Browsing Money

The Budgeting/Happiness Connection

Budgeting may not only improve one’s financial condition but also one’s happiness. Good budgeting is also connected to smarter spending. Check out this article and see how you can adjust your spending habits to yield more satisfaction with life. (Photo: taxcredits.net, Creative Commons)

But what if I don’t?

Writer and minimalist Joshua Carver suggests asking this one simple five-word question before every purchase you make. Yes, five words can change your outlook considerably. Go ahead, give it a try during the month of January! (Photo: © ashumskiy – Fotolia.com)

Make Useful Gifts for Giving!

Tired of giving and getting yet another tie, fruitcake, or dust-catching gift? Try making some of these easy and useful gifts! There’s something for all ages and ability levels. (Photo: Muffett, Creative Commons)

Why are Christians so Miserable at Charity?

When it comes to giving to the poor, why are Christians so miserable at it? The short answer is human nature, but the long answer has to do with one’s experiences with money. Generally , the more money people have, the less generous they are. Those who have experienced poverty are more likely to help. Here is an exploration, as well as some tips for developing your own generosity. (Photo: Steven Depolo, Creative Commons)

Cultivate Gratitude in the Church

Scientists and church folk alike know that living a life of gratitude reaps benefits spiritually, mentally and physically. “Thankfulness releases us from anger and from materialism,” says Doris Whitaker, University of Mississippi Medical Center chaplain. “It helps us acknowledge that there’s something greater than us.” Here, with links to lots of other resources, are some ways to cultivate generosity.

7 Ways to Build and Sustain Good Money Habits

If we don’t develop and sustain  good money habits, not only will our choices impact our own future but also potentially those of our loved ones. Inspired by Nathan Dungan of Share Save Spend, here are seven clear ways to practice and teach good financial management. (Photo: © rangizzz – Fotolia.com)

4 Mistakes to Avoid in Your Church Stewardship

If you want to inspire generosity and and lifelong stewards in your congregation, be sure you’re not making these four mistakes! (Photo © Paul Orr – Fotolia.com)

Here’s an Asset to Fund Ministry: Your Land

Churches need money for ministry, but the needs of congregations today outpace the will of people to give, especially given the generational differences between “the great generation” and baby boomers, and then between baby boomers and millennials. As traditional funding sources are maxed out, There is one asset that nearly all churches possess—land. Why not look into a land-use policy that can help finance ministry? (Photo: Alejandro Rdguez, Creative Commons)

Does Your Congregation Celebrate Generosity as a Way of Life?

Author Tim Shapiro suggests six measures for whether your congregation is celebrating and cultivating generosity as a way of life. How is your congregation stewarding the call to help people develop lives of deep faith and generosity? (Photo: taxcredits.net, Creative Commons)

More than Giving Money

“Stewardship is another way of talking about ministry, and it would revolutionize ministry if people could think of it in terms of stewardship—that we are accountable to God for what we do and with what he has trusted to us,” says R. Paul Stevens in this Christianity Today interview. (Photo: Keoni Cabral, Creative Commons)