See Where Churches Stand
Understand how church leaders view their generosity culture, stewardship practices, and readiness for what comes next. Identify perceived strengths and areas that deserve a closer look.
For United Methodist Foundations
Your Churches Have the Data. Do They Have the Clarity?
Help your churches understand their stewardship practices, strengthen generosity, and identify their next faithful step.
Deepen the Trust. Strengthen Your Impact.
Your foundation is already a trusted partner to the churches you serve. This assessment helps you build on those relationships—with a clearer understanding of each church’s challenges, more focused conversations, and practical ways to support their next faithful step.
Discover Where Leaders Differ
A pastor, board chair, finance chair, and lay leader may see the same church differently. Bring those perspectives together to uncover assumptions, clarify priorities, and build shared understanding.
Focus Your Foundation’s Support
Use those conversations to identify where education, coaching, planned giving resources, or further discovery could help each church move forward.
The assessment
Church Generosity & Stewardship Assessment
The Pastor, Board Chair, Finance Chair, and Lay Leader each complete the survey individually. Listening to each perspective can reveal alignment, uncertainty, and opportunities for guided discussion.
- 5scored sections, 5 statements each
- 125possible points (25 per section)
- Section 6 — Campaign & Stewardship Readiness: 8 multiple-choice questions (26–33), not part of the numerical total.
This preview illustrates a survey-based approach. Financial-record analysis is not included in this demonstration.
The five scored sections
- 01Generosity Culture & Teaching
- 02Giving Participation & Discipleship
- 03Financial Health & Stewardship Systems
- 04Vision Clarity & Leadership Alignment
- 05Congregational Engagement & Trust
Survey preview
Read-only · no responses collectedSections 1–5: rate each statement from 1 to 5 — 1 = Not true at all · 3 = Somewhat true · 5 = Fully true
Section 1 · Generosity Culture & Teaching
1. Our church regularly teaches on biblical stewardship and generosity (at least quarterly).
Section 2 · Giving Participation & Discipleship
6. A meaningful and growing percentage of our regular attenders give financially.
Section 3 · Financial Health & Stewardship Systems
11. Our financial systems are organized, transparent, and trusted by the congregation.
Section 4 · Vision Clarity & Leadership Alignment
16. Our church has a clearly articulated, written vision for the next 3–5 years.
Section 5 · Congregational Engagement & Trust
21. Our congregation has a strong history of responding generously to calls for support.
Section 6 · Campaign & Stewardship Readiness
32. Does your church have a planned giving or endowment program?
- Yes — active and well-communicated
- In development or early stages
- No — but we are interested
- No — and it is not currently a priority
View all 33 questions
Section 1: Generosity Culture & Teaching · score out of 25
- 1.Our church regularly teaches on biblical stewardship and generosity (at least quarterly).
- 2.Giving is presented as an act of worship — not just a financial transaction.
- 3.Our pastor models and personally champions a culture of generosity from the pulpit.
- 4.We celebrate stories of generosity and their impact on our church and community.
- 5.New members and visitors receive clear, welcoming communication about giving at our church.
Section 2: Giving Participation & Discipleship · score out of 25
- 6.A meaningful and growing percentage of our regular attenders give financially.
- 7.We have a process to disciple first-time givers and encourage consistent giving.
- 8.We regularly communicate the impact of giving to our congregation.
- 9.Our church tracks giving trends and uses data to inform stewardship strategy.
- 10.Giving has been stable or growing over the past three years.
Section 3: Financial Health & Stewardship Systems · score out of 25
- 11.Our financial systems are organized, transparent, and trusted by the congregation.
- 12.Leadership has a clear picture of donor capacity within the congregation.
- 13.Debt (if applicable) is manageable and has been clearly communicated to the church.
- 14.We have established an endowment or planned giving program (or are exploring one).
- 15.Our church has a culture of year-round generosity — not just crisis or year-end giving.
Section 4: Vision Clarity & Leadership Alignment · score out of 25
- 16.Our church has a clearly articulated, written vision for the next 3–5 years.
- 17.Senior leadership is unified around priorities, direction, and future initiatives.
- 18.Key influencers — staff, committee chairs, and board members — are personally committed to the vision.
- 19.Leadership is willing to personally lead in giving before asking the congregation.
- 20.The congregation understands and is excited about the direction of the church.
Section 5: Congregational Engagement & Trust · score out of 25
- 21.Our congregation has a strong history of responding generously to calls for support.
- 22.Key families and major donor relationships are actively connected to church leadership.
- 23.Volunteers are engaged, active, and feel a deep sense of ownership in the church's mission.
- 24.The congregation trusts church leadership with finances and major decisions.
- 25.Our church can effectively execute a multi-month communication and engagement strategy.
Section 6: Campaign & Stewardship Readiness · multiple choice, not scored in total
26.How often does your church intentionally teach or preach on stewardship and generosity?
- Regularly — once per quarter or more
- Occasionally — 1 to 2 times per year
- Rarely or never
27.How would you describe your church's tone around giving?
- Clear, joyful, and biblically grounded
- Mentioned occasionally or passively
- Avoided due to discomfort or concern about perception
28.Approximately what percentage of regular attenders give financially?
- More than 60%
- Between 30% and 60%
- Less than 30%
- We do not track this
29.Does your church actively disciple new or first-time givers?
- Yes — we have a clear process and follow-up plan
- Somewhat — through general communication
- No formal approach in place
30.How confident are you in your church's financial readiness to respond to a capital need?
- Very confident — we have capacity and a culture of giving
- Somewhat confident — we would need preparation
- Not confident — significant groundwork would be needed first
31.Has your church explored a feasibility study or external counsel for a capital project?
- Yes — we have completed one
- We have discussed it but not yet pursued it
- No — this is a new consideration for us
32.Does your church have a planned giving or endowment program?
- Yes — active and well-communicated
- In development or early stages
- No — but we are interested
- No — and it is not currently a priority
33.How does your church currently communicate with donors and givers?
- Multi-channel — digital, print, and personal outreach
- Primarily digital or announcement-based
- Minimal or inconsistent communication
Church Generosity & Stewardship Assessment from Cargill Associates. For foundations serving churches across the United States.
Illustrative results
What one church's leaders might see
Illustrative results — fictional churchRatings are leadership perceptions — not verified financial findings or a validated diagnosis. No real church financial data is shown.
| Section | Pastor | Board Chair | Finance Chair | Lay Leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Generosity Culture & Teaching | 21/25 | 19/25 | 18/25 | 17/25 |
| 2. Giving Participation & Discipleship | 18/25 | 17/25 | 15/25 | 16/25 |
| 3. Financial Health & Stewardship Systems | 20/25 | 18/25 | 17/25 | 16/25 |
| 4. Vision Clarity & Leadership Alignment | 22/25 | 18/25 | 17/25 | 16/25 |
| 5. Congregational Engagement & Trust | 19/25 | 18/25 | 16/25 | 17/25 |
| Total (Sections 1–5) | 100/125 | 90/125 | 83/125 | 82/125 |
Pastor21/25
Board Chair19/25
Finance Chair18/25
Lay Leader17/25
Pastor18/25
Board Chair17/25
Finance Chair15/25
Lay Leader16/25
Pastor20/25
Board Chair18/25
Finance Chair17/25
Lay Leader16/25
Pastor22/25
Board Chair18/25
Finance Chair17/25
Lay Leader16/25
Pastor19/25
Board Chair18/25
Finance Chair16/25
Lay Leader17/25
Fictional church: all scores are invented for demonstration. They are not real church results, and section totals or readiness bands are not assurance that a church should launch a campaign.
“A difference in perspective is an invitation to conversation.”
In this fictional example, the widest gaps appear in Vision Clarity & Leadership Alignment (Pastor 22 vs. Lay Leader 16) and Financial Health & Stewardship Systems (Pastor 20 vs. Lay Leader 16), with the lowest shared scores in Giving Participation & Discipleship.
Illustrative recommendations for discussion
For church leadership
- Compare responses across all four roles before drawing conclusions
- Agree together on vision priorities where perspectives differ most
- Review how new and first-time givers are followed up and discipled
For foundations
- Offer stewardship education and coaching where gaps appear
- Discuss planned giving, endowment, and stewardship support
- Use facilitated discovery conversations before any campaign referral
Partnership
Equip churches with clarity. Walk with them toward action.
Cargill Associates works with foundations across the United States to support the churches they serve.
- Step 1
Listen
Pastor, Board Chair, Finance Chair, and Lay Leader each share their perspective.
- Step 2
Understand
Review where views align and differ, together, with guidance.
- Step 3
Act
Choose a faithful next step, with coaching where it helps.