At too many churches, the offering part of the service is the same as it was when grandma was a confirmand. But rather than cease the offering entirely, reboot it freshness and creativity to meet the needs and habits of a new generation. Grace Duddy Pomroy of Luther Seminary explains. (Photo:Don Brown, Creative Commons)
Statistics show that overall charitable giving is going up, especially in areas of public benefit and the environment. Yet giving to religious organizations is declining. What are we doing wrong? Author and Yale Divinity teacher Jim Elrod suggests churches adopt greater transparency. (Photo: Claire CJS, Creative Commons)
What’s happening in congregational stewardship? Drawing on close to 20 years of observation with thousands of congregations, the Lake Institute on Faith and Giving identifies these different sets of values and practices as as traditional and emerging paradigms. From Luther Seminary. (Photo: Robert Couse-Baker, Creative Commons)
As the pandemic drags on, leaders ask, “How in the world are we supposed to do a stewardship emphasis when we can hardly gather in-person for worship?” Every congregation has its own priorities, but ELCA pastor and author Charles Lane, offers three things to consider. (Photo: Jerrybuckel, Creative Commons)
While the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted ministries of churches across the world, the impact varies widely depending on the ministry context’s resources, preparedness, responses and other factors, argues Grace Duddy Pomroy, director of the Stewardship Leaders Program at Luther Seminary. She shares her insights.
Church leaders know the emphasis in congregational stewardship has changed dramatically in the last 20 years, from “making the budget” to “making disciples.” This is a good thing, says stewardship author and speaker Charles Lane, who puts the change into perspective and helps us anticipate the future of stewardship. From Luther Seminary’s Center for Stewardship […]
Here’s a great late-summer read. “Stewardship 101” is a free collection of 17 essays from Luther Seminary’s Center for Stewardship Leaders. It’s for stewardship/generosity committees, for clergy seeking new energy for financial leadership, and for Christians wondering what, if anything, God has to do with day-to-day finances. (Photo: Onay Davus, Creative Commons)
Here’s a resource with great ideas to energize your financial stewardship ministry. Stewardship 101: An Invitation to Financial Stewardship is a free e-book from the Center for Steward Leadership at Luther Seminary. It contains 17 of the center’s best newsletter articles on a wide variety of stewardship topics.
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 […]
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 […]
