Should you talk about money at Christmas? Why not? It seems that everybody else in the culture sure is. Here is some inspiration: Sermon Central will let you see four Christmas stewardship sermons for free. (Photo by Picsbyclive, used by Creative Commons license)
Check out Randy Alcorn’s 11 guidelines for giving. They’ll help combat materialism and provide solid stewardship guidance for God’s abundance. (Photo: Alexandre Dulaunoy, Creative Commons)
Gift-giving doesn’t have to be expensive. Check out this article about hand-made, home-crafted gifts. You can be a good steward of resources AND give meaningful, useful gifts that won’t end up in someone’s sock drawer or garbage can. (Photo: Muffet, Creative Commons)
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 […]
Joshua Becker provides some telling statistics about holiday shopping and consumption and suggests alternative ways of approaching Christmas gift-giving and celebrating. How might you use this article to open a discussion in your context? (Photo: c_liecht, Creative Commons)
Want a little inspiration? Check out this short video clip about an executive chef who gave up his position to begin serving gourmet meals at the Salvation Army. It’s his calling and his way to serve. This is one video you won’t want to miss. (Photo: foodswings, Creative Commons)
Here’s a documentary film produced by Morgan Spurlock and featuring performance activist Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping that’s perfect for exploring over-consumption at Christmas. Click here to access the full film on YouTube. (Photo: disrupsean, Creative Commons)
Alarmed with reports that its pastors were significantly less healthy than other professionals, the United Methodist Church commissioned a task force to investigate and suggest solutions. After three years of work, they came back with a report that details important steps. Click above to get to the news article; click here to go to the […]
Check out the new study Connected to Give: Faith Communities, published by Jumpstart and Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. This groundbreaking research is important reading for anyone interested in stewardship and giving in faith communities. Click here for more information. (Photo: , Creative Commons)
Check out this latest edition of the ECF Vital Posts e-newsletter. It’s chock-full of good ideas and thoughtful reflections to help you move from Thanksgiving into Advent. (Photo: lejoe, Creative Commons)
