You may be dreaming of a green Christmas, but it’s pretty hard to achieve when there’s so much consumption taking place in our throwaway culture. And we know that lots of consumption usually means lots of waste. But The Guardian’s A to Z tips can show you how to enjoy the holidays without costing the […]
You know the drill: Shop, shop, shop for a Christmas gift. Look, look, look for something that’s nice and within your budget. Spend, spend, spend on your credit card, then pay, pay, pay it off. There’s a better way. Handmade Christmas gifts tell your loved ones that you care because you’ve done more than just […]
Living in the glory of God’s creation within or near woodlands may actually be better for your brain and help you cope better with stress, according to a recent German study. Previous research has linked access to green space to longer lives, lower levels of aggression, and kids’ cognitive development. If you can’t live in the woods, at least […]
Think of the church leaders you admire for their effectiveness. Chances are they exude a sense of gratitude for who they are, where they are and what they are doing. Not that things are perfect, but they deal with problems and life. Gratitude affects your attitude and makes a big difference in your ministry. Leadership […]
We live in a culture where instant gratification is the norm; even our children learn to expect immediate reward at an early age. Presbyterian Pastor Christopher Edmonston writes eloquently and persuasively about the power of Advent to slow us down and teach us the grace of delayed gratification. Take a deep breath, slow down, and […]
Sometimes it takes a trip outside of one’s culture to see it in better light. Such was the case for blogger Emma Sleeth Davis when she visited England and saw how the Brits’ everyday habits promoted better physical health, more vigorous outdoor living and lower energy use than what she was used to in the […]
Maybe we’re all in this kind of a bind: At the same time that we want to give our children things that they desire, we also want them to grow up grateful and not take for granted the things they have. Writing in The Atlantic, Jenn Choi describes how she found ways to instill these […]
Late in ordinary time is the time that most churches opt to run stewardship campaigns, but Advent is a great season, too, for a lot of reasons. First, worship attendance is usually pretty high. Second, people are already in the giving and spending mood. Third, folks might be open to making a year-end tax deductable […]
Regular exercise with friends is good both for your health and for your relationships, with benefits including lower stress and improved overall quality of life far more than exercising by yourself. Researchers found that those who spent at least 30 minutes a week exercising in a group showed significant improvements in three quality-of-life measures: mental, physical […]
Wise stewardship leaders know the value of asking congregation members to share their personal stories of generosity and giving. But they also know that testimonies about giving and money are powerful when done well and disastrous when done poorly. In this article, author Nate Berneking outlines how an interview approach to testimony can keep things […]
