Congregational Stewardship
When we seek to spell out “Generosity” with our lives, the “O” can stand for outreach: reaching out to others with Jesus’ quality of compassion and care. The point of outreach is not to bring people “into” the church, but to help them “be” the church, part of the Body of Christ, wherever they are.…
Read MoreThe “R” in “Generosity” highlights relationships. Healthy relationships weave an interconnecting web of friends, neighbors, family, church members, community folks, and people around the world whom we may never meet but for whom we pray. All of these relationships are gifts God has entrusted to us to enjoy, strengthen and share. While we usually experience…
Read More“If some is good, more is better.” That message echoes all around us, calling us to pursue more money, more things, more recognition, more power. Money is seen as the key to all the “more” we can imagine. At some level, this insatiable desire taps into a primal instinct on our parts: making sure we…
Read More“The place God calls you to,” says Frederick Buechner, “is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” When we hear God’s call and seek to live out “Generosity,” the second “E” becomes engagement in the world. People get personally involved when they follow their passions, naturally expressing their faith in…
Read MoreThe “N” in “Generosity” points to natural growth in giving. God intends for us to enjoy giving for God’s purposes, wherever that may be, flowing naturally out of maturing faith. People grow in their involvement, often starting with a one-day mission project and then expanding as they learn about the cause, how they can help,…
Read MoreWhen we live generously, the “E” stands for energy: an interior energy that comes from God, and the mutual energy of giving to and receiving from others as part of a faith community. The Greek word for energy means “effective activity.” It describes being vividly alive, productive and in active service. In the New Testament,…
Read MoreYou don’t have to be a left-brain thinker to get a multiple-step project done. Whether you’re personally a natural list-maker or a spontaneous doer, you still need a plan to affect positive change in the church. Especially if you want to work as a team, or even just get along with the other church leaders.…
Read MoreWhen it comes to spelling out “Generosity” with our lives, the “G” is definitely gratitude. It’s easy to feel gratitude to God in this season of Epiphany, when we celebrate in worship all the ways God has shown God’s love to us, especially through Jesus Christ. But also in these quieter post-Christmas days, we can…
Read MoreWhen we give of ourselves in order to help someone else, something great happens – to the giver as well as to the receiver. That’s amazing! In Why Good Things Happen to Good People, Dr. Stephen Post refers to numerous scientific studies – meaning actually measurable changes – that show benefits to the giver’s level…
Read MoreA new publication launching this month called Brain Connectivity is a peer-reviewed journal by neuroscientists to help people understand how the human brain makes connections. The connections include when the brain is healthy, but also when it is dealing with disorders such as Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, stroke, and depression. The start of this new journal coincides…
Read More