Building a strong stewardship program is a lot like old-fashioned courting – it takes lots of small steps before you pop the question.

In this case, the question is “Will you share your gifts with the church,” and positive answers are important to the financial standing of your church. But just as we don’t like to be rushed when we are shopping, by the salesperson who constantly asks if they can ring us up, we also don’t like to be approached only when it’s time to turn in our annual pledge card.

How to handle this challenge? Consistent, small steps are the key. As Proverbs 16:9 says, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”

1. Follow-up with donors, large and small. While hand-written notes are always best, in larger churches I think it’s OK to use automated letters, addressed to each donor as in “Dear Mr. and Mrs. Doe,” and let them know their support makes a difference in the life of the church.For larger donations, a personalized letter deepens and strengthens the connection. Those letters should make specific note of the amount given and to any specific uses requested by the   donor, such as mission work, Sunday School or community outreach.

These thank you letters should go out as soon as the stewardship campaign closes. It’s a good idea to send another, shorter note at mid-year, again thanking the donor and updating on any progress such as mission work or other specifics.

2. Every few months, weave into the sermon how the stewardship campaign is rolling. How is it making a difference in local lives, in improving community conditions? How are the contributions and investments helping regionally, nationally or internationally?

If mission work is a major part of your church life, take time to detail where those missions are active, what challenges they face, and what a typical day looks like to the missionaries. These kinds of stories, told with descriptions or by the missionaries themselves, serve as real-life geo-political lessons to remind us of the outside world.

3. If a local organization receives financial support from the church, consider inviting one of its leaders to speak during a Sunday service. A good example is a cold-weather shelter – have someone explain in clear terms how many families are served during cold snaps, how important it is to them to have a warm and safe place to stay, and how hot meals may be the best food they have all month.

It’s easy in today’s social media world to become wrapped in our own cocoon, where we make assumptions about other people’s lives and think many of them mirror our own.

We sometimes need reminding that less-fortunate people, in our community and region, in our country and overseas, depend on help from the outside world, including our churches.

Finding ways to work this into an annual church communications calendar can boost the chances of a successful stewardship campaign.