Whether you’re reimagining your congregation’s funding or tuning up an existing plan, this training event will bring you back to basics and celebrate the gifts with which God has blessed your congregation.
What does good stewardship look like in our congregations today? How can we capture the imaginations of our people to invest in ministry? How do we share the message of God’s love for our communities in meaningful ways?
All of these questions and more will be explored at the stewardship event hosted by the synod’s Stewardship & Financial Support Committee.
Join with stewardship leaders, council members, deacons, and pastors for workshops, conversations, and a keynote led by Jennie Wolf Smith, from GSB Fundraising and Consulting.
RSVP by Friday, September 1
$15 registration fee includes lunch.
Registration is now closed.
For questions about your registration, contact Pastor Melissa Stoller at Melissa.Stoller@elca.org.
Keynote Speaker
Jennie Wolf Smith, CFRE M.A.
GSB Fundraising and Consulting
Jennie is a thoughtful and strategic fundraising consultant who carefully considers the unique circumstances surrounding each client. She has counseled a diverse client base of colleges, camps, social service organizations, and congregations to meet and exceed their financial and leadership goals. Her primary areas of expertise include: Capital Campaigns, Annual Fund, Strategic Planning, Congregational Campaigns,
Keynote Address:
”Connecting our Congregations through Story”
The Christian faith thrives on storytelling. The Bible is full of stories, narratives, and parables that guide and challenge our way of understanding, our way of thinking and living. Many of us grew up hearing these stories, and through them learning more about a God who created us and who invites us to join in the redeeming work of a broken world.
Stories appeal to our senses and our emotions, connecting us in ways that make sense of confusing or uncertain circumstances. For thousands of years, humans have been drawn to stories that lead us to greater understanding, to solidarity, to empathy. Jesus, a masterful storyteller, understood this well.
Many congregations today struggle to tell their own story – the story of what God is doing in them and through them. Congregations must learn to better describe the current work of the Holy Spirit in their midst and the life-changing impact of shared ministries. Sharing such stories remind us that God has drawn near, that God is active, and while God is part of our own story, that we, in turn, are part of God’s story.
Learn more about why stories are critical for today’s congregations, how to better tell your own congregation’s story, and how to celebrate those stories as part of intentionally growing and strengthening ministries.
Workshops
Shifting Stewardship from Scarcity to Abundance - Jennie Wolf Smith
Stewardship 101 - Pastor Erin Jones, LAMPa Communications and Advocacy Engagement Manager
Year-Round Stewardship and Online Giving - Barb Nugent, Vice President and Stewardship Team Chair
Mission Endowment Funds in the Synod and Granting Opportunities - Pastor Jeff Shock, Chair of the SWPA Synod Mission Endowment Fund Board
Narrative Budgeting - Pastor Melissa Stoller, Director for Evangelical Mission and Assistant to the Bishop
Engaging the Communities Around our Congregations - Pastor Erin Jones, LAMPa Communications and Advocacy Engagement Manager