wfn.org | ELCA Stewardship Is At 'The Heart Of The Church'

[NEWS <NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

March 5, 1999

ELCA STEWARDSHIP IS AT 'THE HEART OF THE CHURCH'
99-51-MR

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The purpose of stewardship in the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is "to serve the will of God."  That
vision is expressed in "Stewardship at the Heart of the Church," a new
plan developed by the stewardship and mission giving team of the ELCA.
     The board of the ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries (DCM)
met here Feb. 26-28 and affirmed the plan.  The stewardship and mission
giving team is housed in DCM, which is organized into ministry teams to
carry out its work with and on behalf of ELCA congregations.
     "Stewardship at the Heart of the Church" can be transformed into a
multi-year plan, which includes strategies and implementation
components, said the Rev. Ronald B. Ferrell, Immanuel Lutheran Church,
Dixon, Ill.  Ferrell is a member of the DCM board.
     "The piece provides a fresh theological model for stewardship in
ELCA congregations," Ferrell said.  "It looks at stewardship
holistically in the life of a congregation, and it has the potential for
each member to look at his or her stewardship more than just
financially."
     "Stewardship at the Heart of the Church" is divided into two
sections: Vision Statement and Stewardship Development Strategy.  The
strategy portion of the document includes seven elements:
+ A theology of stewardship and funding of God's mission
+ A new body of research
+ Resources for relationship-based stewardship programs
+ Effective and efficient fund raising
+ New services for congregations
+ New energy for evangelism
+ New audiences
     "Whether funding the ministries of the church as an institution or
equipping members for their God-directed work in the world, the
behaviors, programs and structures of congregational stewardship are all
wrapped into God's purposes," says the document.  "The function of
stewardship is to unify congregations in purpose and meaning, serving as
a standard by which their effectiveness is measured and their identity
described."
     The stewardship and mission giving team works "to help all ELCA
members develop as stewards in their faith-filled lives," and to "equip,
nurture and challenge leaders to provide stewardship education and to
generate and integrate financial support for the mission of the church."

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html