In 2019, the Rev. Kim Dawsey-Richardson took on the challenge of revitalizing the fading but faithful First Presbyterian Church of El Cajon, California. Important changes began, including closing the preschool and restructuring the staff.
“It’s not about the money — it’s about the mission.” That was the theme of the Rev. Peter Reuss’s session, “You want me to donate? Why? Building blocks for an impactful appeal.”
A minister attended church in a town she was visiting. As was her practice, she made a small gift by personal check during the offering. A week or so later, she received in the mail a packet of information about that church’s capital campaign, asking her if she wanted to contribute.
“That was a waste of a stamp,” said presenter Meredith McNabb with a wry smile.
Your church’s boiler gave up the ghost. The parking lot needs to be resurfaced. A tornado took off part of the church’s roof. Or maybe your session wants to help the community with low-income housing.
All of these are candidates for a mini capital campaign, said John Clark, President of The James Company. His presentation, “What is a Thimble-Sized Capital Campaign?” was one of the workshops at Stewardship Kaleidoscope in Minneapolis Sept. 25-27. Stewardship Kaleidoscope is an annual conference on generosity and stewardship. It is sponsored by the Presbyterian Foundation.
Things are different at DOWNTOWN CHURCH in — you guessed it — downtown Columbia, South Carolina.
The church is located in a former energy facility for the State Hospital, and it features an open floorplan, stained concrete floors, large rolling garage doors and no branding of the church on the brick exterior.
“Tell the story of Center Church honestly: the good, the bad and the ugly.”
This guiding principle framed the Rev. Tom Moore’s workshop at Stewardship Kaleidoscope 2022. Moore told participants the story of Center Presbyterian Church in McMurray, Pennsylvania, showing the importance of honesty and transparency when it comes to the church and its finances.
Reflecting the ecumenical spirit of Stewardship Kaleidoscope, Mark Stauffer, past Council president and treasurer of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, and the Rev. Joseph Moore, Ministry Relations Officer of the Presbyterian Foundation, co-presented a workshop called “Stewardship After the Gift.”
The view from the 15th-floor hotel conference room of Savannah’s Historic Landmark District was impressive. Tall church steeples reaching to the sky testified to the generosity of congregations over the centuries. But in a contemporary church world where dedication to Christian faith is flagging, what can pastors and ministry leaders do to revive the spirit of giving?
Stewardship isn’t an act. It’s an attitude.
This is how Carson Brown, Director of Christian Education at Cypress Lake Presbyterian Church in Fort Myers, Florida, started his workshop at Stewardship Kaleidoscope, an annual conference focused on stewardship, generosity and finances for churches. The conference was held both virtually and in person in Savannah, Georgia, Sept. 26- 28.
