The Commission for Stewardship and Development seeks to open the giving hearts of all Episcopalians to see Christian Stewardship as joyful giving back to God in gratefulness for all that God has given to us.
What the Commission for Stewardship and Development Provides
Training and resources are available to congregations with a focus on year round stewardship and new and creative ways to conduct annual campaigns. The program relies heavily on materials developed by TENS (The Episcopal Network for Stewardship) and offers workshops annually on a diocesan wide basis. Individual congregation teams can receive training to assist them with their annual campaigns as well as develop an ongoing planned giving ministry. Preaching and teaching are available.
In addition, the diocese is well known for its diocesan wide planned giving ministry, anchored by the Bishop’s Society, started in 1993, to thank anyone who has made arrangements for an estate gift to their church or any Episcopal ministry. The Society is the largest in the Episcopal Church and many congregations have started their own legacy societies at the local level.
Training and resources are available to develop planned giving ministry at the local, congregation level, with model documents for setting up an endowment and many resources for marketing opportunities to church members for legacy giving to fund future mission and ministry.
The Diocesan Life Planning Manual is valuable tool to help us as Christians get our affairs in order so we don’t leave a mess when we die. Life planning seminars and preaching are available. The program relies heavily on materials developed by TENS (The Episcopal Network for Stewardship) and offers workshops annually on a diocesan wide basis. Individual congregation teams can receive training to assist them with their annual campaigns as well as develop an ongoing planned giving ministry. Preaching and teaching are available.
The office offers the free service of receiving stock transfers which can be distributed to any congregation or Episcopal ministry or program.
The Bishop’s Society is the largest diocesan recognition society in The Episcopal Church, started in 1993, with 1450 members. Anyone who has made arrangements for a legacy gift to their church or any Episcopal ministry qualifies.
The office offers online giving for a variety of fundraising programs. Thank you acknowledgment letters for tax purposes are sent to all donors and records are kept on file.
The program also oversees several diocesan wide annual campaigns including Episcopal Charities Appeal, Student Scholarship Committee, and provides support for development work of other diocesan events and groups.
