What are the pillars of the Combined Offering Plan? The ideas for this presentation (see a summary below) came after a long conversation about this subject with Aniel Barbe, GC Stewardship Ministries Department Associate Director. The Combined Offering Plan was voted on during the 2002 Annual Council as the offering plan suggested and promoted by the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
This theme was presented during the online SPD Stewardship Advisory, on March 28, 2023.
THE COMBINED OFFERING PLAN: IMPLEMENTING AND MAINTAINING
The Four Pillars (they were presented in a different order in this podcast):
1. Theology
2. Accounting (distribution & administrative process)
3. Accountability
4. Permanent Educational Process
PILLAR I - THEOLOGY
· Focused on God (worship), not on projects (soul-raising X fund-raising)
· Spiritual (not materialistic) motivation for giving - “… because He gave me something”
· The God first principle
· Regular & systematic giving (“Promise”)
o Regular - after each/every income
o Systematic - percentage-based giving
· Difference between tithes and offerings
o Percentage (annual personal pledging)
o Destination/application
· The Storehouse system
· Jesus’ missionary mandate – every nation, tribe, tongue, and people
o Matt 24:14
o Matt 28:18, 19
o Rev 14:6
o Acts 1:8
The “Reflex Influence” Principle
“To show a liberal, self-denying spirit for the success of foreign missions is a sure way to advance home missionary work; for the prosperity of the home work depends largely, under God, upon the reflex influence of the evangelical work done in countries afar off. …” GW, 465
PILLAR II – ACCOUNTING (Distribution & Administrative
Processes)
· Treasury internal procedures to distribute the offerings
· Respect for the giver’s indicated destination
· Very limited opportunities for special offerings appeals
· Protecting the Local Church income
· Churches operating within a budget
· To develop local church treasurer’s skills
· To make easier the local church treasurer’s work
· Making electronic giving available
PILLAR III – ACCOUNTABILITY
· A platform for sharing reports
· Regularity in sharing reports
· Reports must reach the “mind” and “heart”
· Reports in understandable language (not in “Accountish” language)
PILLAR IV – PERMANENT EDUCATIONAL PROCESS
· Spiritual Motivation
· Regular and Systematic Giving
· The Storehouse System
· Equitable Distribution
With Pastors
· Annual Renewal of Vows (Councils)
· Home visitation process
· Testimonies
· Annual “Holy Convocation” initiatives With Church Officials
· Target – opinion makers
o Elders
o Treasurers
o Clerks
o Stewardship Directors
· Annual training
o Theology
o Annual program
· Newsletters
· Resources available
With Church Members
· Regular “Holy Convocation” initiatives
· Annual renewal of vows
· Regular visitation program (with appropriate
agenda)
· Testimonies
· Offertory Devotionals (text or videos)
· Theology
· Offertory: Powerful Worship Moments
· Strong promotion of “Unassigned Offerings” (why?)
· Envelope: little giving identified options
