XII. Church Financial Job Descriptions
A. Stewardship Committee | B. Financial Secretary | C. Treasurer | D. Financial Management Committee | E. Memorial Committee

A. Stewardship Committee in the local church

INTRODUCTION:
The Stewardship Committee in the local church is to be for the purpose of educating the congregation in the Biblical principles of whole life stewardship and not merely the raising of money to meet budgets. Therefore the committee should be made up of those who are not primarily responsible for the financial management of the budget.

The following job description is suggested:

PURPOSE: To serve Jesus Christ and minister in His church in the teaching and development of Christian stewardship to the members and constituents of the congregation.

Responsibilities:
I .Communicate that whole life stewardship is Time, Talent and Treasure.
2. Develop a year-round emphasis on Christian stewardship through various media for all ages.
3. Be informed of the Evangelical Covenant's Stewardship materials available to the local church.
4. Present opportunities for the application of Christian stewardship in the use of time, talent and treasure.
5. Provide an annual Estate Planning Seminar for the congregation.
6. Present a brief report of Committee activities and plans to the regularly scheduled meetings of the Church Council.

Authority: This committee is given the authority to perform all duties set forth in this job description and to spend within the limits of the adopted budget of the congregation and according to the appropriate line items.

Accountability: To the Church Council or Board at its regularly scheduled meetings. To the Congregation annually, and more often as is deemed necessary.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men ... It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Colossians 3:23-24

THE STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE

What it is and how it works.
The Bible clearly teaches that stewardship is a management task. Christian stewards are managers of the gifts God has entrusted to them. That's why the purpose of your church's stewardship committee and the focus of its programs should be to develop well-managed Christian lives. To be effective in this task, the stewardship committee itself must be well-organized and disciplined. Toward this and, let's consider some basic prerequisites for membership on an effective stewardship committee.

Stewardship Committee Members Are...

• Mature in their personal commitment to Christ and practicing stewards of their time, talents, treasure, and testimonies.
• Deeply committed to the mission of the church and regular in attendance at worship.
• Committed to being aware of how the dollars and cents of your budget are a vital part of fulfilling Christ's mission.
• Eager and open to sharing their testimonies with others, yet humble in their attitude toward themselves.
• Able to work with others and open to God's direction for their lives.

Finally...At least one (usually the chairperson)is a member of the Church Board. Each member's term of office is staggered in orderly rotation for continuity of service.

The Committee's Responsibilities...

• Its primary responsibility is to study and grow in its understanding of Biblical stewardship so it can help members see the relationship between whole-life stewardship and the life of discipleship.
• This committee will function best as a separate committee, not as part of other committees (Finance or Trustee). It should report to the Church Board.
• It is not a "task force," but a fully-formed, free-standing committee which meets regularly (at least once every month).
• Works to help members understand how the budget is the "mission statement" for the church.
• The committee plans a year-round stewardship program in support of the church mission statement.
• The committee helps personalize giving (through newsletters, etc.) so people can see and pray for what their gifts are doing.
• It analyzes present and past trends in giving so it can advise the board and church members on stewardship matters.
• It helps people become better acquainted with their spiritual gifts and helps them invest those gifts in the local church ministry.
• The committee promotes the stewardship of accumulated resources through wills and bequests and provides guidelines for receiving major gifts such as stocks.
• It works with other committees, task forces and organizations in the congregation to help plan and coordinate the stewardship education program for all ages.

A KEY SERVICE TO YOUR CONGREGATION: The stewardship committee serves your congregation. It does that best when it has a sense of the congregation's mission. If your church family does not have a mission statement, developing one should be a priority. Your congregation's constitution, as well as denominational materials, will help in making this statement.

Finally, since the Word of God is the foundation for the entire stewardship program, committee members are also to become familiar with the Biblical basis of stewardship. A portion of each regular committee meeting should be devoted to the study of God's Word. This will help ensure that your budget is more that just "line item." It is also a tool for new and ongoing outreach.

Church leaders have found time and again that alive, active churches usually have strong, well-defined, highly-committed stewardship committees- committees that understand their responsibilities are ongoing...that budgets, commitment cards, etc. are only part of local stewardship education.