Stewardship, "Some of the Best Stuff I/We Ever Did," Part 1

Some of the best stuff I/we ever did to enhance the level of stewardship in my church included...
1. As uncomfortable as it was, determined not to be afraid to talk about money.
2. Keep people (my givers) informed on the status of things.
3. I made it a point to do a stewardship focused series each year to keep that imbedded in the culture of our church.
4. Picked up Mike Slaughter's book, "Money Matters," one of the best resources on the topic, and learned how to talk about money.
5. Instead of trying to get more people to give to the church, I tried to identify and speak to their real, felt need.
6. Instead of trying to get more people to give to the church, I tried to feature the mission of Jesus and invited people to participate in that.
7. Divided the need into measurable chunks so that it seemed within reach.
8. Helped people see the abundance of God rather than the scarcity within the world.
9. Thanked people, hopefully a lot.
10. Built into people's lives. When the opportunity came to give back, they were more than happy to.
11. Asked.
12. Featured and told of the stories of life change, that their dollar was really making a difference.
13. Tried to be as creative as I could get to teach the biblical principles.
14. Tried to help people see stewardship as a "Get-to" and not a "Have-to," i.e. "We get to participate in the kingdom movement."
15. Realized the Bible teaches at least a little "health and wealth" as much as it does the "suffering for Jesus," (but not necessarily in the same way that some of the televangelists teach).
16. Helped people see that it wasn't just about the money, but our whole life of devotion to God.