TENS - Pledge Program

The Faithful Member Home Visitation Commitment Program is centered on recruiting and training a portion of the members of the faith community to make a limited number of personal visits (either individually or in pairs) to the homes of the other members. The purpose of the in-home visit is for the visitor to share a brief message on some aspect of his/her stewardship journey (and, optionally, the goals and dreams of the congregation,) together with an invitation for a thankful response in the form of a financial pledge. Optionally, commitments of time can also be solicited. Currently out of print (being revised and updated) – contact the TENS office for availability of copies.

The Personal Note Commitment Program is centered on the preparation of witness letters sent to the entire congregation along with the recruitment and training of a portion of the members to prepare hand written letters (notes) to the remaining members. The objective is to get personal witness stories into the hearts and minds of the members of each household in the congregation. Currently out of print (being revised and updated) – contact the TENS office for availability of copies.

The Festive Meal Commitment Program is centered on the gathering of as many as possible of the faith community to enjoy a festive celebration of their spiritual life and ministry together, to hear an inspirational speaker witness to his/her stewardship journey, to foster a sense of thankfulness for God’s blessings, and to encourage thankful response with financial pledges for the support of God’s work in the world through the ministries of the congregation. Currently out of print (being revised and updated) – contact the TENS office for availability of copies.

The Cottage Meeting Commitment Program is centered on gathering as many of the faith community together as possible in small groups of eight to twelve. They will meet in the homes of members of the congregation to reflect on their spiritual life and ministry together, hear a witness of one of their members, foster a sense of thankfulness for all of God’s blessings, and respond in thanksgiving with financial pledges (and, optionally, commitments of time) for the support of God’s work in the world through their congregation. Click here to view other product details and purchase options.

The Home to Home Commitment Program is centered on organizing, recruiting, and training members of the faith community to route a Neighborhood Pledge Packet to a series of homes of other members in their neighborhood. The Neighborhood Pledge Packet contains a brief message on some aspect of stewardship theology, a personal witness, and the goals and dreams of the congregation, together with an invitation for a response in the form of a financial pledge. Optionally, commitments of time can be solicited also. To order from the TENS on-line store click here.

Stewardship & Giving: How to Increase the Financial Support of Your Congregation by the Rev. Kevin Martin. “Insanity can best be described as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” Kevin Martin’s creative booklet begins with this statement that leads us into a different way of thinking about the annual pledge drive. Stewardship and Giving is not a resource for delving into the theology of stewardship. It is, however, an effective resource for understanding the response of individuals in your congregation in the past, grouping similar sets of responses, and structuring the appropriate approach to each group. The process avoids the fundamental mistake made by the majority of congregations: treating all potential donors the same. We are taught not to begin by asking, “What is the standard?” but rather, “What do the present giving patterns of our members tell us about their commitment to the Church and their reasons for giving?” Then we follow up by asking, “What can leaders in the church do to increase this commitment?” Use this valuable resource – with its detailed instructions, examples of timelines, letters, pledge cards and more – to map your plan for nurturing greater levels of commitment. To order from the TENS on-line store click here.

Make It Simple

Make It Simple is the title of a new resource available from our friends at the ELCA stewardship offices. This comprehensive resource was developed over an 18 month period and includes materials for both Year-Round Stewardship Education as well as the Annual Commitment Program ("Annual Stewardship Emphasis" in ELCAeze).

This resource is available both online and in a combination of CD/DVD format including several videos. The comprehensive annual commitment program resources are organized around four different themes: Following Jesus, Facing the Truth, Acting Together, and Sharing Enough.

Click here to go to the ELCA Make It Simple Website.

The ELCA web site has many other useful resources for pledge programs as well as teaching resources. Some of these resources are also available in Spanish. Visit their web site.

Transformed Giving: Realizing Your Church’s Full Stewardship Potential uses principals developed by Dr. John Ed Mathison, pastor of one of the most dynamic churches in America. The resources walk pastors and stewardship teams through organizing and conducting a forty-day study and concurrent financial campaign. To learn more about this resource and to order on-line, click here.

New Consecration Sunday. This popular stewardship financial response method takes place during worship. It is a stewardship program for congregations of all sizes, rural or urban, and speaks from a spiritual rather than a fund-raising perspective. For the first time, you may order Consecration Sunday materials from Augsburg Fortress. To learn more about this resource and to order on-line, click here.

The Grow-One Sunday Stewardship Program by Herb Miller is a spiritual-growth program as well as a financial campaign. It is based on the biblical theology of the need of the giver to give for his or her own spiritual development, not on the need of the church to receive in order to balance its budget. Click here.

The PCUSA web site includes many useful resources for Stewardship Education and Commitment (Pledge) Programs. Pay special attention to the Workshop & Worship Resources that include many useful tools to complement, supplement, broaden and enhance your own stewardship and discipleship ministry.

The Generous Giving web site includes a “Resources” section with an abundance of material to assist you in locating quotes, identifying appropriate scripture passages, and reflecting on a variety of research and other articles relating to the nurture of generosity.

TENS has a limited number of copies of out of print publications that were published by the Office of Stewardship at the Episcopal Church Center. Included is one titled A Proven Stewardship Education Approach for Small Congregations and A Proven Stewardship Education Approach for Larger Congregations. If you are interested in receiving a copy of one or both of these “Leader’s Manuals,” contact the TENS office