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Consecrated Stewards
Ties the Commitment Process to Sunday Morning Worship
Our Consecrated Stewards Program reaches the maximum number of people in the most spiritual setting with minimal organization. This is based on the need of the giver to give, not the need of the church to receive and is not tied to the church budget.
Usually increasing annual commitments 15% - 35%.*
Consecrated Stewards is made available through LCEF’s Capital Funding Services.
Highlights of Consecrated Stewards Program
The Consecrated Stewards program builds on the popular “New Consecration Sunday Stewardship Program” (Herb Miller, Abingdon Press). The program:
- Ties the commitment process to the Sunday morning act of worship.
- Reaches the maximum number of people in the most spiritual setting with minimal organization.
- Requires four weeks of preparation and four weeks of emphasis.
- Requires a working committee of eight.
- Usually requires only four committee meetings plus attention to ongoing stewardship.
- Does not have members asking other members one-on-one for a financial commitment.
- Can be used any time during the year.
Our program goes beyond the New Consecration Sunday Stewardship Program by providing:
- Solid Lutheran Bible study materials
- Sermon outlines
- Guidance for stewardship witness talks
- A process to celebrate congregation ministries
- Publicity and communication aids
- An optional workshop for leaders
- An LCEF trained and certified Guest Leader
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Become a Consecrated Stewards Leader
- Want to help congregations in your LCMS district stop talking about money and start talking about ministry while experiencing a significant increase* in annual envelope giving? Be a part of a LCMS-wide effort.
- Lead a mini-workshop or Bible Study on the Sunday before Commitment Sunday.
- As a certified Consecrated Stewards Guest Leader, you would receive satisfaction in growing stewardship and ministry and a possible honorarium from each congregation you assist. (Honorarium is determined by the district office.)
Consecrated Stewards Video with Rev. Dr. Art Scherer.
Learn more about the videos.
Certified Guest Leaders
See a list of LCMS Districts with Certified Guest Leaders of our Consecrated Stewards program.
Guest Leader Training
Guest Leader Training Registration
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* Individual results vary. Increases in amounts committed to annual envelope giving typically range between 15% and 35%. A congregation’s results could be more or less. LCEF cannot guarantee results in a Consecrated Stewards program or the fulfillment of the commitments. Success depends upon the cooperation and participation of congregation members.
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Design Expresses Congregation’s Purpose
The congregation at St. John, Kimball, Minn., used Capital Funding Services and an LCEF loan to build a new contemporary country church. There were two characteristics of St. John’s ministry that members wished to be carried out in the design: a passion for the cross and a desire to build relationships with Jesus Christ and each other. The interior and exterior windows were designed to create a central alignment between the front door and the altar and draw people to the cross. The shape of the sanctuary windows and ceiling also leads one to the cross, and natural light shines on one’s path to the altar. This new structure reminds congregation members of their purpose every time they enter. |
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Rural Church Gets Modern Updates
Though attendance at St. Paul Lutheran in Brandon, Minn., averages 15, the congregation is determined to grow. Established in 1900, the current building has the same amenities it always has, which means no running water, kitchen or inside bathrooms. A loan from LCEF helped the congregation build all of this and a fellowship area. The congregation is excited and restarted its vacation Bible school last summer. The congregation’s positive energy is a good example of how rural congregations can begin work on revitalization and renewal. |
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LCEF Board Announces New President
LCEF’s Board of Directors announced that Mr. Richard C. Robertson of Peachtree City, Georgia, will serve as the organization’s new president beginning Jan. 14, 2010. He succeeds Merle Freitag, who announced his retirement in July, after serving for more than 11 years. |
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LCEF Conference News
Find out who the award winners were and what the speakers said during the 2009 Fall Leadership Conference. A special edition of Interest Time is now available online. DVDs of the conference activities will be available later this year, but must be ordered by Dec. 4. |
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Investments Help Create New Space, Renewed Spirit
This spring, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Sturgeon Bay, Wisc., members will mark the one-year dedication anniversary of their 14,000-sq.-ft. worship and education facility, which also includes an inviting coffee and snack area. With the creation of the new space, the congregation is rejuvenated, Pastor Nathan Lewis said, and members seek ministry partnerships with food pantries, group homes, clinics, work places for people with special needs, resource centers for those with mental illnesses, and youth clubs. LCEF was blessed to partner with Prince of Peace to fund the expansion. |
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Exciting Changes Coming to Demographics
LCEF has partnered with a new demographics data provider called MissionInsite. This resource provides online access to detailed data about your community, making it a convenient, versatile way to gather information critical to developing ministry plans. Some districts will have access to MissionInsite. The national LCEF office provides the service to districts without access. |
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Called Workers, Laborers For Christ Work Together on Kansas Retreat Center
When Laborers for Christ works on building a church, they count on the volunteers from that church to help in the building process. When Laborers for Christ (LFC) began work on the Kansas District Retreat Center in Herington, Kan., they had no congregational base from which to draw volunteers. But Garry Niehoff, planned giving counselor for the Kansas district and retreat committee chairperson, came up with a solution: ask the people for whom it is primarily intended to volunteer.
Area churches have also provided support to the project. |
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Stewardship Blog a Resource for Congregations, Pastors
Dr. Art Scherer has created a Consecrated Stewards blog to share timely stewardship articles and provide resources for those interested in grace-based Christian stewardship. It also serves as a forum for those using Consecrated Stewards and a place for finding answers to frequently asked questions.
The blog can be found at: http://consecratedstewards.blogspot.com. Bookmark the address, check it often, and let us know what you think. |
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Joyful Response® LCEF's Free Stewardship Service
If a significant share of your congregation members is still placing cash and checks into the offering plate, your church may be missing valuable offerings when families leave town for holidays and vacations. Now is the time to offer your members an electronic stewardship opportunity that provides an automated way to fulfill their financial stewardship commitments. LCEF's Joyful Response® is a free stewardship service for LCMS organizations, allowing members to share their financial blessings conveniently and predictably through electronic deposit of their offerings. |
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