How do you know you have a bad strategy for making disciples? Just look at the results. Remember, “your ministry is perfectly designed to produce the results you are currently experiencing.” This article from Pastors.com gives some good insight into how to change course. (Photo by David Joyce, used by Creative Commons license)
Most of our congregations function with a single team of people who are responsible for all conversations, leadership, implementation, and oversight about everything financial. This is a mistake. Here are some tips on how to do better, from the Center for Faith & Giving. (Photo by d-olwen-dee, used by Creative Commons license)
Palm/Passion Sunday provides plenty of opportunities to lift up themes of creation and creation care, says the reflection from lutheransrestoringcreation.org, which offers a weekly commentary to bring preaching “down to earth.”
As American churches face the future, they increasingly realize that if something doesn’t change, they won’t survive. But what is it that must change? How they answer that question actually predicts their future, says Thom Schultz of Holysoup.com. (Photo by CarbonNYC used by creative commons license)
As we grow beyond the narrow understanding of stewardship as an annual fundraising exercise – or as the late Terry Parsons used to call it, the “annual beg-a-thon” — God begins to reshape our concept of what “gift” and “giving” actually mean. From the Episcopal Church Foundation. (Photo by Tiger Girl, used by Creative Commons license.)
Children are naturally curious and generous, so why not teach them to be good stewards of their gifts? This PDF brochure from the Presbyterian Church in Canada offers a number of ideas for how to help children understand Christian stewardship. (Photo by Richard Wagoner, used by Creative Commons license)
For most of us walking into the sanctuary on Sunday morning is as familiar as walking into our living room. But it’s not that way for many of our congregations’ first-time visitors. The more you can anticipate visitors questions, the better the chances that your first-time visitors won’t be your last-time visitors. From ChurchLeaders.com. (Photo […]
It takes effort to make stewardship a part of your church culture 365 days a year, but here are some wonderful simple tips from the United Church of Canada. (Photo by Philip Chapman-Bell, used by Creative Commons license)
The forty days of Lent provide stewards with a marvelous opportunity to evaluate the nature of our life’s “work.” Being reminded to take a meaningful and substantive spiritual “pause” in our lives for forty days is a gift in itself. Good reading from the International Catholic Stewardship Council. (Photo by mwms1916, used by Creative Commons […]
As God convicted my heart and I began to read Scripture with fresh eyes, whole sections of the Bible came alive for me. In particular, God’s concern for orphans struck a chord, says Chip Ingram in a blog post on Lifeway.com. (Photo by Alan Light, used by Creative Commons license)
