Browsing Ideas for thought
11 Steps to Stewardship Success
The first step gets you started in the right direction: DREAM BIG! The rest keep you going towards your goals. Solid suggestions, written with a little bit of fun and life, from the United Church of Christ. (Photo by Gynane via BigStockPhoto)
Four Things You Need to Know about Young Donors
A recent study by the Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University shows that young donors are much more likely to give to causes than institutions and are less favorably inclined to support religious groups. This is not all bad news according to Nathan Kirkpatrick of Duke Divinity School, who cites four trends […]
The Science Behind Giving
Yes, there really is something to encouraging prayer before committing one’s pledge or gift to ministry. Philanthropic Psychologist Jen Shang (Center for Philanthropy at Indiana University) offers some insight into the “how” and “why” of donor decisions to give in this New York Times interview. Click here to read more. (Photo by Lel4nd. Thanks!)
Handling Benevolence Gifts According to IRS Guidelines
Tragedy has struck a family close to your congregation, and of course your church wants to help. But asking for donations just for them might run your congregation afoul of the IRS, which would rule those donations NOT tax-deductible by the donor, and reportable as income by the beneficiary, according to a financial expert. (Photo © Ashumskiy – Fotolia.com)
FREE e-book: ‘How Much is Enough?’
Some of the brightest minds of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America have collaborated for this collection of essays exploring “How Much is Enough: A Deeper Look at Stewardship in an Age of Abundance.” Each author looks at one aspect of what it means to be a well-formed stewardship leader — the basic competencies needed.
So you’re the new stewardship chair?
Lucky you! For the Episcopal Church has assembled some dandy resources to help you get your ministry off the ground and flying high! Everything from building a committee to financial commitment programs that work. (Photo by Konephoto, via bigstockphoto.com.)
Congregational Discernment and Stewardship
The spiritual practice of discernment may be a useful tool for congregations when it comes to matters of stewardship of money. Check out this article by spiritual director Teresa Blythe on the Patheos website. (Photo by hickory hardscrabble used under Creative Commons License. Thanks!)
Five Principles of Stewardship in the Congregation
The stewardship of the gospel begins where we are. It is within and outside the congregation that we share the responsibility and accountability with other stewards of the gospel. And it needs to be said as forcibly as possible that what we do is as important as what we say. Someone has wisely observed that “It is not enough to talk the talk, unless we also walk the walk.” (Photo by Sultry used under a Creative Commons License. Thanks!)
