From the New Jersey Synod, ELCA, here are a couple great resources to help your congregation focus on stewardship 12-months a year: Year-Round Stewardship Tools offers ideas, Scripture and quotations. Year-Round Stewardship Plan suggests a schedule of monthly topics. Year-Round Stewardship Survey helps determine where your church is – and needs to go! (Photo by […]
Asking people for money may move you out of your comfort zone. That’s a good sign. If you’re not experiencing anxiety or discomfort, the risk you’re taking is probably not worthy of you. (Photo by iqoncept, via bigstockphoto.com)
Many churches would love to have a vibrant program for stewardship, but just don’t know how to get started. This handy guide from the Presbyterian Church in Canada breaks down key ideas into distinct steps to form checklist. Very smart! (Illustration by AJ Cann, used by Creative Commons license. Thanks!)
Many churches come to year’s end realizing that a special effort is necessary to ensure that all the bills will be paid. Churches react in different ways to such a situation. Some reactions are healthy; some are not. This article from the United Methodist Church explores the issue. (Photo by Stuart Pilbrow used under a […]
If you want your church to grow, you must learn how to motivate believers to invest their resources into the kingdom for ministry and for facilities, says “Purpose-Driven Pastor” Rick Warren. It is a key responsibility of leadership. See whether Warren’s eight reasons ring true for your church. (Photo by Lisafx, via Bigstock.com)
Ever think your church could use a capital campaign but didn’t know how to start? Here’s a handy 11-page resource from the Episcopal Church Foundation that outlines 10 practical steps to get your parish capital campaign off the ground. The PDF is free!
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!)
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)
