a reference point. Lead them to ask: How much do I need to live on and how much can I give for Kingdom purposes?

Use offering envelopes.
Members will usually give more and give more consistently when they use offering envelopes. These envelopes also help when teaching children to give. Use a monthly or quarterly envelope mailing service to encourage regular and consistent giving.

Calendar annual activities to involve members and to encourage giving throughout the year.      Involved and informed members give more generously and consistently than uninvolved members. (See Suggested Activities and Emphases for ideas such as Bible studies, money management conferences, and more.)

Express appreciation often for what members have given.
A grateful word seldom goes unnoticed. One appropriate time to say thank you to faithful givers is during the worship offertory time and when mailing members' quarterly giving statement.

Encourage Cooperative Program giving and observe a state missions emphasis.
Please contact your state Cooperative Program office for available resources and assistance.
Cooperative Program Office, South Carolina Baptist Convention, 190 Stoneridge Drive, Columbia, SC 29210. Phone: (803)765-0030 or (800-723-7242 in state)

Suggested Activities and Emphases

To financially empower a congregation, schedule regular activities and emphases on giving. An annual calendar can be developed from these suggestions and from ideas in the materials referenced under Resources.

Weekly
1. Use offertory statement in your worship service, bulletins, and/or newsletters. Offertory statements should be brief (no more than 30-60 seconds or a short paragraph) and positive. Make the offering time a special part of the service by using appropriate music and prayers.

Monthly
1. Use illustrations and other information on giving in newsletters and bulletins.
2. Display or distribute posters, leaflets, or tracts related to giving.
3. Use ministry progress reports. Focus on the ministries which have been accomplished with members' gifts. Also, consider asking one leader each month to share specifically how people were touched and how money was used for the ministry.
4. Include an emphasis on giving in New Member Training/Orientation. Explain what the Bible teaches about giving and how the church uses members' gifts for ministry to accomplish the mission of the congregation. Tracts on giving, a copy of the church budget, offering envelopes, and other materials can be provided for new members.

Quarterly
1. Have giving testimonies in Sunday School and/or the worship service. Choose members representative of various groups to give testimonies. Members who give testimonies should be carefully chosen and instructed.
2. Preach sermons on some areas of stewardship. Every sermon does not need to focus specifically on money. For example, a sermon on Christian lifestyle can illustrate how a Christian's standard of living will influence giving; but the sermon's focus would be on lifestyle.
3. Include a thank-you note with the giving record mailed to each member. List an event which has happened or is about to happen for which congregational giving is used.

Annually
1. Conduct a budget emphasis using a budget development and promotion program.
2. Provide a money management conference for all adults and youth.
3. Schedule a Make Your Will Month (January) conference on making a will and estate planning. (Contact your State Baptist Foundation).
4. Provide in-depth Bible studies on stewardship.
5. Celebrate what God is doing in the life of the congregation.

• Stewardship God's Way is an educational process to introduce individuals and families to God's word on stewardship.
• Financial Management: Assistance and training for Stewardship Committees, and Budget assistance.
• Successful Christian Financial Management: Consultant-led personal money management seminar.
• Capital Funds Program: Consultant-led process for securing needed capital for facilities and debt retirement.
• Missions Funding Plan: A plan to enable churches to raise money for new church starts, mission projects and other mission endeavors.
• The Kingdom Endowment is a flexible account to support Empowering Kingdom Growth initiatives by providing supplemental funds for current and future strategic missions and ministry opportunities.

For a copy of the brochure click the link below.
Financially Empowering Congregations brochure pdf

Contact the Stewardship Development Office for more information (803)-765-0030.