Let's Stop Responding to the Past. We don't give to the
church because of what God has already given us, argues Hank Langknecht, but
rather because of our expectations of God's future. "What my heart says is
that my stuff is mine. I worked for it -- or my folks worked for it and I
inherited it. Regardless, it is mine. (12/05/05)
Biblically
based principles turn dollars into sense. An irony: that we work hard to get dollars and
then have to be saved from them! Lest our dollars - and the possessions they
buy -should possess us, why not turn dollars into sense? A sense, that is, of
personal, congregational, and churchwide mission." Good stewardship tips from a
pastor.(11/28/05)
Avoiding the connection between faith and
money. Especially from the pulpit, money may be the most taboo subject in
America, and yet the pastor who refuses to talk about money misses a
great opportunity to teach the congregation the real meaning of
stewardship. A very inspiring, well-thought-out essay from the Rev.
William O. Avery. (11/8/04)
Our
ministry visible and invisible. In his
letter to his congregation, a stewardship chairman asks members to consider two aspects of ministry. "Over
the course of years, what is visible and invisible to you and me may depend
on our circumstances, interests, or place in life at the time. The visible
church is only a small portion of what [our church] brings to its members.
There is much more!" By
the Ronald E. Keener. (10/25/04)
Where
your treasure is, your heart will be also. "In
our lives we want to desperately hold on to what we have -- people,
relationships, material possessions, power, prestige, and even money. And we
don't want anyone else to tell us what to do with any of them. We tend to
think they are ours to have and to hold from this time forth and forever
more. But these are only temporary." Inspirational reading from the Rev. Kristi
Beebe. (11/15/04)
More than tipping -- tithing! "Living unthankfully to God
is living with a low-grade fever, as dangerous to our health as leprosy. Not contagious or dangerous in
itself, it leads to disfigurement, decay! Living gratefully to God, on the
other hand, gives us a healthy glow that comes from turning to our Creator.
Giving gratitude to God means coming to feel good about ourselves."'
By the Rev. Roy Roderick. (10/18/04)
Stewardship, Faith and Life. "Although
we profess a wider understanding of stewardship, we have allowed it to be
primarily focused on the given of money. Even when we add time and talent to
our discussion, the message we hear is related to money. We need to focus on
the 'need of the giver to give' versus the 'need of the institution to
receive.' " By Duane Englehardt. (10/18/04)
Tithing: A good response? When
giving is based on thanks, those who cannot tithe will not feel shame or
guilt. One person said, 'I know I am cheating my Lord when I do not tithe,
but I cannot give more than 5 percent.' Another whose income was barely
enough to pay the rent and feed his family said, 'Do I give to feed the
hungry in Africa and not have enough to feed my own family?' " By the Rev. David F.
Conrad. (09/27/04)
Management is a learned art. "The
management of our lives as Christians is a learned art that is the Holy
Spirit's work of making us more nearly whole. (Sanctification is the
theological word for this process of growth.) As Christians, our vocation is
to be stewards of our lives and all of creation. In particular, we are
especially challenged to manage that part of creation in which we are placed
to live and utilize our gifts. By the Rev. L. Douglas Stowe, pastor
of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Hampton, Va. (09/20/04)
Giving hilariously: No-nonsense stewardship. “For
God loves a cheerful giver,” St. Paul
writes in Cor. 9:6-7. When greed
is in charge, we cling to money and possessions as if they were permanently ours. When we rise above greed, we give to God's work 'hilariously.' The Greek word we translate 'cheerful' is 'hilarious.' Paul challenges us to give 'hilariously.' That means giving spontaneously and giving
joyfully. The Macedonians rose above greed by giving hilariously. So can
we!” By the Rev. Ron Lavin. (9/13/04)
Every
member visits: Challenges as opportunities. "People
are learning that stewardship is not a dangerous monster threatening to
break into their homes and steal their money. Commitments to the Lord and
His church are generously given following a visit by trained visitors to
every member household." By the Rev.
Kurt Wandrey. (9/6/4)
Resourcefulness. "Resourcefulness
is one of the touchstones for achieving greatness. Sometimes in life we must
do what it takes to adjust to adverse conditions. We discover what really
works when the chips are down. We turn to a new way when expected things
fail us. Beautiful signs of greatness often emerge as we come face-to-face
with overwhelming odds, and find ways to cope or overcome." By the Rev.
Peter Marty. (08/30/04)
Discovering your church's mission. "The primary
focus of the church centers on the Gospel. The work of the congregation must
grow out of this focus. The structure of the congregation is helpful only as
it facilitates mission and ministry. If we take away our focus, the church
has no compelling reason for existence." By the Rev.
Roger Skatrud. (08/23/04)
Proclaiming stewardship. Here's a gem for pastors who want to emphasize stewardship
from the pulpit and classroom. Susan K. Hedahl,
professor of homiletics, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, offers tips for sermons and temple talks. "Ask
what the stewardship profile of your congregation is -- Before public
proclamation, it is necessary to ask: Where have we been? As a congregation,
what gifts do we already employ for ourselves and others? Where do we hope
to be in the months, the years ahead? Which resources do we need to
consider, expand, develop?" (08/16/04)
And be thankful! "If
we are indeed thankful, then surely a manifestation of that gratitude will
be a generous sharing of the love and blessings we have received from a
gracious God. Paul reminds us that this thankfulness is to be expressed in
whatever we do, in word and deed -- another way of saying that we should put
our "faith in action" always and in all ways!" By Clint Schroeder. (8/9/04)
Stewardship of People. Institutional
loyalty is admirable and deserves development and encouragement. But it can
easily rate ahead of a loyalty and concern for fellow workers. The
institution can swallow up the “risk” and “emotion” of people relationships.
We can “hide” and “slip by” in the vast machinery of an institution." By Glen Holmquist. (8/2/04)
Testimony of a tither. "Some
people think of a tithe as legalistic. For me, a tithe is only the beginning
of giving. A tithe is not an amount, but rather a dedication and a commitment to give of our first fruits." By Robert O. Drange. (7/26/4)
Pastor: Fund Raiser for Mission. "The time has come in
our church when we, as clergy and leaders, can no longer divorce ourselves
from raising money for mission. To a present culture of materialism,
selfishness, and consumerism, we are called to model in our own lives and
teach others Christian financial stewardship." By Jerry L. Schmalenberger,
former president and professor of parish life at Pacific Lutheran
Theological Seminary. (07/19/04)
The Stewardship of Effort. "Love
in action requires energy given to us by God and always usable for the glory
of God. When energy flows through our being, it becomes much easier when we,
with vigor -- containing our integrity, spend the necessary time to fully
express our thanks to our God. It also assures us of renewal of energy
should it be required." By Arthur L. Larson,
benefactor of the Stewardship of Life Institute. (07/12/04)
Francis of Assisi: Steward of a Radical Faith. He lived more than half a millennium ago, but St.
Francis has much to teach stewards of today, says Gerald Christianson,
history professor at Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. "We
stand under judgment because of our greed, our grasping, our accumulating, our self-love — in short, all that Francis
perceived would continually afflict those who have. Yet, at the
same time, we live under the promise. "I am not ashamed of the gospel", Paul
writes in Romans 1:16, "it is the power of God into salvation."
(07/05/04)
Non-Materialistic Lifestyle. "To
be free of stuff, and the desire for more stuff, has a certain appeal. Do
you agree? Even to be released from the chains of keeping up with society,
its fads, and its styles would be a great gift. If we could become
"completely non-materialistic," what would that mean? Would we live happier
lives? Would we be stress free? Would we become more effective in our work?
Would our sense of values improve? Could it simplify and improve our
lifestyle?" By Glenn Holmquist.
(06/28/04)
Christ, However ... . Here's
a meditation on Hebrews 3:6: "The Gospel calls us to be good stewards of our
prayer lives, so that we might experience the mystery of God in Christ on a
daily basis. It calls us to be good stewards of our time in service of our
Gospel ministry. It calls us to be good stewards of actions, so that they
may serve as witnesses to all. It calls us to be good stewards of salvation
by grace through faith." By George Schnieder.(06/21/04)
Endowments: Hidden Miracle or Hidden Peril? "Many
congregations are doing marvelous things with their endowments and are
empowered. There is a sense of mission, purpose, and empowerment in these
congregations as they reach out beyond their own needs to address the needs
of others. Other congregations are gasping, suffocating, or even dying
because of their endowments. Why? Because they have yielded to the
temptation that we all have experienced. Let's take an easier road." By
Duane Englehardt.
(6/14/04)
Our
Charge: To Do God's Work. "We
must provide a way for each member of the body of Christ to exercise his or her gifts, including the gift of financial support to the
church. We believe it is essential to ask for regular commitments
which address the basic needs of the church. The early church took care of the basics by the people sharing everything they had, something that is probably
not practical with today's lifestyle, but
the concept provides the foundation for the commitments we make
today." By
the Lt. Col. David Penman, USMC.(6/7/04)
Two
Questions, Two Incredible Answers. "Do
you know what else God does with this 'everything in heaven and in the
earth' that is God's? Listen, again, to the psalmist: The eyes of all wait
upon you, O Lord, and you give them their meat in due season. You open your
hand and satisfy the desire or every living thing." That's the "second"
thing God does with this "everything in heaven and in the earth" that is
God's . . . God shares it with you . . . freely gives you everything you
need to nourish, to sustain, to make rich and full the life God has given
you . . .." By
the Rev. George Haynes.
(5/31/04)
The
Positives of Pledging. "Whether
we call it a pledge, a commitment, an intent, or something else, it all
comes down to the same thing: a statement that a proportionate share of our
monetary resources is to be given for the proclamation of the Gospel. It
says that our Christian giving is not only on a par with everything else in
our household budget, but indeed is at the top of the list! We want to give
the first fruits for the Lord’s work!" By
Clint Schroeder.
(5/24/04)
The
Positives of Pledging. "Whether
we call it a pledge, a commitment, an intent, or something else, it all
comes down to the same thing: a statement that a proportionate share of our
monetary resources is to be given for the proclamation of the Gospel. It
says that our Christian giving is not only on a par with everything else in
our household budget, but indeed is at the top of the list! We want to give
the first fruits for the Lord’s work!" By
Clint Schroeder. (05/17/04)
Question for Youth: Where Have All the Eagles Gone? Here's an
exercise for youth to help them learn about the effect of human activities
on the environment, and then to put that awareness into action through
advocacy and education.
"I developed an eco-skit based on the situation of the Bald Eagles in North
America. Since many young people seem enamored by these birds of pray, there
probably will be some immediate interest." By the Rev.
Dr. Clifton J. Suehr, pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Irwin, Pa.
(05/17/04)
Open
to God's Surprises. "Congregationally based stewardship begins with the steadfast recounting of
the story of the riches of God’s grace lavished upon us in Jesus Christ,
crucified and risen. That story defines who we are, namely, children of God
called to faith by the Water and the Word of Baptism, nurtured and sustained
by the Lord’s Supper, blessed and empowered by the Spirit of God, placed
within the community of faith." By the Rev. Marcus Lohrmann, bishop of the
Northwest Ohio Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. (05/10/04)
The
Stories of Isaiah and Pepe What do Israel's greatest prophet and a present-day advocate
for Mexico's poorest have in common? Plenty, and the implications for
stewardship are profound. "By hearing their stories, you and I also can be
transformed in our sense of call, because we cannot hear these stories
without examining how God calls us to serve the people among whom we live." By the Rev. Dr. William Avery, stewardship professor
at Gettysburg Lutheran Seminary. (05/03/04)
Leaf Composting on the Prairie. "Solid
waste disposal facilities are at a premium. It becomes clear than that these
facilities cannot afford to accept materials that can be easily composted.
But that's not the only to consider composting leaves! Composted leaves are
a valuable resource. It can be used to fertilize lawns and gardens, as an
excellent mulching material, and can even be utilized as part of a potting
soil mix." By the Rev. Kathleen Kinney. (04/26/04)
Bluebird Nesting Boxes: A Project for Youth
and Adults. "This
project, which also involves building bluebird nesting boxes, is designed
for a two hour youth group session for children about nine to twelve years
of age. The project opens with a call to worship that gathers the children
into a community to focus on their response to God’s call to become
caretakers of the world." By Richard Carter and Edward Ebersole. (04/19/04)
The Church's Call to Environmental
Stewardship."The
biblical call to stewardship will lead us to foster quality of life. The
quality of life that is measured only by material goods and economic factors
is incomplete. Total quality of life must include the health and stability
of the natural world, relative justice and peace for people, and the free
and true worship of God Almighty. It is on this basis, on this biblical
vision, that Christians are motivated to respond to ecological crises." By Gilson A.C. Waldkoenig. (04/12/04)
Confirmation Emphasis: Environmental Stewardship. Here's a
six-part program for confirmands to explore a complex issue that affects us
all. "Given today’s serious environmental challenges, both locally and
globally, it is appropriate to make stewardship of the environment a much
higher priority than in the past. This is an excellent opportunity to talk
with youth about situations that impact their lives on a daily basis." By Mark D. Gibbs.
(04/05/04)
Lighting
the First Candle. "We shall never know the true meaning of being faithful
stewards until we are prepared to risk the transitory for the sake of the
ethereal." By Robert Buhr. (3/29/04)
Stewardship in the Congregation. "The stewardship of the gospel begins where we are. It is
within and outside the congregation that we share the responsibility and
accountability with other stewards of the gospel. And it needs to be said as
forcibly as possible that what we do is as important as what we say. Someone
has wisely observed that "It is not enough to talk the talk, unless we also
walk the walk." By Roger Smith, Region 8 deployed ELCA
stewardship specialist. (3/22/04)
Grace
& Gratitude Grow Givers. "This money, this talent,
this time that I have is all owned by the one who shaped and fashioned me
into his child. It all belongs to the one who made me and who claimed me in
holy baptism. When I have settled this ownership issue then I have settled
some very basic issues about my life. I have settled the issue of life's
basic direction. So I am pointed in the direction of how I can best be
shaped by the potter who fashioned me." By Larry Smith.
(3/15/04)
Athletes Putting Their Faith In Action. "We may never know what
all of the Christian athletes give, or in the many ways they give, nor is it
any of our business to know how much money they give, but we do know that
many of these athletes practice Christian humility and put their "faith in
action" on the playing field and off. These highly-skilled athletes are
thankful for their God-given abilities which makes them so great. " By Ralph Gould. (3/8/04)
Zacchaeus,
Patron Saint of Stewards. "Zacchaeus
did not promise to read scripture more faithfully nor to attend the
synagogue more regularly. On this occasion he was not pledging his time or
his talent to the programmatic mission of the faith community. Worthy as
those are -- and necessary for the life of the people of God -- this visit
was about something else. This commitment was to re-order his financial
priorities and his stewardship of material things. " By the Rev. Glenn Schoonover.
(3/1/04)
Economics Vs. Stewardship. "I constantly am struck by
parallels between my life's work as an economist and my concept to Christian
stewardship - in economics we deal with how we use our resources to fill our
human wants, in stewardship we deal with how we choose to use God's gifts to
us. I have noted that those who are closest to our basic resources - closest
to the land, water and other natural resources - have the best perspective
on what good stewardship means." By the Rev.
Richard L. Peterman.
(2/23/04)
Can Stewardship Be More Inviting? "All stewardship talk
which begins with money starts at the wrong place. The place to begin
meaningful stewardship conversation is with the concept of freedom.
... God’s love is freely given to us simply because we are God’s children,
simply because God loves us apart from our worthiness or unworthiness. When
we learn this truth and appropriate it at the center of our being, then we
are truly free." By the Rev. William O. Avery,
stewardship professor at Lutheran Theological
Seminary at Gettysburg.
(2/16/04)
A Little ... It is Enough The story of Jesus miraculously feeding the 5,000 is so important, it's the
only account shared in all four gospels. It offers many lessons for
modern-day stewards. "Are we not to this very day, much like those
first followers of Jesus? We are all too fond of committees. We will do an
analysis of most any situation and decide what cannot be done. And have good
reasons for it." By Kenneth Fink. (1/19/04)
Money: Do Our Attitudes andPractices Reflect Our
Faith? "I need to daily remind
myself that everything I have, yes even life itself, is a gift from God. I
do this by offering a prayer of thanksgiving at the beginning of every day
for this new day and for the many blessings that continue to be bestowed by
God. We are tempted by the sin within us and the multitude of events around
us to want to put our faith in man. Money especially has this power. " By Duane
Engelhardt. (1/12/04)
Stewardship Bottleneck. "It is hard to believe that the root cause for poor stewardship is a
simple little two letter word. It is a word that we learn early in life,
long before we learn that we have and are responsible for all of the gifts
God has entrusted into our care. Babies often use this word by the time they
are barely one year old. From that point on, it guides most of us for our
entire life. What is this evil and malicious word? It is the simple word
'my,' that is, belonging to me." By Robert
Drange. (1/5/4)
Good Stewardship Begins with the Pastor. "Like any top executive in a successful corporation, the pastor must be
willing to put forth time and effort far beyond what he or she expects of
his or her people. The pastor sets the standard and the tone. If a pastor is
not willing to make some sacrifices, he or she should find another less
demanding profession. It’s that simple." By
Robert Zimmer. (12/29/3)
Random Thoughts on Stewardship. "If we give out of
surplus, or in a leftover manner, we have ignored the gifts God has given
us. We have not planned our response to God for all we have been blessed
with. We are more concerned with what we want for ourselves than what God
wants for all people." By Helmut Kaffine. (12/22/03)
Small Coins/Big Money , Robert
Scmitt.
"If we give out of
surplus, or in a leftover manner, we have ignored the gifts God has given
us. We have not planned our response to God for all we have been blessed
with. We are more concerned with what we want for ourselves than what God
wants for all people." (12/15/03)
Church and Money, Glen
Holmquist. "Certainly we need to encourage the giving of time and talent, but when
service becomes a substitute for the tithe, then we are doing a disservice
to people who need victory in their lives. Begin to tithe and the
committed involvement will follow. " (12/8/03)
Stewardship, Faith and Life, Duane
Englehardt. "Although we profess a wider understanding of stewardship, we
have allowed it to be primarily focused on the given of money. Even when
we add time and talent to our discussion, the message we hear is related
to money. We need to focus on the 'need of the giver to give' versus the
'need of the institution to receive.' " (12/01/03)
The Three T's
Reconsidered, Robert A. Hoffman. "Stewardship does not
begin with giving, but with receiving. It does not begin with an action, but
with an attitude; everything that I have has been given to me."
(11/24/03) |
For nearly a century, Lutheran Laity Movement for
Stewardship assisted, inspired and trained congregations in important ways.
LLM