Should a pastor know how much people give? Some call it a “third rail” of ministry — touch it get zapped! Others say the knowledge is essential to good ministry. This United Methodist Church article discusses up the pros and cons while also lifting up ways to encourage healthy talk about money in church.
The end of the accounting year always means lots of work and headaches for the church finance team, but this article can help them get through it in accordance with legal and bookkeeping proficiency. From FreeChurchAccounting.com. (Photo: www.SeniorLiving.Org, used by permission)
Who says learning about stewardship has to be dull? Teach generosity to the children in your family or your church and have some fun in the process with these activities prepared by Food for the Hungry. The activities also help bring an understanding of poverty and daily life in other countries. (Photo: Stephen Depolo, Creative […]
The holidays offer lots of rich and tempting foods, but many of us need to watch what we eat for health reasons. Eating mindfully can help moderate. And even if food does not present health challenges, we all can enjoy our food more fully with mindful eating. This bulletin from Harvard Medical School explains. (Photo: […]
“If you’re going to be effective in ministry, you have to become comfortable talking about money. Few church leaders I know are,” writes church consultant Carey Nieuwhof. Those who don’t address money are generally leading their congregations to bankruptcy. Nieuwhof offers seven good ideas. (Photo: www.inkmedia.eu, Creative Commons)
The Lutheran World Federation is urging members to raise their voices and take action after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s report that warned of dire consequences by 2040 if the world does not address greenhouse gas emissions. Read the statement and click on the link to the IPCC report. (Photo: Takver, Creative Commons)
Some fall stewardship campaigns are like autumn leaves — predictable and easy for folks to take for granted. But a little creativity and technical know-how can boost your campaign to another level. This resource from the United Methodist Church explains how. (Photo: Niuton may, Creative Commons)
Here’s a brainy, in-depth look at the ethics of big-dollar philanthropy. The New Yorker‘s Elizabeth Kolbert looks at the issue from the days of Andrew Carnegie to the present and questions whether ultra-rich donors achieve the positive results they purport to desire. (Photo: Mykl Roventine, Creative Commons)
Revised Common Lectionary Reflection for the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year B, August 19, 2018
What is this “wise bread” and wine with which Wisdom sets her table and invites us to partake? How can Jesus claim that we are to eat his body and drink his blood, as John’s gospel reports? Yes, this week in the bread cycle takes radical turn that requires thinking outside of comfortable and literal boxes. Ready to eat? (Photo: Claude Monet, Creative Commons)
It’s an all-around win when a church becomes a “Cool Congregation” to save energy, cut greenhouse gas emissions and free up money in the process. Interfaith Power & Light’s “Cool Congregation” program can show you how to mobilize God’s people to get involved in caring for God’s creation. (Photo: Michael Coghlan, Creative Commons)
