"Stewardship Stamina" by Eric Epperson

Even under perfect circumstances, the job of Stewardship Chairman isn’t easy. There’s nothing easy about inspiring people to increase their pledge to the church. But I had the challenge of serving this role through three particularly difficult years.

My first year as Stewardship Chair was marked by a hard-to-ignore dip in Sunday attendance, which got lower as the year progressed. The second year was colored by what I called a palpable malaise (aka persistent funk) as we entered into our “intentional interim” period. And as luck would have it, the third year was when the Global economy started circling the drain as our country spiraled into the “Great Recession.” 

How do you write a script for that phone call?

“Good evening (Mr./Ms.) Jones. I realize things are tough out there, but the church needs you now more than ever. This year we’re asking everybody to reduce their grocery spending by half, and give the balance to the church. It really makes sense if you think about it. Schnuck’s may nourish the body but Grace-St. Luke’s nourishes the soul; and these days that’s essential.”  

One story in particular serves as a shining light from those darker days. It was Stewardship Phonathon night, and only a handful of our volunteers were able to make it. About fifteen minutes after fanning out to make our calls, I heard the front door creak open and was thrilled to see Thomas Boggs walking into Trezevant Hall. Thomas had been going through his latest round of cancer treatment and was walking a little slower than usual, but the man with the best excuse of anybody to miss the phonathon was there, with his trademark grin and an inspired determination to help out. We had a good night, and rounded up a substantial portion of the outstanding pledges. But Thomas was far-and-away the most successful caller that night. 

With the faithful help of people like Thomas, we managed to get through those years and minimize what could have been a very steep cut in our budget.

Thankfully Grace-St. Luke’s has clearly entered a new era – or “new days” as this year’s Stewardship campaign has themed. Sunday attendance is most definitely up. The palpable malaise has been replaced with renewed sense of energy. And (God willing) the Great Recession is loosening its grip on the economy.  

So this year when somebody from the Stewardship Committee calls to ask you to renew your pledge, please be kind and be receptive. They have a tough job, but if you think about it, they’re only trying to give you an opportunity to participate in (and build upon) these new days at Grace-St. Luke’s. Please don’t pass on this great opportunity.