Generosity: What s Age Got to Do With It? The Rev. Karl Travis Pastor, First Presbyterian Church Fort Worth, TX 1
Generations Theory 2
Generations Theory 3
The Living Generations Generation Birth Years Generation Type»GI Generation 1901-1924 Civic (hero)»silent Generation 1925-1942 Adaptive (artist)»boomer Generation 1943-1960 Idealist (prophet)»thirteener (Xer) Generation 1961-1981 Reactive (nomad)»millennial Generation 1982-2004 Civic (hero)»homeland Generation 2005-present Adaptive (artist) Neil Howe and Bill Strauss, Generations: The History of America s Future, 1584 to 2069. Quill: New York, 1991, and http://www.lifecourse.com/. 4
GI and Silent Generations Early experiences of money and stewardship Trained from childhood Nickels/Dimes in the milk box Fruit Fruits givers Likeliest to be pledgers Likeliest to be tithers Giving is a public responsibility, a necessity
GI and Silent Generations Attitude Toward the Institutional Church High level of trust and participation Church mirrored, and symbolized, the established order Church is repository of inherited faith, entrance into social belonging Yet, in later years, the church was not above critique
GI and Silent Generations Meaning of Money money =security Stewardship Descriptor GIs: sacrifice Silents: commitment Money follows mission
Baby Boom and 13er Generations Early experiences of money Post war economic boom Upward mobility Television advertising (redefined scope of perceived affluence) Rapid growth of stock market Growing disparity between rich and poor
Baby Boom and 13er Generations Early experiences of stewardship Spotty stewardship training in mainline congregations Many come from unchurched backgrounds, so stewardship is a new conversation Taught that giving is a personal option, personal possibility, not public necessity
Baby Boom and 13er Generations Boomer Attitude Toward Institutional Church Distrust, if not disgust Skeptical of stewardship if presented about the institution s health. Money does not follow mission, for Boomers Hold little denominational loyalty
Baby Boom and 13er Generations 13er Attitude Toward Institutional Church Not constitutionally anti-institutional Will trust a congregation if it works, i.e. does what it says it s going to, and tells the truth Looking for community, not church, in which to practice spiritual disciplines
Baby Boom and 13er Generations Meaning of Money Money = tool Stewardship Descriptor Boomers: distrust 13ers: ignorance Mission must follow money
Baby Boom and 13er Generations Making Faithful Boomer & 13er stewards Earn trust Provide control in giving Provide choice in giving Educate: many Boomers began faith journey in a time when our congregations didn t teach stewardship
Baby Boom and 13er Generations Making Faithful Boomer & 13er stewards Reinterpret, Reframe stewardship 1. Make it holistic. Stewardship is a lifestyle. 2. It s about individual s need to give, NOT church s need to receive. 3. Stewardship is a spiritual discipline, alongside other disciplines: Bible study, worship, prayer, service.
Baby Boom and 13er Generations Making Faithful Boomer & 13er stewards Challenge the conflation of want and need: Model sacrifice. The congregation which doesn t give to mission off the top has no moral right to ask its members to
Millennials Early experiences of money 9/11 Perpetual presence of war Barrage of advertising (5,000 advertising impressions per day) Education debt larger than consumer debt Even greater disparity between rich and poor
Millennials Millennial Impact Report (Case Foundation) Millennials prefer to connect via technology share in micro ways. (interactions are immediate and impulsive. facilitate (and rely on) peer influence. volunteer along a continuum of support. (They begin with single volunteer experiences and their support for the organization grows.) give to have an impact. (Cause versus organization.)
Have we been doing the wrong thing, really well, for the last 30 years?
Common Steps in a Stewardship Campaign 1. Vestry projects coming year s budget (may be rough draft) 2. Interprets budget to parish Newsletter articles, Minutes for Mission, letters, brochures Rector preaches motivational stewardship sermon on single stewardship Sunday Pledge Cards toward coming year s budget circulated by US mail Available in the Narthex Pony Express or other house to house system 3. Pledge Cards returned by due date 4. Vestry totals pledge cards, adjusts budget, dedicates pledges in worship 5. Following year, process repeated
Campaign for Whom? 1. Vestry projects coming year s budget (may be rough draft) 2. Interprets budget to congregation Newsletter articles, Minutes for Mission, letters, brochures Rector preaches motivational stewardship sermon on single stewardship Sunday Pledge Cards toward coming year s budget circulated by US mail Handed out in church Pony Express or other house to house system 3. Pledge Cards returned by due date 4. Vestry totals pledge cards totaled, adjusts budgets, dedicates pledges in worship 5. Following year, process repeated Inspires GIs/ Silents Inspires Boomers/ 13ers
Money Cross Talk for All Generations: ~A Miscellany~ Talk about God, then the believer, then the Church in that order. Emphasize individual's need to give, not church's need to receive. All stewardship rooted in thanks-giving. Generosity is born in gratitude. Consider electronic funds transfer, i.e. receiving gifts by debit/credit card payments.
Money Cross Talk for All Generations: ~A Miscellany~ Reverse the budget equation Pledges produce budget; budget doesn t attract pledges Use narrative budgets Faith first; formulas later Provide opportunities for faith speaking Personal faith sharing (Every Member Visitation?) Testimonials in worship Earn Trust walking the walk PPP: Publicly Promise to Pay mission commitments first For leaders, especially priests: share that you give, what you give, and why Transparent Treasury Regular financial statements in public places Systematic reporting of need AND expenditure
Money Cross Talk for All Generations: ~A Miscellany~ In the annual stewardship effort, target the message, design the experience Multiple mailings, generationally specific Generationally sensitive brochures, letters, and appeals Include younger members in planning and executing the stewardship effort; many times, younger members have little idea of how much money it takes to run a church!
First Pres/Fort Worth Annual Pledges 2000-2014 $3,000,000 $2,554,678 $2,500,000 $2,431,736 $2,407,297 2,408,983 $2,320,179 $2,247,343 $2,000,000 $1,864,233 $1,877,815 $1,848,500 $1,851,668 $1,810,119 $1,655,570 $1,641,748 $1,651,927 $1,555,564 $1,500,000 $1,000,000 $500,000 $- 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
First Pres/Fort Worth Average Pledge 2000-2014 $5,000 $4,856 $4,500 $4,266 $4,154 $4,525 $4,297 $4,486 $4,000 $3,763 $3,500 $3,310 $3,000 $2,840 $3,002 $2,846 $2,948 $2,939 $2,980 $2,624 $2,500 $2,000 $1,500 $1,000 $500 $- 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
$3,000 First Pres/Fort Worth Median Pledge 2000-2014 $3,000 $3,000 $2,600 $2,500 $2,500 $2,400 $2,400 $2,000 $2,000 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,300 $1,260 $1,300 $1,440 $1,500 $1,575 $1,000 $500 $- 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
First Presbyterian by Generation May 2014 563 600 529 500 422 373 400 300 200 76 100 0 GI Generation 1901-1924 (90 plus) SILENT Generation 1925-1942 (72-89) BOOMER Generation 1943-1960 (54-71) X'er Generation 1961-1981 (33-53) MILLENNIAL Generation 1982-2004 (10-32)
4% GI 21% Millennial 19% Silent 27% Xer 29% Boomer
New Members by Generation 2013-2014 (YTD) 60 58 50 40 30 30 32 20 15 10 0 0 GI Generation 1901-1924 (90 plus) SILENT Generation 1925-1942 (72-89) BOOMER Generation 1943-1960 (54-71) X'er Generation 1961-1981 (33-53) MILLENNIAL Generation 1982-2004 (10-32)
Change in Generations 2010-2014 (YTD) 600 531 540 563 529 500 495 400 410 386 373 438 364 422 308 300 200 150 100 109 76 0 GI Generation 1901-1924 (90 plus) SILENT Generation 1925-1942 (72-89) BOOMER Generation 1943-1960 (54-71) X'er Generation 1961-1981 (33-53) MILLENNIAL Generation 1982-2004 (10-32) 2010 2012 2014