Archive for January 2016
Narrative Budget Twin Towers
TWIN TOWERS [XXX] CHURCH: How Our Tithes and Offerings Are Used to Make a Difference Twin Towers [XXX] Church budget for 2008 is $237,744. That equals $4572 per week. In addition, we give to other ministries not included in the budget. We have identified four categories that briefly describe our church activities and ministries. Expenses for…
Read MoreNarrative Budget, XXX Church
A Narrative Budget for First [XXX]Church The children in our midst, the mission at our doorstep, a place of hospitality and grace. A Narrative Budget is a description of the actual ministries that are under way at a church. It is a Mission-Driven Budget that asks the question, “What is the shape…
Read MoreGPS
Printed maps are mostly a thing of the past. These days, many people depend on their “GPS” – Global Positioning Satellite – to get to their destination, particularly if it’s to a place they’ve never been before. A lot of folks depend solely on their GPS for guidance anywhere. So I was intrigued when I…
Read MoreA Generous Eye
Jesus’ parable about the eye as the lamp of the body (Mt. 6:22-24) contrasts a healthy eye with an unhealthy one. The healthy eye illuminates the whole person, he says, whereas (as one commentator puts it) the unhealthy eye creates double vision, making the entire person “full of darkness.” Double vision – that’s a powerful…
Read MoreDiscernment
The wild turkeys are a source of endless fascination for our two dogs, who see them almost daily on the morning version of our country walks. The younger dog is always on a leash, but the older one is voice trained, which usually holds even with wild animals. But coyotes are another matter. Both dogs…
Read MoreStewardship and Culture course
I’m excited to be teaching an online course from mid-January to mid-February, 2016 on “Stewardship and Culture: Building Contagious Generosity.” Sponsored by the Ecumenical Stewardship Center and TransformingTheChurch.org, it features four audio-video presentations over four weeks with an interactive Class Forum. We’ll also hold three conference calls: one on Jan. 11 (to give a week…
Read MoreTop Ten Ways to Increase Giving in Your Church
With the New Year upon us, now is an excellent time to look at the overall strategies of your congregation to encourage generous giving. Thankfully we can build on learnings from the Spirituality and Giving Project, 1 which studied 1,157 churches of more than two dozen denominations about what motivates members to give, and what influences…
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