Removing Obstacles to Giving
Sometimes churches have financial systems designed for the convenience of those receiving the contributions rather than for those who are giving. When you design and…
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Sometimes churches have financial systems designed for the convenience of those receiving the contributions rather than for those who are giving. When you design and…
Early in my own ministry, I always found stewardship season anxiety-producing. While I got better at it, I still found the fall campaign difficult. One…
Narrative budgeting has a critical role to play in any comprehensive parish stewardship program. Basic philanthropic theory indicates that people want their money to have…
Churches use a variety of budget building models. No one model or combination of models is right for every church. What approach might best fit…
One of the most powerful tools for growing generosity in the church is telling the story of how the church is transforming people’s lives through…
In our culture, Christmas is a season of giving when church-goers and non-church-goers alike are inclined toward generosity. I witnessed a Christmas Eve service in which…
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,…
To encourage the spiritual gift of giving, this eight-minute video by Lewis Center Director Lovett H. Weems, Jr., provides an overview of the importance of…
The number one reason people give to their congregation, or any other charity, is because they believe that organization makes a difference. A colorful annual…
Helping people experience the joy of giving is more than a way of funding the church’s ministry. These 50 Ways of encouraging faithful giving will…
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…
Every year churches are required to send out an end-of-year giving statement for IRS purposes. Instead of doing it only once a year, consider doing…
Too often, pastors discuss money with their parishioners in ways that suggest that stewardship is only about donating money to support the church. Faithful stewardship,…
Nearly three years ago our church began offering online giving through our website. We added a PayPal button and were curious to see how church…
In 2011, Pleasant Hope Baptist Church was experiencing a financial crunch. In addition to the turbulence associated with the national economic recession, our discomfort was…
Not surprisingly, church consultant Clif Christopher’s new book, Rich Church, Poor Church: Keys to Effective Financial Ministry (Abingdon Press, 2012), makes many of the same points…
God has given each of us the ability to do many things. Yet we have to make choices, to say no to some activities in…
Many churches confront a question of missional focus, especially as the holiday season approaches. One group proposes an angel tree project. Another wants to do…
A noted British economist recently submitted to the government a review of the equity markets in England. In writing about the current situation of financial…
Small groups are an important setting for conversation around the theme of a church’s annual commitment campaign. In churches with a consistent, coordinated small groups…
How can we gather and tell the stories of our congregation? Born in an oral culture when stories and traditions were as important as written…
How can the issue of money be addressed honestly and effectively from the pulpit? Two new books guide preachers in defining a homiletic posture that…
Teaching children to tithe is an important part of their faith education that we often overlook. Giving to God is a core value of our…
Soon the seasons of Advent and Christmas will be with us, and we will be inundated with commercials and product advertisements on television, radio, and…
What do you think about financial stewardship? While there are a host of resources for churches on developing giving, it’s important to clarify your own…
My mother became a Christian when I was four. From that day forward, we were in church every Sunday … almost. Stewardship Sunday was the…
One of the simple realities of congregational life is that most churches are financially dependent on voluntary giving. Most pastors do not relish the annual…
Three established authors on the subject of congregational finances have new books to help congregations develop joyful and generous givers. Each author has important contributions…
Some churches have endowments in which the principal is invested, with the earnings made available to support the work of the congregation. One pastor said…
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.