What’s the “common good” mean in our “me first culture”? Stewarding the Common Good is the theme of this month’s free Stewardship Toolkit from Rob Blezard, web editor for the Stewardship of Life Institute. It explores the theme in a newsletter article, Sunday bulletin snippets and links to web resources.
During the Sunday offering, are you asking your congregation to “give money” or are you inviting them to participate in what God is doing in the world? Sadly, most stewardship efforts fail to inspire generosity, but United Methodist Church has suggestions on how to change that. (Photo: Gayle Nicholson, Creative Commons)
Plastic is already a big problem in the world’s oceans, but it will triple in 20 years unless we take drastic action. That’s the conclusion of a study by the Pew Charitable Trust, which estimates 11 million metric tons of plastic is dumped into the oceans yearly. They spell out what we need to do. […]
When the pandemic hit several months ago, church leaders were immediately thrust in the position of being both generosity and digital experts overnight. How have churches responded? In lots of different ways, although some interesting patterns have emerged, says this article from LifeWay. (Photo: Eugene Zemlyanskiy, Creative Commons.)
Theory is great, but putting it into practice is even better. Here are eight steps you and your leadership team can follow to develop a written theology of stewardship to guide and grow your church’s culture of generosity. By Horizons Stewardship’s Joel Mikell, via Vanco. (Photo: Photo (c) Keren Tan, ShareAlike License)
Stretching is much like flossing. You know it’s good for your health, but for whatever reason, you may not always make time for it. Regular stretching becomes especially important as you age. Flexibility naturally declines over time, as muscles lose strength and tone, and ligaments and tendons get tighter. Harvard Medical School offers a simple […]
Not all gifts are helpful to receive. A gift acceptance policy can help when a church has to refuse a gift that either does not fit the needs of the congregation or would create a financial or legal liability. The Episcopal Diocese of Washington offers this sample policy. (Photo by Deklofenak, via Big Stock Photo.)
If the church wins the lottery, that’s luck. Other than that, most congregational paths to financial stability involve remaining prayerful, being faithful, acting smart and staying on top of things. Here are 12 best practices that can guide your way, from Grow a Healthy Church. (Photo by Lisafx, via Bigstock.com)
Pope Francis has followed up “Laudato Si,” his landmark 2015 encyclical on the environment, with practical steps for achieving sustainability. Called “Journey for the Care of the Common Home,” the document provides guidance God’s people concerned about creation, Religion News Service reports. (Photo: Aleteia Image Department, Creative Commons)
Summertime, and the traveling is … tricky! You definitely want to take that vacation for health of body and mind, but caution is advised as the pandemic continues unabated in many parts of the world. This Wall Street Journal article answers common questions. (Photo: by 19melissa68, Creative Commons)
