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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.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Money conversations can be difficult in churches. But Lovett Weems suggests two principles that can change the tone of stewardship conversations. Never talk about people’s…
Due to COVID-19 restrictions most churches have adopted new ways of taking up the collection. Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff says it’s important…
Stewardship expert Rob Blezard outlines steps your church can take to address the financial challenges created by the COVID-19 crisis. Key strategies include staying in…
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff suggests ways that churches can cultivate an attitude of gratitude — a mindset that makes people more mindful…
What are the latest trends in how churches receive, manage, and use funds? And what do they mean for your congregation? In this episode we speak with David King, director of the Lake Institute on Faith and Giving, about new research on the economic practices of churches.
Their study of rapidly growing churches led Matt Miofsky and Jason Byassee to understand the importance of elevating the practice of giving. But for most…
Has stewardship become a dirty word in your congregation? Stewardship consultant Cesie Delve Scheuermann speaks with Lewis Center Associate Director Ann Michel about cultivating generosity through simple practices of gratitude and sharing the good that money can do in the church and the world.
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff says inviting people to participate in the generosity of God can be a gracious way to initiate conversations…
Chris Willard and Jim Sheppard, authors of Contagious Generosity, say churches can reach donors in ways no other nonprofits can. Congregations can maximize this “home-field…
Chris Willard and Jim Sheppard, authors of Contagious Generosity, explain the importance of developing a system to thank givers to celebrate their spiritual growth through…
Leadership is a critical factor in nurturing a culture of generous giving, says Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff. She names the nine key…
Tom Berlin, pastor of Floris UMC in Herndon, Virginia, says that for Christians to become generous, they need the help of a church that itself…
Every Christian knows that we are called to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. But what about our wallet? We get…
My wife, Danelle, and I have always tried to live our lives with open hearts, open hands, and an open home. We have fed hundreds…
How often have you opened up what looks like a form letter and read, “On behalf of blah blah blah, I want to thank you…
Do you sometimes wish for empirical evidence to back up your faith claims? In The Paradox of Generosity (Oxford University Press, 2014), sociologists Christian Smith…
I pastor a church that believes in the power of fundraisers. Over the decades, Beulah African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, a historic congregation in rural…
Saying thank you promptly and regularly is one of the simplest and most effective things a congregation can do to reinforce good stewardship and enhance…
Paul, my dear church friend whom I have known since third grade, sent me an email. And he was mad. At the end of July,…
I am averse to numbers. I switched from being an elementary education major during my junior year in college when I discovered that I had…
Several of my family members have worked as restaurant servers. They give me a hard time about church people being terrible tippers. It seems that…
My mother became a Christian when I was four. From that day forward, we were in church every Sunday … almost. Stewardship Sunday was the…
The other day I was visiting with a key donor of a church along with the pastor. The pastor was asking the donor if she…
This article is reprinted by permission from Leading Ideas, a free e-newsletter from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary available at churchleadership.com.
