When I asked the stewardship folks at the ELCA church wide office what books I should read about stewardship, there was a long list and a short list. "Ask, Thank, Tell," by Charles "Chick" Lane made both.
Lane has a long history of stewardship education in the ELCA. His writing style is clear and accessible and his train of thought is easy to hop on for the long haul. This small tome, published in 2006, has three simple goals, which he spells out clearly in the introduction:
1.) Stewardship is about discipleship, not the congregation's need.
2.) Use these three verbs to shape stewardship ministry in congregations: Ask, Thank, Tell.
3.) Make sure your stewardship committee is doing these things instead of talking about them. Get creative.
Before I talk about Lane's three goals, it's worth noting that stewardship as we often think of it isn't everyone's favorite topic. It was about the last thing on my mind as I spent years drowning in student loan and credit card debt (see my previous blog post). But as director for evangelical mission (DEM) for the Alaska Synod, stewardship is part of my job. Happily, I don't have to be the stewardship expert (whew). I'm more of a stewardship cheerleader and resource-giver. I'll be reviewing books and resources periodically and encouraging folks in the Alaska Synod to practice the spiritual discipline of stewardship. It can be fun! I promise.
Back to Chick Lane, who starts with the helpful premise that stewardship is about discipleship. I've already experienced the misconception that stewardship means raising money for the church budget. I've thought that way myself and in my few short months on the job, it seems others think that way, too. Lane helpfully reminds us that the point of stewardship ministry is helping followers of Jesus grow in their relationship with Jesus. Put another way: Jesus wants your heart. All that money-talk that Jesus does in scripture is more about where people put their faith and trust, not just where they put their denarii.
Lane lists six characteristics of a good steward: intentional, regular, generous, first, proportional and cheerful. These are great but the bottom line is it's tough to think your way into these actions. Better, Lane, suggests, to just start doing a few of these things in your own giving. Try acting your way into a new way of thinking.
If you're a parish pastor, how do you get this ball rolling? Talk about it, of course! Lane suggests that the pastor getting his/her own financial stewardship house in order and then preach on stewardship, model stewardship and know what people give. The last one can be controversial. I never knew what anyone at my former parish put in the plate. "We don't talk about it," was pretty much the mantra of my Midwest rearing on most topics and money fit that bill, pardon the pun.
But as I've spoken with those who do stewardship ministry, I see both the congregation and I were missing out. I didn't really know how folks were doing in their relationship with Jesus because I refused to enter into conversations and awareness of giving. In fact, I probably didn't ask people enough how their relationship with Jesus was going other areas of spiritual disciple either. Mea culpa.
The rest of Lane's book goes over the basics of ask, thank, tell, and they are pretty much what one might expect. Stewardship ministry works when church leaders ask for people to give, not because of the budget but because that's the way we grow in faith and discipleship. Stewardship ministry works when church leaders thank people early and often. Stewardship ministry works when church leaders tell stories of what is accomplished with what is given and why each person's gift makes a difference.
I appreciated the theology that Lane uses in the first half of his book on giving as discipleship. It's a great frame for the more practical suggestions in the second half, where Lane urges stewardship ministry leaders to get specific and get to work as they ask, thank and tell. I won't go into all of these practical hints, tips and suggestions. I'd recommend getting the book and reading it as a church council, stewardship committee or use it in an adult forum.
If there's a weakness in Lane's book, it's that he doesn't tell us what to do if we've tried these things and they don't work. He doesn't tell us what to do if the pastor (or key lay leaders) are not on board with a stewardship as a spiritual discipline. He doesn't tell us if some of these ideas will work better in different-sized congregations. He doesn't tell us if these ideas cross ethnic, racial or socio-economic boundaries. We'll have to figure that out for ourselves. Clearly, not all of these ideas will work in Alaskan congregations. But the range of ideas and tips are broad enough for most parishes to find a few pointers. If nothing else, Lane's theology is solid, helpful and easy to understand.
Want to learn about any specific ideas in the book? Want to borrow my copy? Call or email me at the synod office.
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