Share these helpful resources with your stewardship team and church leaders as applicable. Clicking on the links will download the corresponding resource.
You will be asked about how your church used these resources when you fill out your next quarterly report.
Resources for quarter one 2025
Stewardship ministry resource tracker
A vibrant stewardship ministry doesn’t happen overnight – luckily Everence is here to guide your church on its journey. At the beginning of each quarter, we send you a variety of resources in the newsletter, Stewardship and You; at the end of the quarter, we will ask you if and how you used those resources. This tool can help you audit your congregation’s use of Everence resources.
Use this resource tracker to note the resources from the newsletter, plan when and how you will use them, and keep any reflections about their value or success in your congregation.
Sermon resource: Stewardship Sunday 2025
Everence has put together an outline of a Sunday service to encourage stewardship in your congregation. We highlight three scriptures during the flow of the service. Revelation 22 is the call to worship, Genesis 2 is a focus text for the sermon, and Psalm 1 is referenced at the conclusion. Feel free to explore and expand on these texts as you take this outline and make it your own.
In our 2024 Stewardship Ministry Assessment Tool, only one in four congregations reported inviting end-of-life gifts through beneficiary designations on wills/trusts and retirement accounts.
In general, about one-fourth of a household’s lifetime giving is to their congregation, but only about five percent of charitable gifts made through wills goes to the local church.
A primary reason for this difference is because churches don’t promote these gifts as much as other non-profit organizations do.
Learn about estate gifts so you are equipped to answer questions from your attenders. And at least once per year (preferably quarterly), consider using a bulletin or newsletter announcement like the following:
Have you considered including our congregation in your estate plan as part of your final act of stewardship? Doing so can be as easy as naming the Everence Foundation as a beneficiary in your will, trust or retirement account and having a Charitable Gift Recommendation Form on file with them. Your Everence Financial or Stewardship Consultant can assist you with this and other estate planning considerations.
Online giving for congregations
We encourage your congregation to consider the option of online giving if you have not already. The flyer at the link below offers some guidance on how to start the conversation with your congregation and steps to make this initiative a success.
ARCHIVE
The resources previous will continue to be available to for reference and use but are considered archived. These resources will not be referenced on your next report.
Resources for quarter four
Book recommendation: Preaching and Stewardship: Proclaiming God's Invitation to Grow by Craig A. Satterlee
Both new and veteran preachers alike find the annual stewardship sermon a challenge and are eager for encouraging, practical advice. In Preaching and Stewardship, Craig Satterlee offers a nuts-and-bolts handbook on preaching stewardship, raising issues preachers need to consider when preparing stewardship sermons and offering advice on how to address them. Satterlee argues that stewardship preaching must include a bold and concrete proclamation of God's love, will, and justice, as well as an invitation to grow as stewards in response to this proclamation.
Check your church or local library for a copy or find it online.
Small group study: 30 Days of Generosity
30 days of generosity is a four-week devotional and small group discussion piece that will give you an opportunity to explore God’s abundance as a community. We encourage your church’s leadership – pastors, board members, elders, stewardship team, etc. – to meaningfully consider this material.
One of the best things about 30 days of generosity is that it begins where Christian life begins – with commitment. This study allows participants to immerse themselves in a journey of learning how to take seriously God’s call to be faithful stewards. If you engage in the daily readings and the prayer guides, you will strengthen your calling as a steward of God.
2024 Fall Workshops
This year, Everence requested for churches to fill out a new kind of report – our Stewardship Ministry Assessment Tool. We have been thrilled to see responses come in, gather data about the congregations we serve, and hear that the tool has been useful to those who took the time to fill out this brand new resource. Workshops start in October and run through the first week of December. Find a date that works for you and sign up today! Please feel welcome to invite your congregational leaders and stewardship team, if applicable.
Resources for quarter three
Book Recommendation: “The Power of Enough: Finding Contentment” by Lynn A. Miller: Former Stewardship Minister at Mennonite Mutual Aid (now Everence), Lynn A. Miller explores contentment, the differences between wants and needs, and how to make smart, useful purchases in his book, “The Power of Enough.” Miller’s principles, based on the Apostle Paul’s message on contentment from Philippians, apply to individuals in all stages of life.
Each chapter includes a study guide, making “The Power of Enough” a great read for small groups. Check your church or local library for a copy or find it online.
Money Language Matters: In a message to church leaders, Beryl Jantzi, Stewardship Education Director at Everence, writes about the impact of language surrounding money, and how it can help – or harm – giving within the church.
Resources from quarter two
Stewardship ministry wheel pieces
A church’s financial stewardship ministry is a year-round process. When it is done well, it reflects careful attention to detail and the involvement of its clergy and lay leaders. Get a deeper look at our stewardship wheel.
Stewardship ministry resource tracker
A vibrant stewardship ministry doesn’t happen overnight – luckily Everence is here to guide your church on its journey. At the beginning of each quarter, we send you a variety of resources in the newsletter, Stewardship and You; at the end of the quarter, we will ask you if and how you used those resources. This tool can help you audit your congregation’s use of Everence resources.
Use this resource tracker to note the resources from the newsletter, plan when and how you will use them, and keep any reflections about their value or success in your congregation.
Orientation guide for advocates and pastors
A copy of the updated Orientation Guide was mailed to all advocates. If you would like more copies, contact your stewardship consultant. A digital version is also available.
The local church as missional community
Discerning the role of the church at a particular time and space is a process that shapes life together as a community. This document includes questions your congregational leaders can consider and act on as you live your shared mission.
Resources from quarter one
Stewardship ministry assessment webinar – You’re invited to attend one of our February webinars on how to use our new stewardship ministry assessment tool that helps you reflect on your current stewardship practices and consider opportunities for the future. Register for a session with your local Stewardship Consultant below:
- Central Pennsylvania – Lynette Morales
- National – Steve Bustos
- Northeast Ohio – Glenn Black
- Northern Indiana, southern Michigan and Northwest Ohio – Marlene Kroeker
- Souderton and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Franco Salvatori
- Upper Midwest and New England – Lyle Miller
- Western U.S. including Kansas and Oklahoma – Rhoda Blough
- Virginia and Capital area – Lana Miller
Stewardship ministry wheel – A church’s financial stewardship ministry is a year-round process. When it is done well, it reflects careful attention to detail and the involvement of its clergy and lay leaders. The Stewardship Wheel guides you through five steps: planning, telling, teaching, asking and thanking. View the stewardship ministry wheel here.