Stewardship Survey
We were very grateful to receive almost 250 responses to our online ‘Stewardship Survey’ that ran in autumn 2011. The 13 question survey attracted a wide range of responses and provided not only useful pointers as to where the emphasis needs to be placed in terms of stewardship at a diocesan level, but also saw a number of new volunteers or people expressing specific interest in stipendiary and non-stipendiary roles.
The questions were designed to address some of the specific aspects of stewardship, although some of the more generally aimed questions brought some interesting responses. The question What do you think Christian Stewardship is most concerned with? saw the following: ‘living out faith’ (53.8%), followed by ‘offering time’ (51.7%), giving money (46.4%), ‘spirituality’ (37.6%) and ‘sense of duty’ (26.6%).
This indicates an encouraging grasp of the broad-reaching nature of stewardship, something that is recognised by the diocese in its holistic approach to embracing the biblical principles that underpin stewardship strategy.
161 of the 243 respondents said that they volunteered time to charities outside of church life, which showed a great willingness among many respondents to make a difference in their communities and to wider causes.
We asked ‘What stops you from volunteering?’ and although the vast majority cited either a lack of time or already having too many commitments to juggle, one comment said that a lack of information about what roles entail put them off – which might give your PCC some food for thought. When we are seeking to recruit volunteers, what efforts are we making to describe specifically what various roles entail?
The most favoured places to look for stewardship-related resources were this website and the Diocesan Stewardship Officer. Remember that the national CofE websites, www.parishresources.org.uk and www.parishbuying.org.uk are well worth bookmarking and visiting regularly.
We asked ‘How often have you heard the subject of finance preached on in the last year? The result – which may surprise some – was that 86% said they had heard preaching on this subject either occasionally, just once in the last year, or not at all.
Preaching about money and giving is, more often than not, a difficult task. Clergy can be reluctant because of the perception that they are essentially asking for money for themselves, or because of the impression that the Church of England being rich and therefore greedy in asking for more. Another reason that prevents the subject from coming up is, simply, bad experiences in the past! When the presentation has been heavy-handed, induced feelings of guilt, or implied a lack of gratitude for what people have given in the past, it can be understandably off-putting to broach the subject again.
The fact remains that there is an on-going need to be talking about money and giving, as many people are already aware, so this presents a challenge. As Stewardship Officer, I am always happy to discuss ways in which this subject can be approached, in preaching contexts and in other ways.
The following is a selection of the useful and thought-provoking comments left on the survey:
“A good questionnaire for those between 25 and 70. Those over 70 should be
able to respond in retrospect and to pass on their experiences.”
“This survey is a prime example of the Church using terminology that it
assumes people understand…I'm of the opinion that by keep using using 'church' terminology we do not present ourselves as being open and approachable to others who may have a genuine desire to get involved with church activities but haven't the faintest idea how to do so.”
“Stewardship should be integrated into the ongoing life of the Christian community rather than a bolt-on extra….it should relate to ministry, particularly when it links to work beyond the parish and should be tangible, rather than just giving money to a central fund.”
“In my opinion most congregational members have little grasp of what Stewardship is about despite campaigns, speakers & information in church magazines - mainly they see it about church wanting more money.”
“Stewardship campaigns are too much about money. I feel we are no longer a
worshipping community but a fundraising group for the Diocese.”
“It is seen by many as a taboo subject. The three pillars of Stewardship – Time,
Talent, Giving - should be a regular part of worship. Many clergy – I would say 40% - are unhappy with any mention of finance.”
These and other comments have already provided a good deal of discussion and thought as we seek to help every church further integrate stewardship into their activity. Thank you again to all of those who took part and please feel free to get in touch with me at the office if you would like to talk about any aspect of the survey, or about stewardship in your parish.
James Emmerson
Diocesan Stewardship Officer
