Stewardship
Forming Christians in Generosity and Abundance
Christian Stewardship is relationship – relationship with each other, our relationship with the institutions of our congregations, our relationship with our Creator who has given us all good gifts. These relationships are reflections of the care, responsibility, and support we give to each other, empowering us to do good works and to deepen our faith.
We can help you
- Grow your annual campaign
- Think about blended campaigns for special needs – capital, new ministry funding
- Tap into generosity, creativity, and new energy for your annual campaigns
- Deepen formation, and begin thinking about year-round stewardship
- Develop preaching and teaching resources for talking about money in church
The Diocese of California supports congregations in their annual pledge campaigns through
- Consultations with stewardship committees, vestries, and Bishop’s committees
- Strategy and guidance in employing common stewardship models and tools
- Visioning and goal-setting workshops for congregations – helping identify opportunities for mission
- Coaching and training on making the invitation to pledge/donate
- Guidance and review of campaign materials
- Preach and teach about generosity and giving
Fourth-Thursday 2021 Stewardship Series – Free workshops for church fundraising
We are excited to release seven webinars focused on stewardship formation, pledge campaigns, and planned giving. To enroll in these free webinars, please visit and subscribe to our Eventbrite page, where you’ll learn about all our stewardship workshops as they’re developed. www.diocal.eventbrite.com
February 25 - 7PM
Evaluating Your Pledge Campaign
To view the recorded webinar, please visit https://youtu.be/TirkvIVlMrU
The slide decks are available for download here:
Download slides in English
Descargar diapositivas en Español
March 25 - 7PM
Year-Round Stewardship Formation
Learn tips and methods to integrate stewardship formation into your liturgy, action, and education each month of the year. Keep the conversation about generosity and gratitude going year-round. Please register to get the link to join. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/139323140263
April 22 - 7PM
Recruiting and Training a Stewardship Team
Learn best practices for inviting the right members of your community to lead Stewardship efforts, including formation opportunities and pledge campaigns. Please register to get the link to join. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/140614430547
May 27 - 7PM
Mid-Year Budget and Mission Review
Transparent and accountable leadership gives us an opportunity to review our mission and budget alignment half-way through the program year. Learn tips on avoiding the summer slump in campaign income. Please register to get the link to join. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/140614911987
June 24 - 7PM
Virtual Stewardship 201
Expand on what we all learned in 2020 about raising money online and running our pledge campaigns virtually. Learn updated tips, new technologies, and new ideas in online fundraising. Please register to get the link to join. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/140615684297
July 22 - 7PM
Creating Compelling Stewardship Materials
Learn best practices and practical tips to create great messaging and materials that promote generosity in your congregation. Please register to get the link to join. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/140615987203
August 26 - 7PM
Breaking the Pledge Plateau
Best practices, tips, and support to help your members learn more about generosity, mission, and opportunities to give. Help overcome donor fatigue in your congregation. Please register to get the link to join. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/140616179779
September 23 - 7PM
Reinvigorating Your Legacy Society
Best practices on how to create and grow a legacy society in your ministry. Review of the most common planned giving vehicles and how to promote them in your congregation or institution. Please register to get the link to join. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/140616797627
View Webinars on Stewardship in the Diocese of California
Virtual Offering Plates and Online Stewardship 101, July 30, 2020 https://youtu.be/2lRdkl2cxwU
Using the TENS 2020 Resources, Virtually August 13, 2020 https://youtu.be/8JeyPi0Idsk
Raising Money for Mission – Virtual Auctions, Galas, & Events August 20, 2020 https://youtu.be/Jz30X4iECt8
Creating Virtual Community for Stewardship August 27, 2020 https://youtu.be/bkDoUk92rqQ
Tax Implications for 2020 – Your Planned Gift September 26, 2020 https://youtu.be/70CDxQISOgw
Call or email Davey Gerhard, Director of Development, for more information or to set up a virtual or in-person planning session. daveyg@diocal.org
Free Stewardship Resources
TENS
The Diocese of California is a member of TENS: The Episcopal Network for Stewardship. As such, all members in the diocese may use the TENS annual pledge campaign resources for free. All resources are in English and Spanish, and include:
- Annual Pledge Campaign with timelines and instructions
- Customizable Sample letters
- Customizable Pledge Cards
- Prayers of the People for Stewardship
- Theological Reflections on Stewardship Themes
To access the member resources, you’ll need a user name and password, which change annually.
2021 TENS Access
https://www.tens.org/annual-pledge-campaigns/
Password: James1:17
Please note, password is case sensitive
Episcopal Resource Center
Jointly with the Diocese of El Camino Real, the Diocese of California operates an online library of resources for all topics related to congregations, including stewardship resources. To access the online catalog, please visit https://stthomas-svale.org/library-episcopal-resource-center/ You will find numerous books, workbooks, and materials to help you raise money for ministry in your congregation or institution.