Jim Ducker, Executive Director of Finance and Administration for the Dakotas Conference, and Diane Weller, Vice President of Operations and Client Relations for the Dakotas/Minnesota Methodist Foundations. (photos by JLynn studios)

"We come from such a scarcity mindset, but there is generosity out there. There are generous people who are making a world of difference, and sometimes all it takes is one check, one time." 

Jim Ducker, Executive Director of Finance and Administration for the Dakotas Conference, led a Lunch-n-Learn workshop titled Cultivating Stewardship and Generosity. During this session, he highlighted several key aspects of giving that churches should think about when cultivating stewardship in their congregations. 

"Does anybody know how many times money is mentioned in the Bible? Well, I did a quick Google search because I didn't know, and apparently, money is mentioned 133 times in the Bible. And if you tie in all of the times that financially-related themes are in the Bible, it amounts to over 2,000," Ducker informed the attendees.

According to Ducker, one of the most important aspects of cultivating generosity is to focus less on the needs of the church, and more on what your congregation is called to.

"We need to be less focused on what the church needs," said Ducker. "There are always going to be needs; we all need to pay the bills, but we should focus more on what givers want. Where is their heart leading them to give?" 

Ducker talked about the importance of building relationships. When you are sharing in coffee and fellowship, or volunteering in your community, you can see firsthand what inspires your congregation and what touches their hearts. Doing this will spark a joy of giving. 

The next step is to talk about the stories of impact. Don't just focus on the numbers, but share with your congregation the direct impact that their giving is having on individuals, programs, or your community.  

Finally, Ducker believes it is essential to celebrate the milestones, big or small.

"Sometimes we are so focused on the future and what we need to get done going forward, that we don't sit back and really take stock in where we've come," shared Ducker.

Another tip that Ducker shared with participants was to not be afraid to ask. Talking about money can be hard or uncomfortable, but making it a point to invite people to give can go a long way.  

"It is amazing how much people will want to give if you just ask. A lot of people are afraid to ask. Think about how many times you have talked about money in your church. Your congregation might have seen a drop in giving simply because you just haven't asked," mentioned Ducker. 

Jim Ducker and Diane Weller listening to stories of impactful giving.

Diane Weller, Vice President of Operations and Client Relations for the Dakotas/Minnesota Methodist Foundations, was invited to speak about the different tools and learning opportunities the Foundation provides.  

One of the more recent learning opportunities that the Foundation has begun to offer is called Saving Grace: A Guide to Financial Well-Being. It is a clergy cohort that was developed by Wespath and Abingdon Press and was created by United Methodist leaders throughout the connection.  

"Saving Grace is a Wesleyan-based financial resource. It really talks about people and our relationships with money as a part of a discipleship plan," shared Weller.  

The Foundation is working on preparing dates for a fall session of the clergy cohort, which will be published soon, as well as a new session concept geared toward laity and church leaders. Look for dates and more information here. 

"We are also working on coordinating generosity events in each of the districts in the Dakotas, in partnership with the Conference. The main focus will be on getting more in-depth into stewardship and generosity and how that can build your church," announced Weller.  

Make sure to subscribe to This Week @ Dakotas and watch our social media platforms as more information about these events becomes available.  

One of the partnerships that the Dakotas Conference, as well as the Foundation, has is with Vanco. Vanco is a financial management tool that helps churches securely accept and track online giving and payments. Because of this partnership with Vanco, there is a select pricing agreement available to Dakotas churches where the monthly fee is waived and the per transaction fee is lowered. You can learn more here.   

You can watch the full recording of this Lunch-n-Learn session here.