Giving for the Right Reasons
The Christian faith invites us to think about giving in new and countercultural ways. Giving faithfully and for the right reasons puts us in alignment…
Browsing: Generosity
Articles
Is Your Church Ready to Receive a Large Gift?
Many churches dream of receiving a large gift or bequest, but few are prepared for the opportunities and challenges such a gift presents. Ken Sloane…
The Promise of Digital Giving
Ann Michel says that as the church increasingly moves online, so too must the church’s ministry of generosity. But this future requires the capacity to…
6 Reasons Your Church Needs a Planned Giving Program
David Heetland says churches would more commonly receive sizable bequests if they put in place well-defined planned giving programs. He outlines six ways that planned…
How to Ask People to Give (Even in a Pandemic)
Margaret Marcuson shares ideas for asking people to support the church even in these most uncertain times. She says leaders should set an example through…
Changing the Tone of Conversations about Money and Church
Money conversations can be difficult in churches. But Lovett Weems suggests two principles that can change the tone of stewardship conversations. Never talk about people’s…
Are Your Pandemic Giving Systems as Effective as the Offering Plate?
Due to COVID-19 restrictions most churches have adopted new ways of taking up the collection. Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff says it’s important…
7 Ways to Keep Revenue and Donations Flowing During the COVID-19 Crisis
Stewardship expert Rob Blezard outlines steps your church can take to address the financial challenges created by the COVID-19 crisis. Key strategies include staying in…
4 Ways to Help People Cultivate a Heart of Gratitude
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff suggests ways that churches can cultivate an attitude of gratitude — a mindset that makes people more mindful…
Episode 44: “What’s Happening with Money and Congregations?” featuring David King
What are the latest trends in how churches receive, manage, and use funds? And what do they mean for your congregation? In this episode we speak with David King, director of the Lake Institute on Faith and Giving, about new research on the economic practices of churches.
5 Habits Your Church Must Unlearn to Increase Giving
Their study of rapidly growing churches led Matt Miofsky and Jason Byassee to understand the importance of elevating the practice of giving. But for most…
Episode 25: “Toward a Culture of Joyful Generosity” featuring Cesie Delve Scheuermann
Has stewardship become a dirty word in your congregation? Stewardship consultant Cesie Delve Scheuermann speaks with Lewis Center Associate Director Ann Michel about cultivating generosity through simple practices of gratitude and sharing the good that money can do in the church and the world.
A Gracious Invitation to Generosity
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff says inviting people to participate in the generosity of God can be a gracious way to initiate conversations…
6 Ways to Maximize Your Church’s Home-Field Advantage in Giving
Chris Willard and Jim Sheppard, authors of Contagious Generosity, say churches can reach donors in ways no other nonprofits can. Congregations can maximize this “home-field…
Stop Taking Givers for Granted
Chris Willard and Jim Sheppard, authors of Contagious Generosity, explain the importance of developing a system to thank givers to celebrate their spiritual growth through…
9 Ways Leaders Can Promote Faithful Stewardship
Leadership is a critical factor in nurturing a culture of generous giving, says Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff. She names the nine key…
People Want to Attend a Generous Church
Tom Berlin, pastor of Floris UMC in Herndon, Virginia, says that for Christians to become generous, they need the help of a church that itself…
Christian Wallet Principles
Every Christian knows that we are called to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. But what about our wallet? We get…
Living with Open Hands
My wife, Danelle, and I have always tried to live our lives with open hearts, open hands, and an open home. We have fed hundreds…
Inspiring Generosity with a Thank You Letter
How often have you opened up what looks like a form letter and read, “On behalf of blah blah blah, I want to thank you…
9 Ways Generosity Leads to Healthier and More Purposeful Living
Do you sometimes wish for empirical evidence to back up your faith claims? In The Paradox of Generosity (Oxford University Press, 2014), sociologists Christian Smith…
A Stewardship Intervention Counters Fundraiser Dependence
I pastor a church that believes in the power of fundraisers. Over the decades, Beulah African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, a historic congregation in rural…
Developing a Thank You System for Your Church
Saying thank you promptly and regularly is one of the simplest and most effective things a congregation can do to reinforce good stewardship and enhance…
Always Say Thank You
Paul, my dear church friend whom I have known since third grade, sent me an email. And he was mad. At the end of July,…
Picture Your Community Impact
I am averse to numbers. I switched from being an elementary education major during my junior year in college when I discovered that I had…
Connecting Generosity to Faith
Several of my family members have worked as restaurant servers. They give me a hard time about church people being terrible tippers. It seems that…
Mature Disciples Supporting New Givers
My mother became a Christian when I was four. From that day forward, we were in church every Sunday … almost. Stewardship Sunday was the…
Is Your Church the Best Place to Give?
The other day I was visiting with a key donor of a church along with the pastor. The pastor was asking the donor if she…
Put Your Money Where You Want Your Heart to Be
If you want your heart to be with God, here’s a suggestion I’ve found to be very powerful in my own life. Put your money…
Motivating Generous Giving
Scott Cormode writes that pastors need to provide the theological categories to make spiritual sense of money and the issues that it creates. There are…
