by Ken Williams, President
There is a way to deal with inadequate financial support in a church. In my own church, as I studied the giving patterns of our people, I realized that many of them were not giving as they could or should. I also saw them respond to appeals for special projects, but after the projects ended, they slipped back to their old patterns of not giving or of giving very little. I did not understand how people could not help but support our church with all of its programs, with all of its facilities, with its outreach to the community, and with its positive, powerful Gospel message.
That’s when I concluded that our basic problem was ignorance. Our people had never been instructed concerning what the Bible says about money, material possessions and giving. As I considered possible solutions to this problem, two things were apparent to me. First, I knew first-hand that a short-term program lasting only a few weeks was not the answer since the results would be short-lived. Second, I realized that people are naturally defensive concerning their giving. To stand before our congregation and announce a program that would teach them how to be better givers or to give more would immediately cause their defenses to be raised.
To circumvent these and other problems concerning stewardship in the local church, I created a program known as “Effective Stewardship: Building on Biblical Principles” which is a low-key, year-round approach that uses both the printed page and lay people as the primary spokespersons to present the principles found in Scripture. The goal then and now remains the same: To train people to be stewards and managers of what God had entrusted to them.
This program literally turned around the finances in my church. Through an interesting experimental effort, I then discovered that it could do the same in other churches, regardless of size. Today, this program and Fall Campaigns provided by KLW Enterprises are benefiting over 5,000 churches ranging in size from 35 people to over 10,000 in all fifty states and every province of Canada.
Each month, the “Effective Stewardship” program includes the following:
- A small “box” in the bulletin each Sunday that contains a principle and a Scripture verse. That “box” is used each Sunday for one month.
- A lay person gives a three or four-minute presentation that explains that month’s principle.
- A newsletter article examines that month’s principle from another perspective.
- One Sunday each month, a discussion sheet is provided to Sunday school classes and youth groups. Teachers are asked to take five minutes that Sunday helping their students to understand the questions contained in the discussion sheet.
All materials are provided in the Scripture version preferred by each church. Materials are provided four to six weeks in advance via e-mail. Each church is permitted to edit the materials as it wishes without our permission.
Costs of the program are based on average attendance for a church, and it is not necessary to pay anything in advance. (However, we do offer substantial discounts for prepayment for two or four years in the program.)
The program utilizes the low-key biblical method of instruction as described in Isaiah 28:10 — “ . . . line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little.” And while it is not “fund raising” per se, this program heightens a congregation’s awareness of what God’s Word says concerning money, material possessions and giving and usually leads to an increase in contributions and overall financial support of the church.
Finally, this is a year-round approach lasting 48 months that is unlike anything in existence today. However, a church can discontinue its use of the program on 30 days’ notice.
Sample materials, references and related items will be sent upon request. A special video presentation is also available. To receive these items without cost or obligation, or to learn more about the year-round “Effective Stewardship” program or about annual financial campaigns provided by KLW Enterprises, please contact us via e-mail (info@klwenterprises.com) or via our toll-free number (800/805-8702).