Spread your good news! Plan the strategy for sharing your congregation’s narrative budget over the year. Consider any of the following ways of telling or sharing your good news:

1. Use posters and bulletin inserts that proclaim the ministry.
2. Highlight one ministry area a month, or feature a ministry area in weekly bulletins.
3. Have first-hand testimonials from the congregation speak about the special ministry in which they are active. Include all groups and ages, from children to seniors.
4. Use the narrative budget in New Member Classes.
5. Make a video or DVD presentation based on your church’s mission statement and/or narrative budget.
6. Ask for a half-hour time slot on your local cable television station to share your congregation’s mission and budget.
7. Ask every group in your church to give fifteen minutes in study and prayer, based on the narrative budget.
8. Plan a Presentation Breakfast or Luncheon or Dinner to present the narrative budget to the congregation.
9. Incorporate your narrative budget into your home visitation.
10. Plan a special mission weekend to interpret your ministry areas.
11. As new church leaders are installed for the year, present the narrative budget as part of their dedication.
12. Give time in worship to celebrate your participation in each of the core areas of ministry.

The possibilities are many. Be innovative, and remember to include the children and youth in your plans.

++ From A Declaration for Mission: Your Congregation’s Budget, by the Canadian Interchurch Stewardship Committee, 1992

Your partner in ministry,

Betsy Schwarzentraub