Every-Member Canvass
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Reprinted with permission of the Ecumenical Stewardship Center, 2007
For a larger version, Click Here. |
The 2008 Every-Member Canvass stewardship campaign tipped off on Wednesday, Sept. 10, at the monthly Second-Wednesday Dinner . Senior Warden Jean Moore spoke to the congregation about this year's campaign. She followed up with a letter outlining the same theme, which is reprinted below:
What will YOU Bring to Our Potluck Dinner?
Don’t you just love a potluck dinner? When everyone comes together and contributes part of the meal, no one has to work too hard and you end up with a delicious variety on your plate. Several Wednesday nights ago, we had such a feast in Hauser Hall.
A potluck dinner is the result of a combined effort of everyone at the table. It is a perfect analogy for stewardship and pledging and budgeting within our church.
One of the tricks to a successful potluck dinner is to make sure all of the bases are covered. The host needs meats, starches, vegetables, breads, drinks, and dessert.
Those who make and pay a pledge are like guests who sign up for a specific dish. The host knows that part of the meal is covered and where she needs to supplement the menu. Those guests relieve the stress on the host.
Those who put money in the plate every week are like guests who don’t sign up for a dish but do bring something to the dinner. The host is left wondering whether she has every part of the meal covered. She has two choices: 1) she can risk having all desserts and no meat or 2) she can prepare one of everything.
Those who do not make a pledge and contribute nothing are like guests who show up empty-handed expecting to enjoy the work of the other guests. The host has to make extra to cover the folks who bring nothing.
For the vestry, preparing the budget is like planning a potluck dinner. Without a specific pledge, we don’t know what you are bringing to the table, so we have to assume you are bringing nothing. We cannot cut the budget for loan payments on the new building or lights or communion wafers. When we don’t have enough pledges, we have to cut programs. We have to scale back on Sunday School for our children… Outreach Programs for those we are called to serve….Music to make our services beautiful.
Some people believe we can rely on our endowments. This is like asking someone else to prepare your dish. We cannot rely on previous generations to fund our day-to-day operations. Plus, those endowments are mostly restricted regarding what they can fund.
Your pledge card is enclosed. Please get it back as soon as possible so we can begin the work of creating the 2009 budget. We hope you will sign up to contribute enough to feed your whole family and a few others. If you can bring filet mignon, please do. If a cake is more within your budget, let us know you are bringing it. If everyone brings what they can, we will have a complete meal, a realistic budget, and a banquet of programs for our church family.
In closing, I would like to thank each member of St. John’s for the love and support you have given this church and the vestry during this transitional year. You have kept us strong and growing.
For His Sake,
Jean Schaefer Moore
Senior Warden
