Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

In most faith communities, prayerful planning and preparations are about to launch annual giving campaigns. Many people frame this as “the time of asking for money.”

Thinking of the annual campaign as an invitation rather than “an ask” puts a different frame around the picture. An invitation generally means a request to join someone in doing something.

An invitation transforms a polite ask (“Please submit your pledge card because the church needs your support”), into a personal recognition that we’re all in this together: “We invite you to join us – the Stewardship Committee, Vestry and our Clergy - in making a financial commitment to St. Stephen’s for next year.”

This re-framing, with leaders turning in their pledge cards before the campaign begins, makes the invitation to the entire faith community more sincere. People know that leadership is not asking them to jump off a cliff that the leaders are personally avoiding. It reinforces community with the message, “We’ve already jumped in and the water is so good that we want you to join us!”