“To know, or not to know?” That is the question that Hamlet surely never had to ask, but church leaders wrestle with it as they ponder whether to look at the donation records for their church. Faith & Leadership explores the “common assumptions” with the “actual facts.” (Photo: Edith Soto, Creative Commons)
Many churches and church leaders mistakenly avoid talking about money. In fact, a theology of money is central to our individual spiritual formation, the health of our institutions and the way we participate in God’s mission in the world, writes David P. King, director of Lake Institute on Faith & Giving. He explains why and […]
Noted architect David Greusel believes that Christians should care about built environments that allow all people to flourish where they work, pray, play, and gather, and that this care is part of our stewardship of creation. “The church had a central role in the discussion about what is good architecture but basically abandoned it,” he said. Read this interview from […]
It’s been said that people fall into one of three categories — givers, takers and matchers. Because it’s most often the “givers” who help your ministry achieve its goals and advance its mission, you want to be sure to create the conditions for the givers to do their best at what they do best — give. Great insights from Duke Divinity’s Faith & Leadership. (Photo © momius – Fotolia.com)
Is it possible to cultivate a mindset within our congregations and institutions that would reframe the stresses of the budgeting and fundraising season? Could a “sharing” mindset open up more creativity and decrease the feeling of fighting for scarce resources? The mindset I have in mind is “generosity,” writes David Odom, executive director, Leadership Education at Duke Divinity School.
In a time of great needs and limited resources, congregations are increasingly looking to outside fundingsources. A former Duke Endowment officer tells how churches can connect with the world of philanthropy. (Photo © rangizzz – Fotolia.com)
As a young pastor in the 1960s, William Enright avoided talking about money in church, so it’s interesting that he spent the better part of his career taking on “the big taboo” in church life. Now as the director of the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving he is in a good position to help Christians, and especially church leaders, engage in a constructive conversation about money. and adopt a healthy attitude toward wealth. (Photo © Alfredo Müller – Fotolia.com)
In his singleminded vision and uncompromising pursuit of justice and reconciliation, Nelson Mandela is revered as one of our age’s greatest leaders. In this article, Duke University’s Faith & Leadership magazine offers a compilation of essays it has published about Mandela over the years. (Photo by Ted Eytan, used by Creative Commons license. Thanks!)
A pastor who once weighed over 400 pounds and preached while attached to an oxygen tank lost his weight and energized his congregation’s ministry by asking members to pledge a dollar or two for every pound he lost. That kind of playful innovation is sorely needed because clergy face higher rates of obesity than people in […]
