Your Stewardship Toolkit for November — the month for thanksgiving — looks at how practicing gratitude helps develop a heart of generosity. Free newsletter article and weekly bulletin blurbs.
Encourage a church culture of giving courageously
Congregants may be generous minded, but they still may not give generously unless the church works to create a culture of courageous giving. This article by Melvin Amerson suggests how. (Photo: Joshuatintner, Creative Commons)
Five simple ways to reorient thinking about generosity
The idea of generosity is simple and appealing to most people, but living into it can be complicated. Unfortunately, past experiences and our ideas about money can hinder living out this important value. Horizons Stewardship explores. (Photo: Mimi_K, Creative Commons)
Create a culture of radical generosity in your church
We want God’s people to be generous hearted and give to God’s ministry — not just money, but their hearts and minds as well. But how can we help people to become more generous-hearted? Chris Willard this issue in an insightful three-part resource in LeaderNet. (Photo: Gayle Nicholson, Creative Commons)
Meaningful connections make for joyful giving
“We need to create opportunities to give that enable us to appreciate our shared humanity,” says social psychologist Elizabeth Dunn. Research shows that giving to others does make us happier, but it matters how we help. Learn more by watching Dunn’s TED Talk and reimagine how you, too, can be a more joyful giver. (Photo: Kregg Steppe, Creative Commons)
Diana Butler Bass: Gratitude isn’t just an emotion
We tend to think of gratitude as a personal feeling that we can cultivate. But it’s also communal and social, says theologian Diana Butler Bass. In this Q&A from Faith & Ladership she reflects on the spiritual and ethical dimensions of the topic, described in her new book Grateful.
Increase Generosity with these Six Practices
Want to increase your congregation’s capacity for generosity? Start with these six practices, and start right now. Don’t let fear or lack of experience get in the way of helping your community grow and flourish as radical stewards! From UNSeminary.com. (Photo: Irish, Creative Commons)
What Defines True Generosity?
What does it mean to be a truly generous person? Wake Forest Professor of Philosophy Christian B. Miller believes that there’s much more involved besides giving time, talent, and resources. Generosity has a whole lot to do with attitude, empathy, and motivation, according to Miller. (Photo: Wikimedia, Creative Commons)
What Gets in the Way of Gratitude
Research shows that gratitude is essential for happiness, but modern times have regressed gratitude into a mere feeling instead of retaining its historic value, a virtue that leads to action. Writer Robert Emmons explores the blocks to gratitude — and how to remove them! (Photo: Tiger Girl, Creative Commons)
From Stewardship to Generosity
What’s the difference between “stewardship” and “generosity”? Turns out the distinctions are many and profound, which is why many churches are switching their use of the term “stewardship” for “generosity.” Author and Methodist Bishop Robert Schnase reflects on the changes and offers a practical list of “dos” and “don’ts” for churches that want to cultivate […]
