Everybody agrees a finance committee is essential to a congregation, but many do not have clear guidelines, goals or job descriptions for their members. How can they know whether they’re doing a good job? Here are 11 tasks that a committee should be doing, from Smart Church Management. (Illustration: AJ Cann, Creative Commons)
“God never intended for us to use his creation in the destructive way that we do today,” writes Jennifer Belknap, a sophomore at the University of Portland (OR), in ChristianityToday. Her deeply personal essay explores the state of God’s creation and what we can do to help as individuals or churches. What can YOU do?
Consistent communication, education and action will help develop a culture of stewardship and generosity in your congregation. The Stewardship Toolbox can help! This month’s free newsletter article and resources center on Stewardship of Our Church. Adopt the theme in your church by encouraging or sponsoring healthy, social activities and fun games. (Photo: Ken, Creative Commons)
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.” (Photo: Sultry,Creative Commons)
From deckside barbecues to seaside clambakes, and from ice-cream cones to smores by the campfire, summer offers us lots of opportunities to overindulge. But by making smart and informed decisions, you can enjoy summer treats without endangering your health, says this article from Health.com.
Check out Quartz’s inspirational profile of Katherine Hayhoe, an evangelical Christian and director of the Climate Science Center of Texas Tech University. A worldwide lecturer on how humans are changing the planet, Hayhoe speaks prophetically about how our faith calls us to care for the planet. And like all prophets, she gets pushback.
Stewardship is more than financial giving, writes author and consultant Julia Kuhn Wallace. It is a sense of thanksgiving for all that God has given us, including care giving for the world around us! She presents eight ideas for developing stewardship in a smaller congregation. Which might work for yours? From ChristianityToday.com. (Photo: Dublin Molly, […]
After so many appeals for assistance, some donors become desensitized to requests for money. Could this pattern, noticed by charities that respond to disasters, also apply to everyday congregations? The strategies that may work for disaster-relief fundraisers can help your own efforts. From Greater Good Magazine.
Anxiety is the body’s built-in response to perceived danger—the brain’s “fight or flight response.” But sometimes our bodies respond as if we are in danger when, in reality, we are not. Mindfulness may help us develop a healthier body, spirit and mind. From Mindspirit.com. (Photo: Leland Francisco, Creative Commons)
“White space” began as a publishing term for parts of a page on which nothing is printed. Designers include white space to keep the words and artwork from looking too crowded. We need white space around all areas of our lives, including our finances, writes blogger Dawn Sparks in SimpleMoney.com
