Fall is the time that most churches ask congregants to return pledges or estimates of giving. But for a lot of reasons the timetable’s not ideal, says Horizons Stewardship, which suggests moving the pledging window to January or February. This insightful article tells you why.
In Advent and Christmas we rejoice in the “new thing” that God did for us with Jesus. 2020 has been such a turbulent year, December’s stewardship toolkit explores the question, “to what new thing is God calling us today?” Free newsletter, RCL-based stewardship snippets and resources. Produced by SOLI. (Photo © Les Cunliffe – Fotolia.com)
Wondering how to approach a stewardship campaign in the era of COVID-19? Ken Sloane of the United Methodist Church offers ideas that affirm the importance of the church’s ongoing mission while being sensitive to economic loss, attentive to people’s experiences and stories, and grateful for all gifts. (Photo: www.inkmedia.eu, Creative Commons)
How many times a day can you say “thank you” to someone? That’s the theme challenge in November’s Stewardship Toolkit, a communications package offering a newsletter article, Sunday bulletin snippets and resources to explore the theme. By Rob Blezard, SOLI web editor. (Photo: Ken, Creative Commons)
The 2020 report by Giving USA, a credible source on American philanthropy, outlines deepening problems and worrisome signs for religious nonprofits. Nearly every church is feeling financial pressure from these trends. From Horizons Stewardship.
As the pandemic drags on, leaders ask, “How in the world are we supposed to do a stewardship emphasis when we can hardly gather in-person for worship?” Every congregation has its own priorities, but ELCA pastor and author Charles Lane, offers three things to consider. (Photo: Jerrybuckel, Creative Commons)
The pandemic has turned our churches upside down, and it’s impossible to predict the short- and long-term financial stewardship implications. But it is clear that stewardship and generosity ministry must adapt and change. Luther Seminary’s stewardship newsletter offers some ideas. (Photo: Ged Carroll, Creative Commons)
We want God’s people to be generous hearted and give to God’s ministry — not just money, but their hearts and minds as well. But how can we help people to become more generous-hearted? Chris Willard this issue in an insightful three-part resource in LeaderNet. (Photo: Gayle Nicholson, Creative Commons)
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)
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.)
