Services

If it is in serving, let him serve; if it is in teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage ... Romans 12: 7,8a

Supporting Stewardship Education Leadership

There are two basic thrusts to our program of services: Consultation and training events.

In consultation, we prefer to work with leadership to plan effective and appropriate learning initiatives and programs that are designed to lead to facilitate a greater stewardship of God’s resources by the membership or target group.

In training events whether it is a presentation, a seminar, a workshop or a message, we encourage positive next steps that facilitate better stewardship of time, skills, abilities, and material resources.

Costs
Although some consultation can be done over the phone, by mail or email, we prefer to come to you. Most of the costs of providing Growing in Giving services, whether for consultation or a training event, are born by CSS as part of our mission, however, we do expect local participation in covering the cost of providing ‘on-site’ services:

• Standard rate: $75 per hour plus travel and accommodation expenses
• Equal Access Fee for Christian Reformed Churches in Canada – provided by CRCNA and Diaconal Ministries Canada: $100 for the first visit and $175 for any subsequent follow-up visit (all costs except overnight accommodation if needed).

Consultation

Who?

• Leadership: Church Counsel, upper management
• Deacons: called to ‘inspire faithful stewardship’ but wondering how.
• Stewardship ‘Champion’ or Team – with a mandate to encourage greater stewardship.

How?

• An introductory presentation: what is stewardship, how is it related to giving, what does the Bible teach about stewardship and giving, what does it mean for individuals and church, and next steps.
• Consult with leadership to develop effective Stewardship Education initiatives
• Identify and develop effective resources
• Facilitate training: presentations, workshops, seminars – see Training Events.
• Develop and coach Stewardship leaders/champions”

Training Events

A. Presentations

1. Introductory Stewardship and Giving for Leadership (with survey)
2. Introductory Stewardship and Giving – General (large group)

B. Workshops

1. Cashflow 101: A Budgeting Workshop
2. Biblical Lessons on Stewardship and Giving
3. Budgeting using the 3 Simple Rules
4. Procrastination/Time Stewardship
5. Stewardship and Youth – Teens
6. Training Children in Stewardship and Giving
7. Thinking Ahead: A Steward’s Funeral

C. Messages

1. "What Really Matters" – based on Matt. 25: 14-30 & Gen. 4: 2b-7. Addresses questions: “Why should we be stewards? How are we to be good stewards accountable to God? And how our giving connects us with God.”
2. "Stewardship Matters" – same as 1 but without the connection to God through our giving.
3. "Heart for God: My Giving Matters" Gen. 4: 2b-9, Hebrews 11:4; Gen. 14:17-20; 1Chron. 29: 9&14; Luke 21:1-4 is an expansion of the 2nd part of #1 and focuses on giving by tracing 'tithing'/giving in the Bible: Cain and Abel, Abraham and Melchizedek, David, and Jesus observing the giving of the Widow and the wealthy at the temple.
4. "Serving the Least of These: A Steward's Challenge" Matt. 25: 31-46 – a message that challenges us to engage the needy. It includes an ‘expanded offering’ that asks listeners to contribute a deliberate act of kindness for someone else that that is followed by a prayer of dedication/blessing.
5. Planned Giving Maximizes Kingdom Benefit – Numbers 18: 21-24 – focusing on God providing for the ministry of the temple and the Levites through planned giving through "the tithe". God still chooses to bring about his Kingdom ministry through believers. Planned giving like the tithe encourages long-term investment in ongoing ministry. In the second part of the message, a CSS Client Services Representative introduces planned giving tools.
6. Wills: The Testimony of My Life - 1Chron. 28: 1-21 – God blesses David’s plans and provides David with specific instructions that he passes on to Solomon. In the same way, our Wills should also reflect our ‘heart’s intentions’. Followed by a presentation on Will guidelines, questions and answers by a CSS Client services representative.
7. Generous Giving/Living – 2Cor. 9:1-15. Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians in preparation for their giving and how those instructions apply to us today. Listeners are asked to Review, Reflect, Re-commit and wRite down their plans for giving to Kingdom work.
8. Made for God, Equipped to Serve - Gen. 1: 26-27, 2 Cor. 4:4 and Matt. 25:14-30. We are made in God’s image but Christ is God’s image. God has entrusted each one of us with different talents: skills, abilities, natural aptitudes etc. for the glory of God and His Kingdom.