Book Reviews by Betsy
The Treasure Principle
The Treasure Principle, by Randy Alcorn, is a small gift book with loads of wisdom for Christians in process. Its subtitle says it all: Discovering the secret of joyful giving. The foundation of our hidden treasure, says Alcorn, is in Matthew 6:19-21, where Jesus says that earthly treasures won’t last, in contrast to our treasures…
Read MoreAsk, Thank, Tell
“Stewardship has been kidnapped and is being held hostage by a sinister villain named Paying the Bills,” states Charles R. Lane in his book, Ask, Thank, Tell. But authentic stewardship is really about discipleship, biblically based, and centered on three simple verbs that can renew and clarify our local-church stewardship efforts. This refreshing book helped…
Read MoreWriting in the Sand
“To speak of the heart is not to sentimentalize but to ensoul,” says author Thomas Moore. “There is a toughness and intelligence about living from the heart. . . .”1 Moore uses the phrase living from the heart to describe what the Gospels imply about a new sense of self: “openness to experience, to the…
Read MoreWhat We Need Is Here by L. Roger Owens
L. Roger Owens’ book What We Need Is Here (Upper Room Books, 2015) is not what my longtime-pastor side might call a “spiritual self-help” book. Its subtitle points to this: Practicing the Heart of Christian Spirituality. Not content to settle for surface religious “how-to”s, Owens seeks to reach the heart of Christian spiritual life, by…
Read MoreGrowing Generous Souls Is Now Out!
I’m pleased to announce that my new book is now out: Growing Generous Souls: Becoming Grace-Filled Stewards! It invites church leaders and individuals to stop racing from one activity to another and instead to focus on being rather than on compulsive doing and consuming. The book includes reflection questions and resources to help people move…
Read MoreThe Big Secret of Giving
By William C. Green, United Church of Christ, 2007 The Big Secret of Giving: Hidden Treasures in Life and Church is a booklet of 27 devotions related to financial giving, but grounded in a holistic understanding of stewardship as our response to God’s generous grace. While the booklet was written in part to encourage giving…
Read MoreLove in a Time of Climate Change
Rev. Sharon Delgado’s Love in a Time of Climate Change: Honoring Creation, Establishing Justice is a “faith response to climate change” (p. 178) that tells the truth about how far down the road we already are in global warming, while simultaneously giving us hope for transformation – IF we have the political will to take…
Read MoreStewardship in Living Context
I was thrilled to learn about the Ecumenical Stewardship Center’s plans for resourcing churches starting next year! When our Resource Editorial Team met today, we heard about future possibilities for congregational resourcing, networking opportunities, and the growth of a digital stewardship library. For many years, the Giving: Growing Joyful Stewards in Your Congregation magazine has…
Read MoreLive Courageously
I was thrilled to receive Live Courageously, this year’s issue of Giving: Growing Joyful Stewards in Your Congregation, from the Ecumenical Stewardship Center. In addition to a center section Leader’s Guide for an annual financial commitment program based on small groups, it includes “Bright Spot” stories celebrating real people practicing faithful stewardship and generosity, book…
Read More“My Child Is a Flower” Stewardship Songs
Rev. Dan Damon is an inspired writer of hymn texts and tunes, as well as a seminary teacher, pastor and friend. I was thrilled when he showed me a stewardship song he had written after I preached at his church one day. But his new songbook, My Child Is a Flower, contains many thoughtful, creative,…
Read MoreBeating the Midas Curse
Remember the story of King Midas, who wished that everything he touched would turn to gold? It was a blessing – until his daughter greeted him with a hug, and turned to gold, as well. In Beating the Midas Curse, two planned-giving professionals, Perry Cochell and Rodney Zeeb, say that the most important legacy people…
Read MoreBaptized into Wilderness
With all the political and economic threats to the environment these days, Baptized into Wilderness: A Christian Perspective on John Muir is an important reminder of why we care for God’s creation. This book of environmental theology by Richard Austin is a classic, using the life and thoughts of John Muir, supreme naturalist and activist,…
Read MoreContagious Generosity
Contagious Generosity: Creating a Culture of Giving in Your Church is a treasure chest of ideas that get us out of the old assumptions and expectations related to giving to church. It’s filled with high-impact examples of actual practices by top congregations in The Leadership Network. Written by Chris Willard and Jim Sheppard, it addresses…
Read MoreGenerosity Rising
Book Review by The Rev. Rosanna Anderson From http://www.umcdiscipleship.org, July 3, 2016 Generosity Rising: Lead a Stewardship Revolution in Your Church by Scott McKenzie (Abingdon Press, 2016) What is a “stewardship revolution”? A revolution in giving comes from renewed stewardship commitment by a leadership team filled with people whose hearts and lives reflect financially-dedicated discipleship.…
Read MorePropel: Involvement and Generosity
I just wrote a book review for next year’s Giving magazine on Clayton Smith’s new book, Propel: Good Stewardship, Greater Generosity. The theme of that issue of Giving is “Living Generously,” and I hope you’ll order it online at www.stewardshipresources.org this fall. But there are a lot more ideas from Propel than I could pack…
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