Browsing Lead
Job Description: Stewardship Leader
Does the person who heads up stewardship at your congregation have a good “job description”? Sadly, the answer at many congregations is “no,” and the poor soul who is tasked with stewardship flounders around. This article from the United Methodist Church has some great ideas. (Photo: Kandyjaxx, Creative Commons)
Thanksgiving Resources
Gratitude is a key to stewardship, so what is your congregation doing for Thanksgiving? Here are some go-to sites for ideas on worship, activities, education and celebration. (Photo: Mrs. Gemstone, Creative Commons )
The Work of the Week
There’s a distinction between what pastors do on Sundays and what we do between Sundays. What we do on Sundays has not really changed through the centuries: proclaiming the gospel, teaching Scripture, celebrating the sacraments, offering prayers. But the work between Sundays has changed radically, and it has not been a development but a defection. (Photo by Grublee, via Bigstockphoto.com)
Giving Thought to a Narrative Budget
There’s another way besides a line-item budget to present your congregation’s proposed annual spending plan. A Narrative Budget tells the story of how your church practices good stewardship of the gifts entrusted to it. It provides a vision of where the church hopes to be in the coming budget cycle. It reflects how the congregation spends its time, talent, and treasure rather than paying the bills.Check out this free 12-page resource. (Photo: Rob Nguyen, Creative Commons)
Why Every Leader Needs a Coach
All the best athletes have a coach. Why? Because good coaches point out subtle flaws others don’t see. They suggest small measures that add up to big improvements, and they push athletes to work at their highest performance. Pastors and other church leaders need coaches, too, says this article from ChurchExecutive.com. (Photo: (c) 2005 OJ […]
Stewardship of Creation: Blessing Pets
Here’s a compendium of good resources for pet blessings from our friends at ECF Vital Practices. We are called to be stewards of creation, and pet blessings can help set the tone for those who enjoy the companionship of all God’s creatures. (Photo: Tony Lanciabeta, Creative Commons)
Harvest Liturgy From Green Christian
Here’s a harvest liturgy resource from Green Christian that also includes ideas for incorporating the abundance of the harvest and care of creation into autumn parish life. Be sure to check out the other worship and prayer resources on this excellent website. (Photo: eden pictures, Creative Commons)
8 Ideas for Nurturing Healing and Health
“God is a God of whole-life health. Christ expects his church to engage actively in reaching the lost and setting the oppressed free—free from the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual barriers that rob all God’s children of abundant life,” says Pr. Mike Slaughter in this insightful reflection. (Photo: Photo © Warren Goldswain, Fotolia)
How to Form Habits
Whether you want to form better stewardship or leadership habits, here’s a quick read outlining 11 science-backed ways to form habits. After all, habits form almost 50% of our daily behaviors. Might as well make them good ones! (Photo:Â adriarichards, Creative Commons)
In Giving, Lead by Example
Hey pastor, does the congregation know what you give? It ought to, and you should be leading by example, according to author and stewardship consultant J. Clif Christopher. “When a pastor and staff are not tithing and being generous in every possible way, it is seldom that I will see a congregation that does.” (Photo: […]
