Stewardship Kaleidoscope speaker uses the example of a Minnesota congregation that worked on forging strong relationships with each other and with God
he Rev. Dr. April Davis Campbell really wanted to cultivate a space for her church where people wouldn’t just associate the fall season with being asked for money.
She is pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Woodbury, Minnesota and has served in church settings since her ordination in 2004. She knows what it’s like to succeed, what it’s like to fail, and what it’s like to learn in both circumstances.
Applying this to generosity during this week’s Stewardship Kaleidoscope conference, Campbell said the question she has learned to ask is not how to get people to give more, but to identify how generosity can encourage people to deepen their relationships with God and each other. Learning from failure — such as when adding an option to give to the morning offering by text message didn’t actually increase giving — and learning from success has helped Campbell understand the importance of seeing generosity as a lifelong spiritual discipline.
“This workshop will encourage participants to reframe their understanding of generosity to a spiritual discipline which empowers generosity not just as financial giving but as a way of life,” she said. “Drawing on personal and pastoral experience, the workshop will offer ideas for creating a culture of generosity which moves people in terms of their relationship to God and to giving.”
Campbell shared how Trinity Presbyterian made the journey toward reframing stewardship into a spiritual discipline of generosity. She said using specific and intentional steps — discernment, study of Scripture, prayer, personal testimony, and repetition — helped their faith community. By discerning what shaped their theology of giving, Trinity was able to define where they are before attempting to jump into where they were going.
Original source can be found here.
