7 Strategies to Engage New Givers
How can congregations invite new givers to begin their journey of generosity? Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff outlines seven strategies more likely to…
Browsing: Funding
Articles
Thinking of Redeveloping Your Church Property? Know First Where You Stand
Rick Reinhard says more and more congregations are looking to rent, sell, or redevelop unused buildings and property. But before launching into the real estate…
Leveraging Your Church’s Assets
Your church may have more resources than you think. In an interview with Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff, Jacqueline Jones-Smith explains how Christ…
4 Principles for Engaging Donors Who Care About Making a Difference
Baby boomers and Gen Xers are currently the most critical donor base for most congregations. James Elrod says these generations want proof that their gifts…
Giving Strategies for the 21st Century: New Challenges and New Opportunities
Free Webinar — Register Now Learn new perspectives and practices for funding ministry in an increasingly challenging environment. Tuesday, February 1, Noon-1:30 p.m. Eastern Even…
7 Dos and Don’ts When Considering the Redevelopment of Church Property
More and more faith communities are asking how they might make better use of expensive and underutilized facilities. Rick Reinhard offers practical advice in the…
Reimagining Church Buildings
How can your church building be an asset rather than a liability? Dave Harder says we must interrogate the dominant narrative that says church is…
Why Pledging Still Matters
How can churches help a new generation of givers skeptical of institutional allegiances embrace the practice of pledging? Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff…
5 Ways to Preach about Money More Effectively
Alex Joyner says tending to our attitudes about money is a way of tending our souls. He shares tips for preaching in ways that can…
7 Ways to Make it Easier to Talk about Money in Church
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff writes that churches can promote financial transparency and enhance generosity by addressing the often-taboo subject of money more…
Flipping the Script of Church Owned Property
How can local churches reimagine property stewardship so that a building can fund a church, rather than a church needing to fund a building? Tom…
4 Steps to Launch a Ministry of Financial Literacy
Lovett H. Weems Jr. and Ann A. Michel of the Lewis Center explain that churches can play a key role in educating, supporting, and equipping…
8 Financial Lessons for the Post-pandemic Church
Lovett Weems and Ann Michel share eight key lessons to help churches deal with the financial aftershocks of the COVID crisis. Now is the time…
A Transformational Approach to Church Finance
How can church leaders approach stewardship and finance in ways that inspire generosity and encourage the sound use of church resources? Lewis Center Director Doug…
6 Simple Steps to Launch a Planned Giving Program
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center says this could be a now-or-never stewardship moment for congregations whose pews are full of older adults. She outlines…
Episode 79: “A Transformative Approach to Church Finances” featuring Lovett H. Weems Jr. and Ann A. Michel
How can church leaders approach stewardship and finance in ways that inspire generosity and encourage the sound use of church resources? Lovett H. Weems Jr. and Ann A. Michel share practical strategies and discuss how our belief structures around generosity, stewardship, and abundance speak to these challenges.
Leveraging Church Property Can Sustain Your Mission
Lovett H. Weems Jr. and Ann A. Michel say exploring additional uses of church buildings and property is an exercise in prudent stewardship. Many churches…
Generosity, Stewardship, and Abundance: A Transformational Guide to Church Finance
God’s purpose in calling us to lives of faithful stewardship and generosity isn’t merely to sustain the church. Rather, the continued existence of the church…
Wesley Theological Seminary Summer 2021 Courses from Lewis Center Staff Members
Join the Lewis Center’s Dr. Lovett H. Weems Jr. and Dr. Ann A. Michel for their online summer courses from Wesley Theological Seminary. Each course is…
Giving for the Right Reasons
The Christian faith invites us to think about giving in new and countercultural ways. Giving faithfully and for the right reasons puts us in alignment…
Is Your Church Ready to Receive a Large Gift?
Many churches dream of receiving a large gift or bequest, but few are prepared for the opportunities and challenges such a gift presents. Ken Sloane…
The Promise of Digital Giving
Ann Michel says that as the church increasingly moves online, so too must the church’s ministry of generosity. But this future requires the capacity to…
When Churches Engage the World of Business
Audrey Warren led First United Methodist Church Miami toward a new vision anchored in the redevelopment of its property with a commercial real estate partner.…
Episode 70: “Leveraging Your Church’s Assets” featuring Jacqueline Jones-Smith
Your church may have more resources than you think! In this episode Jackie Jones-Smith explains how Christ Church in St. Petersburg, Florida, once slated for closure, turned itself around by embracing a more entrepreneurial mindset and taking stock of its physical and human assets.
6 Reasons Your Church Needs a Planned Giving Program
David Heetland says churches would more commonly receive sizable bequests if they put in place well-defined planned giving programs. He outlines six ways that planned…
Top Leading Ideas Talks Podcast Episodes of 2020
Leading Ideas Talks provides cutting-edge leadership strategies from some of today’s most relevant thought leaders. These episodes, hosted by Lewis Center Director Doug Powe and Associate Director…
Leading Ideas: Top Lewis Center Resources of 2020
Lewis Center resources guide you in strengthening your personal leadership and renewing your congregation. Below are our most popular free and purchased resources of the…
Top Leading Ideas Articles of 2020
Each December we take a look at the most popular Leading Ideas articles of the year and give our readers a second chance to glean…
How to Ask People to Give (Even in a Pandemic)
Margaret Marcuson shares ideas for asking people to support the church even in these most uncertain times. She says leaders should set an example through…
10 Ideas for Your 2020 Annual Campaign
Wondering how to approach a stewardship campaign in the era of COVID-19? Ken Sloane offers ideas that affirm the importance of the church’s ongoing mission…
