I recently enjoyed breakfast with a retired Moravian pastor, and we reflected on her time serving our denomination. I asked her what she wished our churches would do more of, and she quickly responded, “Celebrate!” She went on to say, “As children of God, we have so many reasons to rejoice. God has promised to be with us, and we know that no matter what happens, God gives us everything we need to do what He has called us to do. This is cause for celebration!”
At the Moravian Ministries Foundation (MMFA), we have a reason to celebrate as we get to serve congregations and Moravian ministries in the area of stewardship, too; after all, stewardship is our joyful response to God’s abundant gifts. Unfortunately for many, the association of money with stewardship is deeply entrenched and our reasons to celebrate as stewards can be quickly lost.
Fortunately, MMFA can help! We work with pastors, ministry leaders and congregations to discover, strengthen and renew their stewardship by:
- Shaping leaders
- Educating members
- Developing holistic and sustainable stewardship ministries
We celebrate that we’re able to offer our stewardship services at no charge thanks to the churches, agencies, Provinces, Districts and others who invest in the Moravian Common Fund, our pooled investment and endowment management vehicle.
Curious about what MMFA’s stewardship services entail? Let’s talk a little bit about our three areas of focus.
Shaping leaders
Stewardship flourishes when clergy and church leaders are equipped and empowered to help believers become disciples of Christ in the use of all the resources God has provided.
MMFA helps shape stewardship leaders by:
- Working together to identify ways to weave stewardship into the church’s culture
- Connecting clergy and laity to share best practices
- Taking steps to decrease fear and anxiety around money
- Sharing resources from our ecumenical and other partners
Educating members
Faithful stewards aren’t born; they’re formed. This formation takes intentionality and ongoing education. MMFA can help you educate your members by:
- Facilitating workshops that help people have a holistic understanding of biblical stewardship
- Connecting you with educational resources
- Leading structured processes to identify resources and assets
- Helping individuals, congregations and agencies envision and clarify future ministries
- Assessing the feasibility of various ministry options
Developing holistic and sustainable stewardship ministries
Stewardship is so much more than an annual financial appeal. Thriving stewardship ministries focus on gifts of time, talent, testimony and treasure throughout the year.
MMFA can help you view your stewardship with fresh eyes by:
- Looking at the congregation’s gifts: how they’re being used and how they make a difference
- Working with you to create a year-round stewardship ministry that incorporates congregational gifts, enhances ministry connections, includes communication strategies and connects with the church’s mission and vision for the future
- Helping you learn best practices for investing, budgeting and planned giving
The processes and tools we use to shape stewardship leaders, educate members and develop sustainable stewardship ministries include a period of discernment with the pastor and church leaders, focus groups, planned giving emphases, workshops and more.
To learn more about MMFA’s stewardship services, please visit www.mmfa.info and click on the “stewardship development” link, or contact Laura Watson, Director of Stewardship, at 888-722-7923 or [email protected].
We look forward to celebrating our identities as stewards of God’s kingdom with you, and to moving ministries forward together.
Laura Watson is director of stewardship for the Moravian Ministries Foundation in America.
