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Unparalleled needs and opportunities are confronting local churches today. The ability of the local congregation to respond constructively is in direct proportion to its available resources. The resources, both individual and financial, depend upon the effectiveness of its stewardship program.
Few congregations have effective year-round programs stewardship education, tithing and planned giving. Most need help. SALT will help supply that need. SALT, through information provided by "Church Stewardship & Growth Center" will meet the needs of your church by bringing you articles of what others are doing in the stewardship field, suggestions on new programs, displays, literature, electronic medias, and training materials. It will give you and your congregation the satisfaction of more effectively meeting the needs of the work of Jesus Christ.
You can help! Share with others the ideas you have found effective.
Send you ideas to Editor SALT@Neibauer.com.
SALT addresses itself to a long-felt practical need: to help the pastor or chairperson as a stewardship leader in the local church. It can spare them that desperate, once-a-year plunge which they have often found to be ineffective. It will help them to project goals with checkpoints for progress in stewardship training. People of considerable stewardship experience and creativity from many denominations will share the benefit of their knowledge. Contributions from your stewardship experience should also be shared. Thus, there will be a stewardship of tried and tested ideas that will enrich all of us.
The difference between the success and failure of bringing families to full stewardship stature is vested in local leadership. As the chief steward under God, you hold the key of leadership. Use it or lose it!
Walter J. Waddell, III
Church Publishing Manager
SALT addresses itself to a long-felt practical need: to help the pastor or chairperson as a stewardship leader in the local church. It can spare them that desperate, once-a-year plunge which they have often found to be ineffective. It will help them to project goals with checkpoints for progress in stewardship training. People of considerable stewardship experience and creativity from many denominations will share the benefit of their knowledge. Contributions
from your stewardship experience should also be shared. Thus, there will be a stewardship of tried and tested ideas that will enrich all of us.
The difference between the success and failure of brining families to full stewardship stature is vested in local leadership. As the chief steward under God, you hold the key of leadership. Use it or lose it!
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Teaching a child is the joint responsibility of parents and the church. This is how one family and its church joined to fulfill this mutual responsibility.
The parents were committed stewards?tithers who placed 10% of their income in a tithing box. When their children were small, but old enough to understand, the parents allowed the children to share in counting out the tithe and putting the money into the box. On Saturday evening during their devotions after the meal, the tithing box and the box of offering envelopes were placed on the table.
The parents would explain a phase of stewardship to the children in terms they could understand. Then the Sunday offering envelope was filled from the tithing box. The children inserted money in turn. Once the envelope was ready it was placed in the center of the table and the family asked God's blessing on the offering that they would take to church the next day.
As the children became older each was presented a tithing box of their own. The children were taught to put a tithe of their allowance, of any other monetary gifts they received, or of any money they earned, into their box. The church issued each child his own set of offering envelopes. The family custom was now expanded to include the bringing of each child's tithing box and envelopes to the family devotional experience. Each child now filled his own envelope from his own box and all were placed in the center of the table and dedicated m the closing prayer.
Each of these children is an adult tither today. The early training did it.
Stewardship must be taught to children. The church school provides numerous opportunities to do so. The alert teacher and perceptive superintendent can skillfully integrate stewardship into the program in many ways.
Object Lesson
Such a simple device as ten shining red apples can be used to teach a number of basic principles of unselfish giving. For instance "Who made the apple?" "What happens if you don't take good care of it?" "How do you feel when someone gives you a nice juicy one?" "How do you get the most enjoyment from one?" "If you have ten how many should you give to God?" "How do you give apples to God?"
Our #614 Apple folder for adults - $17.00/100.
"Stewardship Is" Materials
The posters in the Year Round Stewardship program, available from www.ChurchStewardship.com make excellent classroom posters. The illustrations are in cartoon style. The slogans and the Scripture verses are easy for the child to learn. They can be moved to different classrooms each month.
Stewardship Puzzles
For juniors and older children the Stewardship puzzle (Giveaway page) provides attention?getting opportunities for teaching the basis of stewardship. Each puzzle piece is illustrated with a stewardship cartoon design. The teacher has another activity for the child and a chance to interpret the design.
The Offering
The offering provides opportunities for teaching stewardship. Why do we bring it? Where did we get it? What will it do? What happens if we fail to bring it? The meaning and purpose of the offering should be carefully explained to the children.
Pictures and correspondence or a field trip can be used to improve the effectiveness of the teaching. Let the children participate by taking turns in receiving the offering and giving the offertory prayer.
The Classroom Offering box (Coin Collectors page) is specifically designed to be used in youth classrooms for offering. It could also be used in homes.
Think of the cost of envelopes, tracts or offering items for children in terms of tomorrow's return. Think of it as stewardship education for tomorrow's adults.
"To pledge or not to pledge: That is the question. Whether it is nobler in a man to take the gospel free and let another foot the bill. Or to sign a pledge and help to pay the church expenses. To give, to pay-aye, there's the rub to pay, when on the free pew plan a man may have a sitting free, and take the gospel, too. As though he paid, and none the wiser be, save the church's committee, who - Most honorable men can keep a secret.
To err is human; human, too, to buy at cheaper rate. I'll take the gospel so, For others do the same ?a common rule, I'm wise; I'll wait, not work; I'll pray, not pay; and let others foot the bills. And so with me the gospel is free, you see!"
"Every pastor has at least one opportunity each week, the offertory prayer, to teach his congregation Christian Stewardship. 90% of the pastors miss the chance. Most offertory prayers are dull repetitions of drab clichés. Sufficient time should be given by the pastor to prepare this offertory prayer. He will discover that these prayers can become one of the most meaningful and stimulating parts of his worship service."
It's peculiar how a dollar can look so big to you when it goes to church and so small when it goes for groceries. It is far more effective to have a child bring a 25-cent offering to church school, if that is a tithe of his allowance, than to bring a dollar which is given to him by his parent for an offering.
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