January 1 is less than two months away, so now’s the time to plan for a year-round stewardship effort that can help transform the culture of your church and the hearts of your people to incline toward generosity. This resource from the United Methodist Church lays out a simple 12-month plan to educate, inspire and nudge […]
Many parents give their children an allowance for doing chores because it helps to build discipline. Allowance money can go numerous places, some spiritually rewarding and others detrimental. It is important for the church to help teach stewardship to children. One fun way to do this is to use “Bible Bucks.” This article from the […]
Serving God’s people reaps many joys, but it’s also a highly stressful vocation. And for too many ministers that stress results in extra weight, according to a United Methodist Study. It showed that clergy suffer from obesity, high cholesterol, borderline hypertension, borderline diabetes, asthma and depression at significantly higher rates than do other demographically comparable […]
In your church, is the word “stewardship” synonymous with a multiweek fall campaign? What if stewardship were more than a campaign? What if it were a mindset? And what if stewardship were incorporated in every season? Here are five keys to consider. (Photo: The Original Muddog, Creative Commons)
Does the person who heads up stewardship at your congregation have a good “job description”? Sadly, the answer at many congregations is “no,” and the poor soul who is tasked with stewardship flounders around. This article from the United Methodist Church has some great ideas. (Photo: Kandyjaxx, Creative Commons)
You never know when your congregation may receive a gift that raises moral, legal or ethical questions, but you can be better prepared if you think through the issues a bit and form a policy. This sample gift-acceptance policy from the United Methodist Church can guide you. (Photo: Asenat29, Creative Commons)
A line-item budget puts people to sleep, but a narrative budget energizes people for mission and encourages them to give. Check out this excellent narrative budget brochure from Hixon (Tennessee) United Methodist Church. What can your church do better? (Photo: Sarah Reid, Creative Commons)
With the effects of climate growing more severe all the time, some churches are ridding their investment portofolios of fossil fuel stocks. This study guide looks at two Gospel parables and what they may say about divestment. From the Pacific Northwest Conference of the United Methodist Church. (Photo: Trocaire, Creative Commons)
The starting point for stewardship is our relationship to God, says Methodist writer Larry Hollon. A vibrant, flourishing life occurs when we are in a right relationship with God and with others. These relationships inform us of our own value and the value of the gift of life, and its meaning and purpose.
The gift planning strategy of a local congregation should be geared to encouraging people to give and to make it easier for them to do so. Honor gifts (donated in the name of living people) and memorial gifts (donated in the name of the deceased) are wonderful vehicles for giving, but many churches fail to make the most of them by having no set policies or sloppy policies on how to handle them. Here are some practical tips. (Photo: Bill McChesney, Creative Commons)
