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NEW This Week: November 17 - 23, 2008 |
Mission Possible: Motivational Factors for Charitable Giving
 Our church members today face an increasing number of savvy charitable organizations vying for their limited contribution dollars. Is your church being squeezed out? Providing keen insight into why people give to one charity over another, this article can help church leaders plan better. Click here for “Mission Possible: Motivational Factors for Charitable Giving, from Church Executive magazine.
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Working with Younger, Affluent Donors
 “They aren't their parents or grandparents. When it comes to philanthropy, younger affluent individuals have a different outlook on charitable giving and different motivations for sharing their wealth with charitable causes.” Learn about how to reach this emerging demographic. Click here for “Working with Younger, Affluent Donors,” from Philanthropy Journal.
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Sheep, Goats and Jesus in Disguise
 The Gospel reading for the upcoming Christ the King Sunday presents us with lots of questions to ponder. "Just what kind of king are we serving anyway? Jesus surely doesn’t fit the monarch mold for the Western world. In fact, he doesn’t fit the CEO mold, the CFO mold, or any other kind of mold." Click here for "Sheep, Goats and Jesus in Disguise," the latest essay by SOLI columnist Sharron Reissinger Lucas. Click here to read her archived columns.
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In Hard Economic Times, Church Must Proclaim Justice, Good Stewardship
 “God has not abandoned the people or the church in this time of national economic crisis,” begins this prophetic essay. “The presence of God calls us not only to comfort, however, but also to confront the forces that have driven our country into this economic ditch.” Read this! Click here for “In Hard Economic Times …,” from The United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries.
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Thanksgiving Sermons
 Don’t preach a turkey Thanksgiving (sorry, couldn’t resist). Gratitude is a key component of generosity, so Thanksgiving offers a stewardship preaching opportunity. For your inspiration, here are some good Thanksgiving sermons, based on Luke 17:11-19, from around the web.
Click here for “A Heart of Faith is a Heart of Thanks,” preached by the Rev. Don Hougard of Benediction Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, Wis.
Click here for “Four Steps to Thanksgiving,” preached by the Rev. Thomas F. Fischer, editor of Ministry Health Sermon Starters.
Click here for “Recovery of Gratitude,” preached by the Rev. Mary Alice Haynie of Southport Presbyterian Church, Southport, N.C.
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The Law’s Tithing vs. the Gospel’s Free Generosity
 “Next time you're at a church social function, go up to people who seem to be having fun and start talking about tithing. Most will run for cover faster than vampires at dawn. But the ones who remain may have an interesting story to share.” Click here for "The Law's Tithing vs. the Gospel's Free Generosity,” from SOLI webmaster Rob Blezard, posted in last week’s edition our free online newsletter. Click here to read other archived columns. Click here to subscribe.
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Stewardship from the Lectionary
 Looking for a way to put more stewardship into your preaching? Here is a great help -- a weekly commentary that highlights stewardship aspects in the weekly lectionary texts. Click here for "Stewardship from the Lectionary," from ELCA Stewardship Resources. |
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The Stewardship of Life Institute is pleased to make available a 12-session stewardship course to promote holistic giving in your congregation. Written by the Rev. Foster R. McCurley, the course is designed to inspire and educate Christians to have a closer walk with Christ. 
Wow! Here's a free, seven-part curriculum for leaders who want to plumb the depths of their congregation's financial soul. It covers attitudes about money, congregational finances, leadership, money and theology and other topics. A real gem for congregations that find themselves stuck and don't know how to get going. Developed cooperatively by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Alban Institute and Lilly Endowment, it was principally written by Mark Vincent, lead partner for Design for Ministry, a consulting firm in Wisconsin. Click here for “The Hows and Whys of Money Leadership.”
Use our 