Take Stewardship to the Next Level
2026 SAS Track Sign Up is Now Open
Before Your Sign Up
One Church - One Track. We want your church to concentrate on a single track. Members of the same church are asked to register for the same track.
Be Certain before you register. Talk with your team and agree. Then register at the appropriate link below. Registration is open now.
Register as Individuals for the Same Track. Everyone who wants the Zoom Link and reminders for the Track Meeting needs to follow the appropriate link below and register. The consultant leading the tracks will send you the Zoom Link reminders before the meetings.
Pastors may also register for the Pastoral Leadership Track in addition to their church's chosen track.
These meetings will NOT be available by video later. Please plan to attend for discussion, Q&A, and content.
List Overview (Each Church May Choose 1 Option):
Option 1: Volunteer Recruitment and Retention - How To - With Paul Marsh
Option 2: Council Leadership: Engaging and Effective Meetings - Paul Walters
Option 3: Special Appeals - Jennie Wolf Smith
Option 4: Major Donor Strategy for Churches - Mike Ward
Option 5: Faithful Words in a Digital Age: Using AI for Ministry Copywriting - Rev. Nathan Swenson-Reinhold
Option 6: Planned Giving - Matthew Schultz
Additional Option for Pastors Only:
Stewardship: The Effective Pastoral Leader - Pete Reuss
Option 1: Volunteer Recruitment and Retention - How To - With Paul Marsh
Congregations have long battled the 80/20 rule: that 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people. Now it is even harder, as many congregations report that 80/20 rule becoming a 90/10 rule.
In this volunteer track for SAS, we will focus on the recruitment, retention and stewardship of church volunteers, as well and growing leaders in your congregation and identifying successful stewardship team members.
All tracks will be at 1pm pacific, 2pm mountain, 3pm central and 4pm eastern time.
January 28
February 25
March 25
Meeting 1: In this session you will learn the steps in determining the roles in your ministry that need volunteers and how to write inspiring job descriptions for those roles.
Meeting 2: In this session you will learn how to identify potential volunteers, how to inform and inspire those prospective volunteers and how to invite prospective volunteers to serve.
Meeting 3: In this session we will discuss how to retain your volunteers and give them the best volunteer experience possible.
Option 2: Council Leadership: Engaging and Effective Meetings - Paul Walters
Getting people to serve on congregational councils or leadership boards can be like pulling teeth. The mere suggestion of an invitation can be met with looks of horror. It does not have to be that way. In this track learn how to use the time together to build up leaders, develop relationships with one another, and find joy and laughter in your time together. All this will make your time together more productive and more inspiring.
Serving Jesus and building up God’s kingdom is a joyful activity, even when that means being part of a congregational council.
Meeting dates on Zoom:
January 12 at 7:00pm Eastern
February 9 at 7:00pm Eastern
March 9 at 7:00pm Eastern
April 13 at 7:00pm Eastern
Option 3: Special Appeals - Jennie Wolf Smith
How do we ask for money for something not covered by the budget, but not big enough of a project for a capital campaign? This is the sweet spot for a special appeal.
Often used to cover one-off building projects (HVAC replacement, parking lot repavement, etc.), special appeals can also launch new ministries, close funding gaps, fuel an endowment fund and more.
In this track, stewardship teams will learn:
how special appeals differ from stewardship drives and capital campaigns,
when and how to conduct a special appeal, and
to use the Inform-Inspire-Ask-Thank model to walk you through your own appeal - over the course of the Winter Track sessions or for a future special appeal.
Dates - All sessions at 12:00PM Eastern/11:00AM Central/10:00AM Mtn
Tues, Jan 6 - Overview
Tues, Jan 27 - A Case that Informs and Inspires
Tues, Feb 17 - How to Ask
Tues, March 10 - Thanking and Reporting
Option 4: Major Donor Strategy for Churches—Mike Ward
Churches often just hope that those who can make a major gift will become motivated enough to do so. The reality is that there are usually several intentional steps that lead to these types of gifts. They are cultivated and asked for, but the first step is identifying who might give them. It is also critical to understand what is holding back your major donors from giving these gifts more frequently or at larger amounts. Most churches often have “hidden gems” that are capable of larger gifts, but fly under the radar. We will cover all of the steps needed in order to prepare you for a major gift program.
Calendar
Meeting No. 1: Thursday, February 5—11 AM Eastern Time, 10am CT, 9am MT, 8am PT
Meeting No. 2: Thursday, February 26–11 AM Eastern Time, 10am CT, 9am MT, 8am PT
Option 5: Faithful Words in a Digital Age: Using AI for Ministry Copywriting
Writing is at the heart of ministry—sermons, newsletters, appeals, bulletins, social media, and more. But many leaders find themselves short on time and struggling to keep communication fresh and clear. This short course will introduce you to how artificial intelligence can become a trusted assistant in your ministry writing—helping you brainstorm, draft, and refine copy while keeping your authentic ministry voice front and center.
Across four one-hour sessions, you’ll learn:
- What AI can (and can’t) do in ministry writing.
- How to craft effective prompts for clear, grace-filled messages.
- Ways to edit AI-generated text so it sounds like you and reflects your congregation’s context.
- Practical workflows for bulletins, newsletters, stewardship letters, and more.
You’ll leave with a toolkit of prompts, editing tips, and confidence to use AI faithfully and effectively in your day-to-day communication.
Who it’s for: Pastors, staff, and lay leaders who want to write with clarity, warmth, and less stress.
Calendar
Session 1: January 11, 2026 – 4pm CST
Session 2: January 18, 2026 – 4pm CST
Session 3: February 1, 2026 – 4pm CST
Session 4: February 8, 2026 – 4pm CST
Option 6: Planned Giving - Matthew Schultz
Building a foundation for a comprehensive planned giving program will eliminate preventable misunderstandings and infighting. A strong foundation includes a Gift Policy and Endowment By-laws. The program’s foundation should be built on transparency, best practices, and consensus building. It should have clear expectations, eliminate conflicts of interest, and support the mission and vision of the congregation. It is critical that members of the congregation understand their options and how to access support. This is best achieved by creating a culture of leaving a legacy of generosity. Creating this affirming culture takes time, attention, and consistency. Through this track, the Pastor and Planned Giving Committee will develop the critical pieces of an effective Planning Giving program for the congregation.
Calendar
Each one-hour session will be held at 2 p.m. Eastern/ 1 p.m. Central/ 12 p.m. Mountain/11 a.m. Pacific
January 14 - Planned Giving for Legacy Impact
February 4 - Best Practice for Gift Policies
March 4 - Best Practice for Endowment By-Laws
April 15 - How Members Can Leave Plans that will Honor their Wishes
BONUS OPTION FOR PASTORS:
Stewardship: The Effective Pastoral Leader - Pete Reuss
Congregational generosity. That’s the job of the Stewardship Committee, right? Pastoral Leaders can find 1001 reasons why they shouldn’t be involved in asking people to grow in giving. The reality is that Pastoral Leaders play a critical role in generosity ministries. In this track for these leaders, we will
· Examine the Pastoral Leader’s personal relationship with money
· Understand your vital role in encouraging generosity
· Consider the culture of the congregation around generosity…and take steps to change it.
· Discern how the topic of money connects with preaching
Meeting dates on Zoom (all on Tuesdays at 2:00 pm Eastern/1:00 Central/Noon MT)
January 20 – Looking in the mirror: your personal relationship with money
February 17 – Generosity: Leading cultural change in the congregation
March 17 – The Pastoral Leader’s role in raising funds for ministry
April 21 – Money and preaching