A year-round stewardship strategy is a good way to nurture a culture of generosity in your congregation. Watch this video of a webinar from the United Methodist Church to learn how. Handouts available. (Photo: Philip Chapman-Bell, Creative Commons)
Where to start when you don’t know what to do
Congregations face so many problems, it’s easy for church leaders to get overwhelmed. This excellent free diagnostic tool from the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving can help clarify a way forward with the help of suggested resources. (Photo: Mimi K., Creative Commons)
Where do churches spend too much, AND too little!
Many churches have lopsided budgets — spending too much in some areas and not enough in others. How can your church achieve a better balance? From the Lewis Center for Church Leadership.
Five good reasons to lead your congregation in planned giving
Most planned gifts come in the form of bequests or beneficiary designations. If you’re hesitant to talk about this you are hardly alone, but your congregation might be missing out on some ministry-changing generosity! From the United Methodist Church. (Photo: David Morris, Commons License)
The new federal CARES Act may save your church!
The Paycheck Protection Program grants loans to small businesses (including churches) to help keep workers employed during the COVID-19 emergency. The loans are potentially 100 percent forgivable. Excellent resources from the United Methodist Church. (Photo: Rain Love AMR, Creative Commons)
Fifteen minutes to better ministry budget
The way most church leaders approach budgeting may not yield the best results for congregation because it focuses on income and expenditures, NOT on goals and ministry priorities. What’s a congregational leader to do? This article from Logan Leadership has some suggestions. (Photo: Werner_Hahn, Creative Commons)
11 things your finance committee should be doing
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)
Know Your Congregation’s Unique Money Style
Every congregation has its own attitudes, ideas, understandings and suppositions about how church money should be gathered, counted and spent. You could call it their money style. Knowing their money style will enable a wise leader to set effective policies and procedures to keep tabs on the finances. This article from ChistianityToday looks at four typical church […]
Stewardship is a Pastor’s Responsibility
Giving is a part of being a disciple, right? If the pastor’s job is to raise up disciples, can he or she be said to be effectively doing his job if stewardship is not taught, preached or modeled? Could it be that one reason giving continues to decline year after year is that pastors are […]
Use this Year-Round Stewardship Calendar
Here is an excellent planning resource! Each month, the church season is explained and a theme is identified around which individual and congregational activities might take place in five recurring categories: Spiritual Growth, Ministry Spotlight, Financial Health, Outside Ourselves and God’s Creation. From the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas. (Photo: Philip Chapman-Bell, Creative Commons
