Wise stewardship leaders know the value of asking congregation members to share their personal stories of generosity and giving. But they also know that testimonies about giving and money are powerful when done well and disastrous when done poorly. In this article, author Nate Berneking outlines how an interview approach to testimony can keep things […]
January 1 is less than two months away, so now’s the time to plan for a year-round stewardship effort that can help transform the culture of your church and the hearts of your people to incline toward generosity. This resource from the United Methodist Church lays out a simple 12-month plan to educate, inspire and nudge […]
If you’re hesitant to talk about money in the pulpit, you’re definitely not alone. It’s a big taboo in a lot of congregations, and many preachers avoid it like the plague. In this insightful article David Lose, the noted author, speaker and scholar, describes the lessons that transformed him into a fan of talking about financial […]
An important part of leadership is the ability to help people change–minds, hearts, and actions. Scientist, law professor, and author Ozan Varol believes that facts don’t change minds. Instead, try getting out of your “echo chamber” and working on your “empathy muscle,” he says. “In the end, it takes courage and determination to see the truth […]
It seems that tragedy and terror strike ever more frequently. God’s people are needed now more than ever to provide a faithful witness and the presence of Christ in word and Sacrament. We need to show up, to take the cross of Christ into this beautiful and broken world. Pastor and writer Carey Nieuwhof offers […]
It happens to the best of congregations: It’s almost October and you haven’t yet planned a fall stewardship emphasis. It’s too late to pull out the stops and go with a complicated program with a lot of moving parts, but here are four ideas for a simple stewardship campaign. If your congregation hasn’t done much […]
“Stewardship is another way of talking about ministry, and it would revolutionize ministry if people could think of it in terms of stewardship—that we are accountable to God for what we do and with what he has trusted to us.” That’s one insight from an enriching interview with R. Paul Stevens in ChristianityToday. The author […]
What does change have to do with stewardship? On one hand, stewardship always implies change — of giving, of accomplishing mission, of work together. On the other hand, though, stewardship is about constants, the grace of Jesus Christ and his call upon on lives. In this article from Luther Seminary’s Center for Stewardship Leaders, write […]
OK, so you’ve known for a long time that your congregation really needs someone to step up and run the stewardship ministry, but what are the qualifications and what would the person actually do? Or, is the person currently in that position understand the full potential of the task? The United Methodist Church posted this […]
Membership in Mainline congregations is aging, and the trend shows no signs of stopping. That presents not only challenges but also opportunities when it comes to stewardship, says Charles R. Lane, a popular stewardship speaker, author and consultant. He offers great advice in these essays for Luther Seminary’s Center for Stewardship Leaders. Click above for […]
