Browsing
Make Stewardship your Lenten Discipline
This year commit to making Lent a time of personal devotion and renewal. Stretch yourself and find a stewardship connection in every meditation, devotion or activity. Because when it comes to it, everything really is a stewardship issue. Here are some free daily devotionals that can keep you thinking. (Photo © robhainer – Fotolia.com)
The Most Ignored Commandment
Author Nancy Sleeth, who along with her husband founded the non-profit organization Blessed Earth, invites all of us to reconsider how we are (or are not) keeping Sabbath. For Sleeth’s family, keeping Sabbath has been a true blessing. (Photo: Pawel Pacholec, Creative Commons)
Why Financial Planning Needs More Religion
Acknowledging faith and spirituality helps people better understand their financial goals — and stick to them, says a financial advisor, writing in Money magazine. Candice McGarvey works with clients to integrate faith and finance. (Photo © Mladen Djordjevic – Fotolia.com)
‘I Have Enough:’ Confessions of a Spiritual Renegade
Among the most revolutionary actions a person could take in a society like ours is really no action at all. Just stop. Don’t buy any more stuff. Don’t even want to buy stuff. Just be content. A Buddhist’s observations in Utne Reader can teach Christians a lot. (Photo by Leland Francisco, used by Creative Commons […]
Focus
25th Sunday after Pentecost, Year C, November 10, 2013
This week’s lesson offer powerful reminders of our need to remain focused on the things that really matter. How can you use these lessons to help those in your worshiping community find renewed focus? (Photo: toolstop, Creative Commons)
A Stewardship Focus for Holy Week
Let’s take a deep breath, stewards, especially those of us who are burdened with the financial stewardship of our institutions. For Holy Week let’s put aside our congregational balance sheets, tables of giving and charts of weekly worship attendance. Lent is the penitential time when Christians take stock of our lives of faith and embrace […]
Changed
Transfiguration of our Lord Lectionary Reflection, February 10, 2013
Transfiguration need not be limited to the mountaintop. We are in the process of being changed through our relationship with Jesus–transfigured individually and in community to bring light to the world. (Photo © Mopic – Fotolia.com)
Faith Raising, Not Fund Raising
Saddleback Church, Rick Warren’s amazing congregation, doesn’t have a problem with finances. In fact, they’ve launched plenty of ministries and satellites. How do they do it? As Saddleback’s Forrest Reinhardt explains, the approach is to focus on discipleship, not dollars. (Photo by Chelsea, used by Creative Commons license. Thanks!)
Where’s Jesus?
Lectionary Reflection for the Epiphany of our Lord, January 6, 2013
Where do you see Jesus in the world around you? One of our challenges is to help people learn to look for, to see, and to experience the divine presence in their daily lives and in everyday epiphanies (Photo by Friar’s Balsam. Thanks!)
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!)
