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Cultivating Spiritual Growth
Lectionary Reflection for the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, August 5, 2012
How’s the work of cultivating disciples going in your community of faith? Paul has some good words for spiritual gardeners in this week’s epistle lesson, and the gospel reminds us the master gardener’s mentoring that sustains us. (Photo by hans s used under Creative Commons License. Thanks!)
The Giving Community
Lectionary Reflection for the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
July 1, 2012
This week’s epistle lesson offers an excellent chance to talk about stewardship and generosity. Read on for ideas for preaching and teaching, worship, and time with youth and children.
Love Where You Live–and Where You Worship, too!
Writing in Yes! Magazine, author Ross Chapin offers 10 suggestions for how to foster greater community and love where you live. Bloom where you are planted by incorporating Chapin’s ideas into your context–at home or at your house of worship. Click here to access Chapin’s article. (Photo by Paul Krueger used under Creative Commons License. […]
Teaching Generosity in the Era of Austerity
Who is teaching the next generation how to prioritize sharing as one of their primary money habits? Who is calling the question on ‘how much is enough?’ The dearth of opportunities to dig into these critically important questions is no less than astounding. Enter faith communities. This is an ideal time for congregations to convene multi-generational learning experiences about money. (Photo © June Reed – Fotolia.com)
Cultivating Generous Disciples
Lectionary Reflection for the Fifth Sunday of Easter
May 6, 2012
How does your stewardship garden grow? Are you cultivating generous disciples? This week’s lessons offer fertile soil to talk about fruitful and faithful communities deeply rooted in the way of Jesus. (Photo by Amanda B. Slater used under Creative Commons License. Thanks!)
Do Mormons love Jesus more?
A clever bumper sticker speaks wisely: “Tithe if you love Jesus. Anyone can honk.†If that nugget of wisdom holds true, we have to ask, “Do Mormons love Jesus more than other Christians?†An impressive 79 percent of Mormons tithe their income – giving 10 percent to their church, according to a recent article in […]
Impossible Dream or Resurrection Reality?
Lectionary Reflection for the Second Sunday of Easter, April 15, 2012
No doubt about it, this Sunday is a great day to talk about stewardship and generosity. The lesson from Acts lifts up a model for Christian community that is both controversial and compelling. Are you up to the challenge? (Photo by stephen.willis used under Creative Commons License. Thanks!0
Fostering Giving all Year Long
‘Tis the season of gift-giving, but what about the rest of the year? Jeremy Adam Smith offers seven tips to foster giving every day of the year. Imagine how the lives of individuals and congregations might be changed by placing an emphasis on these simple principles. Click here to read Smith’s article on The Daily […]
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!)
…With Glad and Generous Hearts
4th Sunday of Easter, Year A, May 15, 2011
How’s your faith community doing in terms of joy and generosity? Why not use this Sunday’s texts to challenge them to look with fresh eyes at how your congregation rates in terms of having glad and generous hearts? (Photo by purplbutrfly used under Creative Commons License. Thanks!)
