What happens when you add a fourth “T” – testimony – to the traditional three Ts of stewardship, time, talent and treasure (or tithe)?

At Finley Memorial Presbyterian Church in Stuarts Draft, Virginia, in the Shenandoah Valley, they discovered a new sense of joy and community when church-goers answered the simple ask of writing down their short observations of God in their lives.

“Our worship ministry wanted to avoid the pressure of public speaking and make this opportunity a little less formal,” said the Rev. Dr. Thomas “Tommy” Carrico Jr., pastor at Finley. “We already accept prayer requests in the offering plate, so we thought that a pew insert seemed to be a low-pressure invitation to share.

“At a time when church attendance and political partisanship have blended in ways that divide, it’s important to implement practices that can bring us together, build community, and foster hope,” Carrico said.

Sometimes the congregation’s notes are short and direct: “God gave me craftsman skills to volunteer maintenance work around the church” or “the Lord led me to a career in speech pathology to help children.”

Some are broader witnesses: “I see God in the beauty of the sky, ocean, mountains, plants. In the immensity of nature. I see God in my children’s eyes and in the miracle of birth. I see God in the diversity of humans and human experiences and beliefs.”

And some are intensely personal: “God gave me the gift of forgiveness … I can’t hold on to anger long.”

Finley Memorial Presbyterian began this intriguing connection with members more than a year ago. In Spring 2025, Finley leaders joined a stewardship workshop led by their regional Presbyterian Foundation representative (Ministry Relations Officer), Rev. Erin Skinner, and their Associate General Presbyter, Rev. Dr. Nancy Meehan Yao, called “Small Church Big Generosity.” Yao serves with Shenandoah Presbytery.

During her presentation, Rev. Skinner challenged them to expand the idea of stewardship and suggested adding a fourth “T” of “Testimony” to offerings of Time, Talent, and Treasure. “This led me to imagine encouraging people to share their testimonies, their stories, with the rest of the congregation in a way that connected our individual stories to the story of our church and the story of our faith,” Carrico said.

Another inspiration came when Carrico visited a friend’s church during his sabbatical a few years ago. “They had pew inserts to indicate that someone had given online or that someone had volunteered that week, and I thought it was a great way to help everyone participate in the ritual of the offering regardless of what they were able to give. It only took me a couple years to ‘borrow’ the idea – thanks Rev. Dr. Walter Canter and Blue Ridge Presbyterian Church!”

How does sharing testimony connect to the traditional view of church stewardship?

“It helps us realize that we give those other “T”s because of our testimony,” Carrico said. “We donate food and time to those in need just like the risen Christ has met us in our times of need; we are there for those going through tough times because God put people around us when we were going through tough times; and we connect with those in our community because we worship a God who gathers people together.”

“This approach (with notes in the offering) has contributed to an atmosphere of joy,” Carrico said. “At a time when most pastors I talk to are journeying with churches through financial struggles, finding ways to make the weekly offering a happy, community-building moment, rather than a nervous one, is becoming more and more important.”