Those of us in the Church too often see the words ‘stewardship’, ‘development’ and ‘fundraising’ as synonyms. By doing so, we do a disservice to ourselves and to the important work of all three. J.R. Lander of The Episcopal Network for Stewardship explains. ((Photo by AlicePopkorn, Creative Commons License)
The breadth and depth of stewardship theology leads us to appeal to one another to discover lives of meaning and purpose, stewardship lives. This happens as we engage in worship of God and as we honor God’s plan; as we gather to encourage and support one another in a living organism, the Body of Christ; as we make a difference in the world through service to people and care of creation; and as we teach behaviors that free us from bondage to money. [Check out this powerful 17-page essay from ELCA Stewardship Resources.] (Photo by the US Bureau of Land Management, used by Creative Commons license)
One of the primary reasons pastors and church leaders either fail to emphasize stewardship, or emphasize it inappropriately is: They do not understand the different motivational reasons for giving. Here are five of them, says a writer in EnrichmentJournal.
Vision is essential to a church. However, unlike the values, mission, and purpose, the vision is more subject to change. It is dynamic, not static. Over time, the vision must be renewed, adapted, and adjusted to the cultural context in which the congregation lives. The change takes place only at the margins of the vision, not at its core. Here are some important truths about vision that every church leader should know. (Photo by Philippematon, used by Creative Commons license)
In our culture of scarcity, many folks focus on what they lack. Asset mapping starts by focusing on what you have! Here are some tips for leading a workshop to help a church determine its assets. From Pastor Dave Daubert of Day 8 Strategies.
This resource outlines the six most popular financial response models used by ELCA congregations. An easy-to-follow guide for new stewardship leaders. Available in PDF as a free download.
This is your quintessential Planned Giving resource! This is free, online guide for congregations is designed to aid pastors and lay leaders in developing a congregational Planned Giving ministry. Includes sections devoted to establishing and promoting a Planned Giving program, congregational endowments, wills emphasis, how life-income gifts work, and more. (Photo by Ken Mayer, used by Creative Commons license)
This April 22 marks the 45th anniversary of Earth Day. Why not celebrate the occasion with a special Earth Sunday or Creation Sunday worship on the April 19 or April 26? You can make it a celebration of the natural environment, or possibly a blessing of the seeds, farms, orchards, gardens and fields. Why not preach on how we must take better care of God’s good earth. Here are some places to get ideas and resources.
Church scandals involving mismanagement of money not only generate headlines, they also erode trust among the people needed to support our ministries. Here are some tips for building and maintaining trust. From LifeWay resources. (Photo by Mark Willylis, used by Creative Commons license)
Every church should have an endowment. Sometimes congregations have more than one. And that can be confusing, especially if the policies and guidelines governing each aren’t clear. But an endowment can play an important role in your congregation’s overall financial management strategy. This article can help you plan. (Photo by DanielSTL, used by Creative Commons license)
