Browsing by Rob Blezard

Five Practices to Live More Sustainably

Let’s face it: Our Western habits of consumption are a big cause of the environmental crisis facing our planet. What can we do? Here are five practices that, if everybody did them, would make a big difference. Start today! From Relevant Magazine.

What to do in a Church Money Crunch

A lot of things can happen when a church experiences a money crunch, most of them bad. Can anything good come from a financial crisis? It depends on how you handle it. Good advice from ChurchLeaders.com. (Photo: Kat, Creative Commons)

Top 10 Reasons for a Legacy Giving Ministry

As congregations look to establish long-term financial stability in an era of decreasing Sunday offerings, a ministry of legacy giving makes sense. Here are one consultant’s top ten reasons why. From the Presbyterian Endowment.  (Photo: Ken Mayers, Creative Commons)

Hospitality is the Key to Church Growth

As church attendance shrinks, wise congregations are reexamining how they welcome and integrate newcomers into community life. It’s not surprising that the congregations doing the best job are the ones growing. From Insights into Religion. (Photo: Dru Broomfield, Creative Commons)

Claim the Power of Thank You

It is important to say thank you.  Everyone enjoys having a gift given or an effort made acknowledged and remembered.  An attitude of gratitude matters.  The truth is that we are not always intentional about expressing our appreciation to others and this is especially true at church.  From the Center for Faith & Giving. (Photo […]

Great Fundraising Ideas

There’s nothing wrong with fundraising in your church when you want to pay for a special event, item or project. The Church of the Brethren put some great ideas out there for its congregations to raise money for the national youth trip. How many would work in your church? (Photo by Rona Proudfoot, used by […]

Cultivating a Mindset of Generosity

Is it possible to cultivate a mindset within our congregations and institutions that would reframe the stresses of the budgeting and fundraising season? Could a “sharing” mindset open up more creativity and decrease the feeling of fighting for scarce resources? The mindset I have in mind is “generosity,” writes David Odom, executive director, Leadership Education at Duke Divinity School.

6 Reasons to Preach the Word About Money

Preaching about money is often among a pastor’s least favorite things to do, especially in our money-soaked culture where people take their finances very personally. But good doctrine and sound practice demand that we talk about finance. From Pastors.com.

Preach on St. Francis

Esteemed theologian the Rev. Dr. H. Paul Santmire offers detailed guidance for preaching Lectionary-based sermons on St. Francis for Sept. 27, Oct. 4 and Oct. 11. It’s a creative way to touch on environmental stewardship issues in your preaching.  From Lutheransrestoringcreation.org. (Photo by randomcuriosity, used by Creative Commons license)

Make Giving Easy – Electronically

Churches today are seeking newer and easier ways to set up giving to benefit their congregations. Online giving has its own set of complexities and options, but is becoming easier all the time. Giving kiosks are popular. New options for online giving are being developed all the time. Here is a sampling of the most popular innovations. (Photo by Creativity 103, used by Creative Commons license)