A Stewardship Toolkit for Rural Churches

This toolkit is offered as a practical resource to help rural parishes increase their financial sustainability. It aims to encourage a greater financial sustainability by providing tools to engage in a cycle of stewardship, and to encourage giving and other income streams.

Introduction

Tool 1 : A Sustainability Tool to diagnose where your parish fits, and where you might look to increase your sustainability.

Tool 2 : Footfall - a simple tool to looking at community impact - how many people is the church in touch with each year?

Tool 3 : A Budget Planner to help you explore your financial situation.

Tool 4 : Four Key Tasks which every church can carry out to encourage giving. These are not complex, and for the smaller parish are not particularly time consuming. However, they are important in sustaining what is likely to be the church's principal income stream.

Tool 5 : Planned Giving Analysis tool which enables the PCC to see the range of giving within the church without disclosing individual donations.

Tool 6 : A Giving Programme designed for the rural church. There is an optional extension to the wider community, and templates enclosed for letters and invitiations.

Tool 7 : Tips on setting up a Friends Scheme.

Tool 8 : A range of Web Resources. Other websites with helpful tools for encouraging giving or caring for your church.

Stewardship in Rural Churches

Rural parishes face particular challenges in developing stewardship and achieving financial sustainability. Many country churches have smaller congregations to carry the burden of maintenance and meeting costs. However, rural communities are often prepared to support the church to a greater extent than in other settings.