Answering the Right Questions for Church Giving

While the summer schedule at Brighton First may appear less full, church leaders remain active planning for the fall and winter. One group that does much of its work in the summer is the Stewardship Committee. Each year they will design and lead a campaign, asking members of Brighton First to make a financial commitment for the coming year. The campaign will be highlighted in worship in October.

In preparation, Ron Matkin, the Stewardship Committee Chair, and his team will design posters and worship images, create promotions pieces, letters and a narrative budget.

The Stewardship Committee works knowing that the motivations for sustained giving for a church have changed over the years. In the article The Right Questions for Church Leaders, Rosario Picardo suggests that church leaders keep in mind some questions that potential givers want to know.

                                                                                                                  

Does my giving make a difference?
This question is especially true for church members who are under 50. They have the expectation that the ministries they support are making a difference in the world. They want to be part of change for the better.                

Do I matter to my faith community?
Those who give generously feel a connection with their faith community. They feel as if they have a part in what is going on and that what they do and what they give matters. 

How will my resources be used?
While church members may not need the fine details found in the church budget, they do want to know that their time, talents and money are changing lives for the better and making disciples for Jesus Christ.

What is the vision I'm giving toward, and what is the plan for reaching it?
Like the previous question, church members want to know where the church is going and what the plan is to get there. Brighton First has a clear mission, to know, love and serve God. Our vision and strategic plan offer the direction and plan for where we are going. 

How can I get involved in the ministry I am supporting financially?

Today, being a part of church means much more than attending an hour-long worship service and giving a weekly offering. At Brighton First we expect that people desire to be in ministry, using their spiritual gifts and talents. Church leaders and staff work to connect people with ministries where they can grow in Christ and change the world. Our two primary places for initial connection are the Connection Cards that attendees fill out every Sunday and our web site.

Answering the Right Questions for Church Giving

While the summer schedule at Brighton First may appear less full, church leaders remain active planning for the fall and winter. One group that does much of its work in the summer is the Stewardship Committee. Each year they will design and lead a campaign, asking members of Brighton First to make a financial commitment for the coming year. The campaign will be highlighted in worship in October.

In preparation, Ron Matkin, the Stewardship Committee Chair, and his team will design posters and worship images, create promotions pieces, letters and a narrative budget.

The Stewardship Committee works knowing that the motivations for sustained giving for a church have changed over the years. In the article The Right Questions for Church Leaders, Rosario Picardo suggests that church leaders keep in mind some questions that potential givers want to know.

                                                                                                                  

Does my giving make a difference?
This question is especially true for church members who are under 50. They have the expectation that the ministries they support are making a difference in the world. They want to be part of change for the better.                

Do I matter to my faith community?
Those who give generously feel a connection with their faith community. They feel as if they have a part in what is going on and that what they do and what they give matters. 

How will my resources be used?
While church members may not need the fine details found in the church budget, they do want to know that their time, talents and money are changing lives for the better and making disciples for Jesus Christ.

What is the vision I'm giving toward, and what is the plan for reaching it?
Like the previous question, church members want to know where the church is going and what the plan is to get there. Brighton First has a clear mission, to know, love and serve God. Our vision and strategic plan offer the direction and plan for where we are going. 

How can I get involved in the ministry I am supporting financially?

Today, being a part of church means much more than attending an hour-long worship service and giving a weekly offering. At Brighton First we expect that people desire to be in ministry, using their spiritual gifts and talents. Church leaders and staff work to connect people with ministries where they can grow in Christ and change the world. Our two primary places for initial connection are the Connection Cards that attendees fill out every Sunday and our web site.

Brighton First Adopts Two-Year Strategic Plan

On Tuesday, September 13, Brighton First's Administrative Board adopted a two-year strategic plan. The Administrative Board celebrates this important step forward in the ministry of our church. The strategic plan lists specific coherent actions that will be taken over the next two years in the areas of communication, discipleship and community outreach.

In March 2015, Brighton First adopted the recommendations of a Vital Church Initiative Consultation Team. One of the findings of the team was that the church had no specific, cohesive plan in place to move its mission forward. The recommendation, under the leadership of the Administrative Board Chairperson, was that a Strategic Plan Task Force be established to create a plan.

Vince Killewald and John Philips work on strategic plan.

The Administrative Board appointed John Phillips to lead the Task Force in May 2016 and agreed to the members who would be part of the team. John Phillips took the model of strategic planning from the book Good Strategy, Bad Strategy by Richard P. Rumelt and adopted it for our use. The team identified several possible diagnoses, identifiable conditions that were keeping Brighton First from fulfilling its mission. For each of the diagnoses, the task force discussed a guiding policy and a set of coherent actions that would address the diagnosis.  While each of the possibilities the team considered had merit, the task force determined to work in three major areas: Communications, Discipleship and Community Outreach.

The strategy writing team was composed of John Phillips, Chairperson of the Administrative Board, Pastor Sherry Parker-Lewis, Dan Welton, Bill Thorsen, and Ron Matkin (administrative board members), and Marsha Ikle and Vince Killewald from the congregation at large.  The team met seven times to work on the strategy and collaborated between meetings using Google Docs, each authoring parts of the plan.

The first goal of the church’s strategic plan is to create a culture of invitation and welcome through clear communication. The second goal is to create a system at Brighton First in which people of all ages have the opportunity to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ. The final goal is to send people out into the world to serve in the name of Jesus Christ through intentional relationship building in the community.

In the blog posts that follow, I will offer most specific information about each goal of the strategic plan.

Brighton First Adopts Two-Year Strategic Plan

On Tuesday, September 13, Brighton First's Administrative Board adopted a two-year strategic plan. The Administrative Board celebrates this important step forward in the ministry of our church. The strategic plan lists specific coherent actions that will be taken over the next two years in the areas of communication, discipleship and community outreach.

In March 2015, Brighton First adopted the recommendations of a Vital Church Initiative Consultation Team. One of the findings of the team was that the church had no specific, cohesive plan in place to move its mission forward. The recommendation, under the leadership of the Administrative Board Chairperson, was that a Strategic Plan Task Force be established to create a plan.

Vince Killewald and John Philips work on strategic plan.

The Administrative Board appointed John Phillips to lead the Task Force in May 2016 and agreed to the members who would be part of the team. John Phillips took the model of strategic planning from the book Good Strategy, Bad Strategy by Richard P. Rumelt and adopted it for our use. The team identified several possible diagnoses, identifiable conditions that were keeping Brighton First from fulfilling its mission. For each of the diagnoses, the task force discussed a guiding policy and a set of coherent actions that would address the diagnosis.  While each of the possibilities the team considered had merit, the task force determined to work in three major areas: Communications, Discipleship and Community Outreach.

The strategy writing team was composed of John Phillips, Chairperson of the Administrative Board, Pastor Sherry Parker-Lewis, Dan Welton, Bill Thorsen, and Ron Matkin (administrative board members), and Marsha Ikle and Vince Killewald from the congregation at large.  The team met seven times to work on the strategy and collaborated between meetings using Google Docs, each authoring parts of the plan.

The first goal of the church’s strategic plan is to create a culture of invitation and welcome through clear communication. The second goal is to create a system at Brighton First in which people of all ages have the opportunity to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ. The final goal is to send people out into the world to serve in the name of Jesus Christ through intentional relationship building in the community.

In the blog posts that follow, I will offer most specific information about each goal of the strategic plan.