A Stewardship Letter to Your Congregation
Ruben Swint, Senior Strategist, Generis Partners, Atlanta, GA
Dear John and Martha:
I don’t really know who you are. By that, I mean that I do know you, but I don’t know if you are receiving this letter or not. Only our Financial Secretary knows that. I do know that you are important to me and to our lives together at FellowshipBaptistChurch. Your spiritual, emotional, physical and economic health concerns me as your pastor, hence the purpose of this letter.
2006 was a good year for our church. We had some significant ministry results. These successes enabled us to move forward in accomplishing our mission together. We received enough contributions of money and time to reach and touch people through our ministries.
As a community, we did well. However, not everyone in our faith family contributed to these successes, or contributed what they intended. This is not a letter concerning the financial needs of our congregation. Obviously those were met in 2006. This is a letter addressing the spiritual need we all have to contribute, to involve ourselves, to give.
All I know about who receives this letter is that we have no record of your gifts to our church in 2006, or our records show much less giving than you expressed earlier that you intended to give. And, I don’t know who is receiving this letter! So, you don’t need to feel you have to avoid me the next time we meet or talk. If you feel you are receiving this letter through our error, then please call our Financial Secretary immediately and help us correct our records.
If our records are accurate, I encourage you to examine the spiritual discipline of giving in your life as God’s child. If your circumstances have made it difficult or impossible for you to give, then your faith family and I can help. We want to help if you are experiencing financial crisis or crisis of any kind. If you would like, we can have a confidential time together to talk about how to minister to you during an obviously difficult time.
The claims of culture and the claims of Christ have always been in tension, and today’s society is no different. The test of discipleship for us in 21st Century America is whose claims have priority. We are called to faithfully manage financial resources in order to prove ourselves capable of handling spiritual treasures such as faith, hope and love. Giving and serving are accurate measures of our Christlikeness. Where we place our treasure is where our heart is.
You are important to me and I love you and care for you in Christ. Please call today and set a time for us to talk and pray together. I want to give you the help that I suspect you need.
Your Friend and Pastor,
Ruben Swint is a Senior Strategist with
Generis Partners, LLC of Atlanta, Georgia. Over the past 19 years, Ruben has directed 120 capital campaigns, helping churches expand and enhance their mission. For six of those 19 years, Ruben also served as President of the CBF Foundation. Other consulting has included annual stewardship program leadership, stewardship committee training and endowment and planned giving guidance. A professional speaker and published author, Ruben often leads stewardship conferences and is an active member of the National Association of Church Business Administration. You may contact Ruben Swint by
email or calling 1-800-849-2896, ext. 236.