12 Goals Finance and Stewardship Leaders Might Choose
Church financial leaders are encouraged to set one or two focused goals to strengthen mission and financial health. From creating narrative budgets to teaching year-round…
Browsing: Funding
Articles
Being a Stewardship Leader Requires Clarity
Margaret Marcuson encourages pastors to reflect deeply on their own motivations, habits, and beliefs around giving, including influences from upbringing and current practices. By understanding…
10 Ways Consolidation Can Strengthen Your Church’s Impact
Stewardship expert Ken Sloane writes that consolidation, when led by prayer and purpose, is a faithful act of stewardship that revitalizes mission and ministry. By…
Church Giving and Worship Attendance Trends: An In-depth Interview with Joe Park
What are current church giving and worship attendance trends? Joe Park unpacks key trends in worship attendance and giving from Horizons Stewardship’s Church Giving and…
“Church Giving and Worship Attendance Trends” featuring Joe Park
Podcast Episode 170 What are the current church giving and worship attendance trends? In this conversation, Joe Park unpacks key trends in worship attendance and…
Cultivating Generosity in Marginalized Communities: An In-depth Interview with Carlos Perkins
How can church leaders cultivate generosity in marginalized communities? In this interview, Jessica Anschutz speaks with Carlos Perkins who emphasizes that many Black, Latinx, and…
“Cultivating Generosity in Marginalized Communities” featuring Carlos Perkins
Podcast Episode 168 How can church leaders cultivate generosity in marginalized communities? In this episode, Jessica Anschutz speaks with Carlos Perkins who emphasizes that many…
5 Tips for Rightsizing Stewardship in Your Church
In the face of declining membership and shifting demographic patterns, many local churches are rightsizing stewardship for long-term sustainability and vibrant ministry. Ken Sloane outlines…
10 Ways to Turn Off Your Donors
Stewardship expert Ken Sloane says the relationship between a church, or any charitable organization, and its donors is delicate. He names ten common mistakes churches…
How Do Your Church’s Post-Pandemic Finances Compare with Other Churches?
Lovett H. Weems, Jr. shares information on how the pandemic affected congregations financially, drawing on data from a recent Hartford Institute report. Overall, the report…
9 Questions to Ask if Your Church Giving is in Decline
Stewardship expert Joe Park says churches can promote more generous giving by better communicating the impact of their ministry, encouraging recurring electronic gifts, and challenging…
Church Finances Don’t Have to be So Hard
Many churches struggle with finances due to a lack of financial understanding rather than insufficient funds. Effective financial tools and knowledge are crucial. Thomas James…
Is It Time to Right-Size Your Staff?
This might be the time to have a conversation about right-sizing your staff, says Jim Kitchens. He outlines different ways to approach the task depending…
Can Your Approach to Church Finances be both Spiritual and Practical?
Some in the church operate on the assumption that a spiritual perspective on money requires the abandonment of practical thinking. But stewardship expert Ann Michel…
YES in God’s Back Yard!
Richard Reinhard shares how some congregations are using their property to develop affordable housing and meet other community needs, as well as local initiatives to…
10 Practical Strategies for Effective Stewardship Campaigns
Could your church benefit from a more systematic and effective approach to your annual stewardship drive? Ann A. Michel from the Lewis Center staff lays…
5 Ways to Overcome Barriers to Affordable Housing Development on Church Property
Richard Reinhard says pairing the surplus of faith properties with the deficit of affordable housing appears to be a match made in heaven. Yet common…
Working through the Stages of Grief when Cutting Your Budget
Dan Pezet says a major alignment in a church’s budget can be accompanied by all the classic stages of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, and depression. By…
9 Lessons from Nehemiah for Faith-based Property Development
David Bowers draws key lessons from the biblical story of Nehemiah to guide churches that are redeveloping their buildings or property to serve community needs.…
Negotiating the Coming Wave of Church Property Transitions: An In-depth Interview with Mark Elsdon
Is your church facing the difficult decision to sell or repurpose property? This interview with Mark Elsdon, editor of Gone for Good?, focuses on how…
“Negotiating the Coming Wave of Church Property Transitions” featuring Mark Elsdon
Podcast Episode 142 Is your church facing the difficult decision to sell or repurpose property? We speak with Mark Elsdon, editor of Gone for Good?,…
10 Policies Your Church Should Consider
Ken Sloane, a stewardship expert at Discipleship Ministries, outlines ten policies for institutional trust and financial integrity that reduce confusion and conflict while at the…
5 Things You Need to Know about Donors who are Retired
What do church financial leaders need to know when discussing generosity with retirees? Stewardship expert Ken Sloane shares five considerations that might shape a recent…
5 Key Principles for Fostering Generosity in Children
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff says the church needs to renew efforts to foster generosity in our children. She shares five principles that…
A Simple Step-by-Step Process for Creating a Narrative Budget
Church finance expert Bonnie Ives Marden says presenting your budget in narrative form provides a powerful tool for stewardship, evangelism, and marketing. She outlines a…
Funding Forward: Developing New Revenue Sources for Your Congregation — An In-Depth Interview with Grace Pomroy
Grace Pomroy from Luther Seminary shares research findings on how congregations are developing new and creative funding sources. In this in-depth interview with Ann Michel…
“Funding Forward: How Congregations Can Develop New Revenue Sources” featuring Grace Pomroy
Podcast Episode 133 Is your congregation too dependent on Sunday morning offerings? Grace Pomroy from Luther Seminary shares research findings on congregations that are developing…
Before You Rent Church Space, Calculate the Costs
Churches often struggle to determine a fair price when they rent space to community groups. Partners for Sacred Places, an organization helping congregations develop creative…
Where Churches Spend Too Much and Where They Spend Too Little
In working with more than 500 churches, The Unstuck Group identified certain expenditure areas where churches commonly invest too little and those where churches tend…
Money and a Heart for God: An In-depth Interview with Callie Picardo
How does our faith influence our relationship with money? Jessica Anschutz of the Lewis Center staff speaks with Callie Picardo, a teacher and the coauthor…
