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StewardCAST

A monthly e-newsletter of LCMS Stewardship Ministry

stewardship

The WHY of Stewardship

Leadership guru Simon Sinek is well known for a book and a TED talk that he has produced under the title of Start With Why. While it is a book on secular business leadership, it really does introduce a tremendous concept for those who have been called or elected to stewardship leadership in the local congregation and beyond.

Sinek's premise is as simple as it is fascinating. His observation is that most businesses often start with a the what and how of their business. As a contrast, Sinek uses as one example Apple Inc. There is no argument (a fact that I, an avid PC and Android user must confess) that Apple has cornered much of the personal computing, tablet and mobile phone markets. However, as Sinek asserts, this is not because their products are superior to others like Dell. It is because they have made a commitment to share the WHY of their business. They have committed to loftier goals than just making functional devices. They have also spent millions of dollars communicating this WHY to the public. This has resulted in an almost religious devotion among their

customers. How else would you explain the masses standing in lines that are forever long in often freezing weather when they release a new product? There may be some who are there in an opportunity to own the latest gadget, but most are there because Apple has given them a deep seated reason to be there. They have communicated, and the people have embraced the WHY!

Churchly Applications

This can also be an instructive for those who are tasked with leading the stewardship efforts of congregations, districts and Synod. It is instructive, not because we have always done it this way, but because very often we, like the competitors of the Apple Inc. in Sinek's example, have often spent a great deal of effort and investment communicating the HOW and the WHAT of stewardship. Sinek's theory would suggest that perhaps we are not starting at the right place.

How does the local congregation act more like Dell than Apple when it comes to stewardship? Very often, the local stewardship committee views their existence and purpose from the position of WHAT. After all, if the stewardship committee does not do its work, there will not be enough money to pay the bills, the building will not be maintained and the ministry will suffer. This happens when the congregational stewardship effort is tied directly or implicitly with the budget. Congregations do their annual stewardship effort, if they do one at all, as a run up to the formulation of the budget. They see how much is pledged, do a little algebra with the numbers of those who give and refuse to fill out a pledge card, solve for X and set the congregational budget from that.

How does the local congregation act more like Dell than Apple when it comes to stewardship?

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Our good and gracious Lord has made and redeemed us to steward all those things entrusted to us for the sake of others.

Capturing Hearts and Minds

The stewardship committee also does a very good job of turning the focus to the HOW of stewardship as well. This happens when the entire focus of stewardship in the congregation becomes more about the mechanics. Stewardship programs do this. They are not bad in doing this. In fact, many programs like LCEF's "Consecrated Stewards" have helped many individuals, families and congregations be better stewards. For this we can offer thanksgiving. However, programs by default talk about how one carries out a better stewardship life. Gift charts, stair steps and cottage visits do a fine job of illustrating the HOW of stewardship. But that doesn't capture the heart and mind of the steward.

While the WHAT and HOW of stewardship are sound business positions, after all a ministry cannot rightly spend more on ministry than it receives in support, one must ask are they truly a biblical position? In other words, do these approaches start with the WHY of stewardship? The honest answer is, not likely. A focus on the HOW

and WHAT too easily focuses stewardship on a matter of paying the ministry bills. Approaches like these allow for a too easy separation of stewardship from its biblical foundations and moorings in worship.

Avoiding Complaints

For Sinek, starting with WHY focuses on the very basic needs and passions of the individual. When a company can produce a product that is not only functional, but allows the consumer to actually feel that they are making a difference in the process, they will create a much deeper customer loyalty. Starting with WHY causes roots to be set deeply for companies.

If the local congregation would be willing to take the time to start with the WHY of stewardship as it is delivered to us from the Word of God, there will be a far better rootsetting of stewardship among those who have been called by God to be part of the body of Christ in that place. The WHY of stewardship starts in a very basic place. The WHY of stewardship is rooted in creation

and cross, Baptism and the Christian life. The Christian steward has been created, and in Holy Baptism, recreated to be a steward of all things for God and God's purposes. This has nothing to do with paying the bills. It has everything to do with being faithful to the Lord and reaching out.

Caretaking the Lord's Gifts

A steward is a caretaker and manager for the gifts which the Lord has entrusted to them, the chief of which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our good and gracious Lord has made and redeemed us to steward all those things entrusted to us for the sake of others. The steward does not exist to sustain the Church. The Scripture tells us that the Lord is about the task of sustaining the Church. It is the task of the steward simply to be faithful with those gifts the Lord has entrusted to the individual. This faithfulness is then used by the Lord instrumentally to bring the Gospel to those who do not know it. Money is given to the local congregation so that the preaching of the Gospel and the education of the young and old alike may

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StewardCAST is published monthly by: LCMS Stewardship Ministry 1333 S. Kirkwood Road St. Louis, MO 63122 888-THE LCMS (843-5267) infocenter@ stewardship

StewardCAST may be reprinted with acknowledgment given to The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod.

? President of the Synod: Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison

? Executive Director, Office of National Mission: Rev. Bart Day

? Author: Rev. Nathan Meador Pastor, St. John Lutheran Church, Plymouth, Wis.

? Coordinator: Robbie Clasen

? Designer: Lisa Moeller

be carried out. The local congregation then partners with other congregations to carry out the mission work of the Church locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

It is the GOSPEL that serves as the WHY for our stewardship. Stewardship is not about our benevolence toward others or even the congregation. It flows from who God made us to be and for whom the Lord has made us to serve. The faithful stewardship of the individual is used by the Lord to make a difference. When giving is proportional and sacrificial and when service is rendered to others in response to the way the Lord has served the individuals that make up the congregation, the Gospel is carried forth and a difference is made by the work of the Holy Spirit through the Word.

It is the GOSPEL that serves as the WHY for our stewardship.

First Article Gifts

Simon Sinek is not a theologian. But he is a good First Article gift to the Church. He raises an interesting concept for those tasked with leading stewardship in the local congregation. It is time for steward leaders to move beyond the WHAT and HOW of stewardship. It is time for Pastor and people alike to commit to discovering again and again the WHY of stewardship from the Scriptures and Confessions. Much of the negative stigma of stewardship comes from an overly focused discussion of WHAT and HOW in stewardship. However, when the Word is allowed to clearly speak of the WHY of stewardship through teaching and preaching, it is effective.

An approach to the WHY of stewardship takes time. Most congregations that get serious about stewardship over time are usually doing so because of crisis. But don't let the crisis lead you to cut corners. Instead, focus on what the Lord says about the WHY of stewardship over and over in new and creative ways and amazing things will happen. Remember, the Lord's Word does amazing things. Always has. Always will. The WHY is in there. When it is shared, stewards are set free!

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