2009 seems like a long way off, but it’s time to think about ordering your copies of the Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study.  Order forms have arrived in local congregations.  Discounts begin with an order of 25, but what if you only want 1 or 6 copies?  Do you need to order them at the full price ?  No!

The Presbytery Office will once again submit a bulk order.  Since we will be ordering 100 or more, we can purchase them for $5.00 per copy, including some of the postage costs.  The office pays the balance of the postage.  What a deal! 

We need to order during the month of August so I’ve set a deadline of August 1 to receive orders from congregations and individuals who will be ordering less than 100 copies.  The order forms are available on the Forms & Policies page of this website.  Click here.

It’s that time of year!  2007 mission, special offerings and per capita giving from local churches should be deposited in the Presbytery account at M & I by Monday, January 7, 2008.   This early deadline is needed in order to process funds that will be forwarded to the denominational offices.

Of course, funds will be accepted at any time, but they will show as 2008 receipts.  Wishing you all a Happy New Year!

Winnebago Presbytery met on November 10, 2007 at First United Presbyterian Church in DePere.

The 2008 Presbytery operating budget was adopted. Per Capita was set at $26.00per member based on membership reported as of December 31, 2006.   For those who want to learn more about the history of per capita, click here.Â

As congregations establish their Unified Mission budget, please consider the recommended percentagesof 26% for General Assembly, 21% for Synod, and 53% for Presbytery.  Winnebago Presbytery operates with a unified budget, which means that per capita and mission giving are combined income for the operating budget.  Per capita statements and mission pledge forms will be mailed to congregations in early December.

Other actions included election of Presbytery officers, Synod and General Assembly Commissioners. The Associate Executive Presbyter position was approved as a permanent position and the Rev. Randy Argall was received into membership. He has been called as pastor to Green Bay First Presbyterian Church beginning January 1, 2008.

In March, a group of us attended a Synod sponsored seminar, “Pastor As Stewardship Leader,” led by The James Company. There was a strong pitch that pastors need to take a more proactive role in their stewardship programs rather than leaving everything to their stewardship committees. The Model recommended by The James Company is based on congregations/pastors spending more time:

1. Thanking members for their giving
2. Explaining how their gifts are being used to impact lives and make a difference in the world.

This is what I learned:

• Members are more excited to give to projects that impact lives, rather than to pay power bills or meet a budget target.
• Per member giving is declining. Also, pledged income is declining as a proportion of the total.
• 71% of pastors in the U.S. believe that church members have changed from stewards into consumers,
• Continuous communication about how churches spend their incomes cannot be understated.
• All communication media should be involved in applying the model, service announcements/sermons, Sunday bulletins, monthly newsletters, web sites, etc.
• Regular financial updates should be provided to members to keep them informed.
• Many successful pastors give the highest priority to worship and stewardship in their ministries.
• Pastors have to set an example by their own actions in stewardship and giving.
• Churches should make it easy for members to give by providing facilities such as EFT’s etc.

The annual stewardship campaign remains the key focal point of this stewardship model. However it should flow naturally from the groudwork laid through the application of the above process.

Finally, it is essential that there is a documented strategy and action plan for a successful annual stewardship event.

Reactions to this stewardship model differed among those of us who attended. However there was agreement that we all came away with knowledge that could be applied in our congregations. Many of us are in the process of applying some or all of the learning from this event. A evaluation will take place early in 2006.

Max Ballard CLP

Mara Rivera (Winneconne), Marcia Thomas (Abbottsford), Susan Zencka (Stevens Point), Gail Irwin (Preble Park, Green Bay), Max Ballard (DePere), Richard Moore (Neenah) and Sarah Moore-Nokes (Presbytery Staff) have just returned from attending a Pilot Stewardship Training Program sponsored by the Synod Of Lakes and Prairies with partial funding by the Board of Pensions at Mt. Olivet Conference and Retreat Center in Farminton MN. Our leader for the two-day seminary was Howard White, a consultant with The James Company. Many of you know that Winnebago Presbytery is currently working with The James Company here in Wisconsin and Don Shultz has been present at our Presbytery meetings to present on a variety of stewardship topics. (Mark you calender for May 8th when the topic will be Consumerism and Christianity!) While in Minnesota the gathered group of Pastors, CLPs (Commissioned Lay Pastors) and Synod and Presbytery staff considered the difference (or perhaps fine line) between stewardship and fund raising, the basics of budgets, the difficulty of keeping a compelling vision in front of an organization, the fears that keep people from giving money and time, and the strategies that help church leaders model stewardship in all areas of ministry. We definitely didn’t all agree all the time and we had some passionate discussions. We also learned that we represented many, many different ministry contexts and that programs and strategies that work in one context sometimes don’t make any sense in other.

What is your congregation doing about stewardship? Is it a year long process? Two weeks in November? A word that no one wants to hear?