Around this time of year, churches all over the nation will hold stewardship drives by sending out letters and cards and inviting responses. But the results are predictably disappointing. At St. George’s, Valley Lee, MD, we’re ditching this conventional system and have been making innovations to connect the stewardship campaign to other areas of the Christian life. (Photo by Daniel Lobo, used by Creative Commons license. Thanks!)
When a church in suburban Minneapolis wanted to use pat of a $2 million windfall for mission, its leaders decided NOT to do the usual thing — cut a fat check to a worthwhile ministry. Instead they used a market-oriented approach that energized the entrepreneurial spirit of community leaders. (Photo by OpenSourceWay, used by Creative Commons license. Thanks!)
You remember the old story about the blind men who, each touching a different part of an elephant, draw different, incorrect conclusions about the nature of an elephant. The point is, the complexity of the elephant precludes anyone comprehending the whole. How can this observation apply to congregations? Church systems expert Peter Steinke explains. (Photo […]
From ELCA Stewardship comes a set of sermon helps keyed to the Lectionary readings for all the Sundays in October. Written by Michael Meier, Stewardship Key Leader. Thought provoking ideas to help get those creative juices flowing. (Photo by Sumos, via Bigstockphoto.com)
Instead of working to provide solutions to the root causes of problems, much of philanthropy focuses on making donors feel good and perpetuating the work of charitable institutions. That’s the judgment of Peter Buffett, son of billionaire Warren Buffett and chair of the NoVo Foundation. He explains in this provocative interview by Allison Jones. (Artwork: Rosie the Riveter, public domain)
This article from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship lists a number of creative ways that churches throughout the nation are making their offering time more participatory and meaningful. Great ideas! (Photo by Lisafx, via Bigstock.com)
Studies have shown that many pastors and church staff are burning out. They feel the pressure to preach and create programs and events that entertain and inspire congregants, many of whom hardly serve in their church. What can be done? Eliminating pastor and church staff burnout requires a change of thinking and behavior. Good reading […]
Many congregations have discovered the narrative budget as a way of talking about the needs of the church to carry out its mission. Rather than a spreadsheet that lists columns and columns of numbers, the narrative budget tells the story of the congregation’s mission and service and how the budget components contribute. (Photo by Howard […]
Most things take desire, time and practice to do well, and even more desire, more time and more practice to master. The same holds true for living with generosity. Good stewardship starts with desire and requires discipline and practice. But how can we cultivate the desire for people to live generously, when the whole proposition is counter-cultural? (Photo by Phillip West (who specializes in paper folding), used by Creative Commons license. Thanks!)
Like many Americans, you may be bruised by the nation’s economic problems and less inclined to stick with a giving plan. It can be tough to give when you’re struggling to pay monthly bills. But regardless of your situation, here are some tips that can help jump-start your giving plan, says a writer for Lifeway.com. […]
