Photograph by Jan Canty via Unsplash

Many churches focus on stewardship in the fall, in preparation for a new budget year. It can be an anxious time. Especially if there’s a budget gap this year or one projected next year — or both! Let’s be honest: funding ministry in this shifting context is not easy.

Here’s one way to make it easier: give thanks more. Find ways to appreciate your givers. For pastors and stewardship leaders, giving thanks will make the work easier and more joyful for you and for givers.

Frankly, most churches don’t have systems in place for expressing gratitude to givers. At most they have a line at the end of a giving statement that says, “Thank you for your contribution.” A newly-arrived pastor wrote thank-you notes to those who pledged. One giver told him, “I’ve been giving to this church for 40 years, and I’ve never gotten a thank-you before.”

Thank people for their giving. People love to be thanked.

The best way to thank people is with a personal, snail mail letter (bonus points for handwritten). Ideally, the thank you comes from the pastor, or the pastor and stewardship chair. Pastors should always know the names of the givers, even if they don’t know the amount. (There’s a case for the pastor to know the amounts, too. That’s another article.) If you’re a pastor and you can’t even get the names, ask the stewardship team to write the notes.

You, or they, may say, “I’m already overwhelmed. I can’t add one more thing.” I admit, it’s time-consuming. But it has a great impact. It’s true now more than ever, since no one gets much personal mail. Every nonprofit knows this.

So, start here: think about what you already do to thank people for their giving. Can you build on that? If you have that giving statement thank-you at the bottom of the page, great! Could a separate note be added with the statement, so it has a greater impact?

Other ways to thank people that take little extra time or energy:

When you report the results or present the budget, include a thank you.

In every worship service, thank people for their giving at the time of the offering.

In every email or letter that mentions giving, include a word of thanks.

In every meeting where you talk about the budget or stewardship, thank those present for their giving.

For pastoral leaders: Think about ways you can thank your stewardship and finance team. Find ways to appreciate and support them. It’s a hard job, especially when money is tight. After one talk I gave about churches and money, a church treasurer approached me. She said she was lying awake at night worrying about the church’s finances.

However, some church treasurers and other finance folk are hard to work with. They may try to keep you out of the conversation, or resist sharing information you think you need. Thank them anyway. It may change your attitude — and theirs. The team may not have worked together the way you want them to. The results may not have been what you hoped for. Still, thank them for their efforts. Find something specific you can appreciate about them, and let them know.

What is one way you could add more thanks to your stewardship plan?