Growing Through Disaster

Based on a recent survey by the Lilly School of Philanthropy, church leaders believe stewardship would be the most significant challenge for recovery from the current effect of the COVID 19 pandemic. In this episode of Stewardship Leader, Rev. Dr. Clayton Smith joins us to discuss what church leaders can do to help their church and their faith community navigate a way to recovery.

What you will hear on this podcast

• “To reset your stewardship ministry, begin by developing your strategic financial stewardship recovery plan. Audit your past and current giving and plan and set goals for the next 3-5 years.”

• “Many churches have pulled together a COVID-19 Leadership Team, which is good, but they need to make financial stewardship a priority. ”

• “Relationships matter most. Disaster and disease isolate. Financial recession and unemployment compound the crisis. Small groups can help you reconnect and bring people together to experience healing from trauma and help for financial recovery.”

• “One of the key reasons we wrote Growing Through Disaster - Tools for Financial and Trauma Recovery in Your Fith Community, was to provide churches with a small group resource.”

• “In my study of the tornado disaster in Joplin, Missouri of 2011, and how the community recovered from the disaster, I learned that the leaders focused on 4 things, which will also work for churches trying to recover in this season.

  • A positive but realistic approach.

  • An ability to set financial recovery -based goals.

  • Hope and trust in God and one another.

  • A network of supportive leaders and many church healing groups.

• “I believe that most of our faith communities can and will recover from the pandemic disaster. Some churches will even grow stronger. Leadership is key to recovery.”
  

Resources Links

Growing Through Disaster - Tools for Financial Recovery in Your Faith Community
Propel: Good Stewardship, Greater Generosity