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June 24, 2008
Stewardship and Assimilation are closely linked
A new study conducted by the Center for Responsible Buiness at UC Berkley examines the connection between asking people to volunteer their time and donate to the cause in contrast to only asking for donations.
The findings were exactly as one might expect. Those who volunteered with an organziation gave at higher levels than those who simply provided donations to the cause.
There are four major catagories when you consider the lifecycle of a church member: Acquisition, Assimilation, Retention and Attrition. The healthy church balances its acquisition strategy with an emphasis on assimilation which results in long-term retention and minimizes premature attrition.
In the assimilation stage is where we help new members or regular attenders find a small group or ministry area to get involved with. Church growth experts tell us that people who find a good fit in a small group type setting also have higher levels of overall satisfaction, volunteer involvement, hold more leadership positions and give more consistently than members or regular attenders who remain wallflowers.
If we combine the findings of this new study with what we know about the lifecycle of church membership, then we'll be able to make the inherent connection between stewardship and assimilation.
The better we are at getting our members and regular attenders involved, the better givers they will be. Why? Because giving is the result of emotional, relationship driven experiences.
The best givers in your church also have the most invested emotionally.
Posted by bstroup at June 24, 2008 10:30 AM
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