Blogs and Articles
To encourage worshipful, generous-hearted living
For the most recent blog or to see articles by dates, look down the list on the right.
Every congregation has a Line Item Budget. This budget form reports income and expenses, line by line, so the church’s committees can monitor their activities internally, making sure that expenditures don’t exceed income by categories throughout the year. But a Line Item Budget is not a motivating tool! It is not inspiring (even to those…
Read MoreFrom Growing Up Generous: Engaging Youth in Giving and Serving By Eugene Roehlkepartain, Elanah Dalyah, and Laura Musegades (Alban Institute, 2000) Studies of giving and serving among youth and adults identify several consistent themes. How can your congregation create or encourage opportunities for young people to have more opportunities for these experiences that shape their…
Read MoreAnd God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. – 2 Corinthians 9:8 “Why is everyone hungry for more? “More, more,” they say. “More, more.” I have God’s more-than-enough, more joy in one ordinary day than…
Read MoreUNITED METHODIST CREED FOR CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP Approved by 1988 General Conference “We believe in God, Creator of the world; and in Jesus Christ the Redeemer of creation. We believe in the Holy Spirit, through whom we acknowledge God’s gifts, and we repent of our sin in misusing these gifts to idolatrous ends.” From “The Social…
Read MoreWhat might you do if you wanted to help members of your congregation hone their personal or family financial planning? Here are three resources that would encourage them and also help them with practical financial issues: 1. Freed-Up Financial Living is a terrific plug-and-play resource that gives both foundational biblical financial principles and all the…
Read MoreWhen we consider the “Y” in “Generosity,” we realize it could stand for yielding to God’s grace. One phrase I read somewhere years ago has earned a cherished place in my home. It says “choosing to be utterly dependent on God.” Of course, we always are utterly dependent upon God, but it is the act…
Read MoreWhen we experience “Generosity” as both recipients and givers, we see that the “T” can stand for trust. Generously sharing our personal involvement, relationships and resources naturally flows out of trust in God, including the assurance that God will meet our needs. Actually that’s what “faith” means – not a specific set of beliefs in…
Read MoreWe talk about mission. We do mission. So how can we make our church’s annual financial commitment program mission-based, instead of sounding like one more “sell job” about our church’s programs? 1. Keep the main thing the Main Thing. Most people really do hear what we say. It’s just that they have lots of buttons…
Read MoreGod doesn’t work just with United Methodists. We can glimpse God’s activity all around us! So why participate in God’s work through our Apportionments, or “Mission Shares”? For starters, it has to do with long arms and Jesus’ feet. First of all, our Mission Shares really do support mission. “It’s an amazing thing when people…
Read MoreOkay, so it’s an art keeping local and global ministries in a healthy balance. But paying our Conference Mission Shares helps us hugely on both fronts. To begin with, Mission Shares help us fight consumerism. Yes, our whole society swims in those waters. But the consumer attitude can seep into our churches – like the…
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