Congregational Stewardship

Mike Bryant Turquoise fired wash basin and bowl

Grateful in Wildfire?

By Betsy Schwarzentraub | September 27, 2014

Thank You, God! Thank You, thank You. For the past two weeks I have been checking a website every few hours on the spread of a voracious fire immediately surrounding our foothills home. So far our home has been spared. But dozens of homes and scores of outbuildings have burned down, amidst the thousands of…

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Seeker — Finder — Seeker

By Betsy Schwarzentraub | August 25, 2014

Years ago, people used to say the word “seeker” for those who chose not to be affiliated with a church. At first that sounded like a good term to me, since I thought of people who are seeking God, or who are seeking a faith community of some kind in which to belong. But soon…

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Balancing Act

By Betsy Schwarzentraub | August 25, 2014

There’s no such thing as perfect balance – for human beings, anyway. Some Olympians or other world-class performers may be able to achieve perfection for a single routine, a crystalline moment. But we cannot live in an exactly balanced state. It’s always an active rebalancing, one step this way or that. It’s true with ethical…

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Generosity at the World Cup

By Betsy Schwarzentraub | July 13, 2014

It was a heart-stopping moment. For more than an hour and a half, two of the best soccer teams on the globe battled against one another in non-stop action. Finally Brazil made a goal to win. Colombia had just lost their chance for the World Cup. While thousands of Colombians in the stands were stunned,…

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Extravagant Generosity – Fun and Faithful Scriptures

By Betsy Schwarzentraub | July 8, 2014

Extravagant Generosity Based upon: our extravagantly generous God, the Giver of every good gift, the Source of life and love! (Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, pp. 108-9) A Congregation that Practices Extravagant Generosity: 1. Thrives with the joy of abundance instead of the fear of scarcity 2. Encourages members to grow in the grace of giving…

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Living Treasures

By Betsy Schwarzentraub | June 27, 2014

This past Sunday I got to preach at Loomis UMC, CA, where they were celebrating “Living Treasures Sunday.” One Sunday each year they honor an older person (or couple) whose life shows what it means to be a joyful, faithful follower of Christ, modeling loving discipleship for future generations. The church hosts a special meal…

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The Gratitude Effect

By Betsy Schwarzentraub | June 17, 2014

“Gratitude has the power to heal, to energize, and to change lives,” said researcher Robert Emmons at the June 7th Greater Good Gratitude Summit. “We’re here to celebrate the science and the spirit of gratitude.” While gratitude may be a familiar topic in religious circles, these comments came from a professor of psychology at U.C.…

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From Transaction to Trust

By Betsy Schwarzentraub | June 15, 2014

What a phenomenal experience we had last week, when more than 500 people gathered to hear about the latest scientific studies and firsthand stories on the benefits of gratitude! Scientists from fourteen studies plus other presenters discussed everything from the chemical effects of gratitude on the mid-brain to its benefits in a range of relationships.…

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Dealing with Possessions

By Betsy Schwarzentraub | June 6, 2014

“Too much stuff” can be a challenge at any point in life. I read a terrific article by two newlyweds who discovered a way to “navigate the jungle of wedding gifts,” offered an alternative giving site for their wedding, and worked out some powerful “slow living practices” that they are instigating in their young-adult lives.…

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Talking Mission

By Betsy Schwarzentraub | June 6, 2014

Remember all those church mission statements your congregation has painstakingly writtenover thepast years? Where are they now? I used to have a file drawer full of them, carefully formed in planning retreats, tried for a time and then filed away. But the only really great mission statement is the kind that sets our hearts on…

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