3 Things to Learn from Adele (No, Not that Adele)
3 Things to Learn from Adele (No, Not that Adele)
Last week I was at Stewardship Kaleidoscope (try spelling that without spellcheck) in Portland, Oregon. It’s a conference sponsored by the PC(USA) and the ELCA* offering (see the pun?) “real tools for real ministry.” I was there to staff a booth for Horizons Stewardship.
It was a fun two days because most of the people I met were stewardship nerds. I mean the purpose of the conference was to Talk. About. Generosity. Could things get any better?
Sitting at my booth, I had time to meet a number of people. One of them was “Adele.” No, not the singer…though I’m sure she’d like this conference too.
Adele, who was a bit older, told me a little about her life and work in the church. At one point she said, “I’ll do anything, but I won’t ask for money.” She then proceeded to explain her involvement in various capital projects at her church, where she, unknowingly, was asking for money. Ha! Even Adele can ask for money!
Then, the conversation switched to legacy giving. I was mentioning that wills, trusts, and bequests were the “low hanging fruit” that many churches ignore at their peril. Adele said that her pastor recently came up to her and asked:
“Have you left any provision for our congregation in your will?”
She replied, “No.”
When asked “why not?”, Adele responded…
“Nobody asked me.”
Besides the irony of someone who says she won’t ask for money, waiting to be asked to give money, Adele’s response can teach us a few things:
People want to be asked to give. This is true. Rarely are people insulted that you dared to ask them to give to the congregation or an organization that has been and is near and dear to their heart. Legacy gifts should be one of the easy asks.
It may not even dawn on people to give until you ask. This is true as well. Most individuals want to provide for their spouses, children, and grandchildren when they pass on. However, they may not have thought of a legacy gift – to a place that has deep significance to them – while also providing for their loved ones. Colleges, universities, and hospitals and heck, even the Humane Society are asking – and asking frequently – to be remembered in wills. You should too.
Giving brings people joy. The last truism. Adele inferred this when she spoke of the people she worked with on capital projects in her church. Folks who wanted and asked to help pay for small projects.
I told her the story of my first “ask” when I was trying to build a new playground in the public park across the street:
I had pictures of play equipment set up on my front porch when my newly-widowed neighbor Pat came down to take a look. She asked how much each piece cost and when I pointed out the see-saw at $2,000 she said, “I just sold Jim’s car today for $2,000. That’s the one I want to buy.”
It was a joy-filled holy moment.
I’m not going to say that asking for money is necessarily something easy to do or stress-free. But often it’s our fear that gets in the way of the Spirit doing something extraordinary.
So, thank you Adele, for sharing some important reminders about this wonderful work of generosity that we are engaged in:
People want to be asked to give
Folk may not even think about giving until you ask.
Giving brings joy.
If you need a cup of bravery, all you have to do is take a listen to Adele’s (yes, that Adele’s), Hello. It starts with that simple word.
*Presbyterian Church (USA) and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Related posts:
Legacy Giving: Love the Low-Hanging Fruit, Part 1
Legacy Giving: Love that Low-Hanging Fruit, Part 2
2 Ways to Help People Live into Their Legacy
Don't Leave Earth Without It: Have a Will
Photo credit: kalhh @Pixabay.com
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Cesie Delve Scheuermann (pronounced “CC Delv Sherman,” yes, really) is a Stewardship Consultant for the OR-ID Annual Conference. She is also a Senior Ministry Strategist with Horizons Stewardship. For 25 years, while working as a volunteer and part-time consultant, she has helped raise millions of dollars for numerous churches and non-profit organizations. For your laugh of the day, she wants you to check out SNL’s send up of “Hello.”
You can reach Cesie at inspiringgenerosity@gmail.com, at CesieScheuermann.com, or at cesieds@horizons.net. Want to schedule a meeting? She’s got you covered!
Schedule a meeting now.
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