Planning for a Strong Finish to Your Stewardship Campaign
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff says the success of a pledge drive depends in large part on reaching givers who require a bit…
Browsing: Giving
Articles
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…
Stewardship in Times of Transition
Angela Denker describes how stewardship and giving can be difficult in times of pastoral transition in churches. She says it is critical that stewardship be…
Lead, Learn, Launch: Getting Started with Digital Giving
Need a roadmap for getting started with electronic giving in your church? Alex Benson of Luther Seminary outlines a three-step process for implementing the methods…
Episode 7: “Thinking Bigger About Stewardship and Crowdfunding” featuring Adam Copeland
How can crowdfunding be used for funding ministry? Lewis Center Associate Director Ann Michel speaks with Adam Copeland of the Center for Stewardship Leaders at Luther Seminary about trends in congregational stewardship and crowdfunding.
Related Resources
Beyond the Offering Plate: A Holistic Approach to Stewardship by Adam Copeland, available at Cokesbury and Amazon.
Lead, Learn, Launch: Getting Started with Digital Giving by Alex Benson
Embracing Electronic Giving by Adam Copeland
7 Ways Your Quarterly Giving Statements Can Make the Right Statement
Stewardship expert Ken Sloane outlines ideas for making sure that your church’s quarterly giving statements express gratitude and let people know the difference their giving…
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…
Toward a Year-Round Stewardship Ministry
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff says that forming people for faithful stewardship and extravagant generosity requires more than a single annual sermon. She…
What are the True Costs of Church Programs?
Are key leaders in your church covering project costs out of their own pockets? Lewis Center Director Doug Powe says owning up to the true…
A Better Way to Do Stewardship Testimonies
Nate Berneking says testimonies about giving and money are powerful when done well, but disastrous when done poorly. He outlines how an interview approach to…
6 Tips for Effective Preaching on Stewardship
Preaching is a critical component within a broader strategy for stewardship ministry, says church consultant Margaret Marcuson. She provides six tips for more effective preaching…
Leadership for Giving
Lovett H. Weems, Jr., explains how the four cornerstones of effective church leadership — vision, team, culture, and integrity — are all essential when leading…
5 Reasons Not to Fear a Major Gift Campaign
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff says a capital campaign or major gift drive can be a positive experience that energizes a church and…
7 Key Questions for Fundraising with Spiritual Integrity
How can we raise money with spiritual integrity? Anyone who wants their work in cultivating generosity to reflect the gospel needs to wrestle with seven…
10 Ways to Master the Art of Asking
Learning how to be effective in asking others to support your ministry is a key to fruitful leadership, says Ann Michel of the Lewis Center…
Doing Mission Fundraising Well
Do you wish your church could do more to support mission? Pastor Lisa Kipp gives tips for how special fundraising for mission can be done…
Stewardship Resolutions for the New Year
Stewardship consultant Cesie Delve Scheuermann suggests planning your calendar of stewardship activities for the year. But before you do any asking, she stresses that you…
5 Ideas to Increase Year-End Giving
Lovett H. Weems, Jr., says that giving at year-end represents an increasing portion of total giving in many churches. Recognizing the many different circumstances that…
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…
Reimaging Stewardship Season
Pastor Laura Heikes shares strategies for making stewardship season something people don’t dread, but to which they look forward. “It’s not impossible,” she writes. “Dream…
Five Questions for Discerning Your Annual Giving Theme
John Zehring and Kate Jagger describe five questions that can help you define a theme that can serve as an effective framework for your annual…
A Better Way to Report on Giving
Stewardship experts Kristine Miller and Scott McKenzie explain why publishing weekly and year-to-date giving amounts in the Sunday bulletin with a “woe is us” message…
Embracing Electronic Giving
Adam Copeland of Luther Seminary says electronic giving is the preferred method of giving for most churchgoers, including your most faithful givers. Reducing the barriers…
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…
50 Ways to Improve Your Annual Stewardship Campaign
Church members who make pledges give substantially more than those who do not, and congregations that seek annual financial commitments have significantly higher levels of…
When Higher Giving May Not Be Good News
As a new year begins, there will and should be a careful review of the past year. Perhaps there will be reports made to the…
Crafting Better Commitment Campaign Messages
Many churches have a one-size-fits-all approach to their annual stewardship appeal. Everyone in the congregation receives the same “Dear Friend” letter inviting them to prayerfully…
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…
Tying Facility Needs to Mission
Churches that have been around for many years often face numerous property challenges. With aging buildings, there are frequent unplanned property issues that arise and…
