August 1, 2016
Dog Days Recruitment
The ol’ Dog Star, Sirius, is now rising before the dawn, and the “dog days of summer” are upon us. Summer stops and pants. High heat and humidity drive us inside to fans and air conditioning. What to do, what to do…
I know! How about recruiting your stewardship team? While sitting there sipping your iced tea, pick up the phone and your church directory, and start dialing. Here’s a sample script:
“Hello, this is Judy from St. James. Hope you are staying cool these days. I’m helping our church with stewardship, and we’re seeking some people to be on our committee to help us this fall. It will involve a few meetings to come up with a plan. We’ll be done by November. We’d love to have you join us.”
A congregational consultant with the Episcopal Church Foundation tells the story about how the stewardship chair in a rather large parish came up with this idea and single handedly called every person/family in the directory. His phone call recruitment was successful on many levels. First, he got to chat with many people he didn’t really know. This personal reward also formed a nice foundation for the annual campaign, as people felt a connection to someone at the church around this topic.
Most importantly, it worked! A fresh batch of people said yes to being involved.
It is energizing to get new people and ideas working on an important, short-term goal. Start by kicking off your project by reading and praying over scriptural references to money and wealth. How does God want us to respond to the abundance He provides?
This is more than about raising money. It is about helping people grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Discuss how considering it a ministry that teaches and inspires could enliven your campaign.
Some of the best books about stewardship frame it as a year ‘round ministry. I’ve found that many churches just don’t do that, so this post is written for just one aspect, the annual campaign. If your parish does have an active stewardship ministry all year, summertime phone call recruitment is still a good idea to refresh your team.
You could just have your rector write and send “the letter” this fall. Studies have shown this is the least effective way to raise money, and does little to stretch people’s understanding and response to God’s gracious provision. So, stay cool inside and get calling and recruiting!
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