Browsing by Rob Blezard

Write Your Money Autobiography

To gain awareness of your attitudes towards wealth there’s no better way than writing a money autobiography. The Faith and Money Network has a nice guide. Do the exercise as a family or congregational group and then compare what you learned about yourselves.

51 Ideas for a Year-Round Stewardship Program

This is the kind of resource you need to keep handy for every brainstorming session of your stewardship or finance committee — a wide assortment of ideas that can keep your congregation on top of things 365 days a year. Some of them will be simple reminders of things you probably are already doing, but others will stretch your ideas and imaginations. Compact. Simple. Accessible. (Photo © TRITOOTH – Fotolia.com)

To Build or Not to Build

To build or not to build … that is the question many congregations ponder at some point in their lives. If you church is asking it now, it’s not alone. Here is a tip sheet with some key considerations to ponder. From the New Jersey Synod, ELCA. (Photo © Les Cunliffe – Fotolia.com)

Pope Francis’ Lenten Message of Creation

Pope Francis issued a letter and released a video for Lent this past week touching on issues of creation care. We can learn from the Pope’s message strategy. Creation care is universal and involves everyone because it impacts everyone, regardless of religious affiliation. (Photo: Semilla Luz, Creative Commons)

Tell Your Story!

What’s the best way to excite people about giving to your ministry? The simple truth is to tell the story of how your donors’ contributions connect to a ministry that changes people’s lives, says this blog post from Horizons Stewardship Company.  (Photo © mangostock – Fotolia.com)

Five Reasons Why I Give: Reflections from a Millennial

You’ve heard it over and over: It’s hard to get Millennials to church, and even harder to get them to contribute generously. Here’s testimony from a young man who finds it joyful and fulfilling to give generously. What can we learn from him? From Ecumenical Stewardship Center. (Photo © momius – Fotolia.com)

First Things First

Money plays a significant role in North American culture and in our personal lives. We are surrounded by influences that tell us that life goes better with money – preferably with more money. But then Scripture reminds us that life is more than money, and Jesus calls us to live counter to our culture’s values. What’s a Christian to do? This free 90-page book helps you learn to recognize your financial habits and how your faith informs your giving and stewardship. (Photo: Jon Jordan, Creative Commons)

Make Stewardship your Lenten Discipline

This year commit to making Lent a time of personal devotion and renewal. Stretch yourself and find a stewardship connection in every meditation, devotion or activity. Because when it comes to it, everything really is a stewardship issue. Here are some free daily devotionals that can keep you thinking. (Photo © robhainer – Fotolia.com)

Church Financial Woes: A Crisis of Spirit

Financial problems plaguing many churches have spiritual roots, says noted sociology Robert Wuthnow. “The problem lies less in parishioners’ pocketbooks than in their hearts and less in churches’ budgets than in the clergy’s understanding of the needs and desires of church members’ lives.” From the UCC’s Massachusetts Conference. (Photo © cmlndm – Fotolia.com)

Too Busy for Your Own Good?

Before I broke busy in my own life, I proudly wore my busy badge of honor. I was the queen of busy. I even had the tiara and sash to go with it. Busyness made me feel productive and needed, and I overlooked the havoc it was wreaking in my life. But contrary to what many of us have been told, we can’t handle it all, nor should we. So how do we know when we are reaching our limits? (Photo © mtkang – Fotolia.com)