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Funding Forward: A Pathway to More Sustainable Models for Ministry
Lead confidently through financial uncertainty with adaptive, faith-focused solutions.
About this Course
Funding Forward: A Pathway to More Sustainable Models for Ministry was designed to provide the tools and insights to move beyond the constant worry about finances to listen to God's voice more clearly.
What You’ll Be Able to Do:
Discover new opportunities for church funding as you deepen your connection with God and your community. Whether grappling with reduced offerings, seeking new income sources, or aiming to enhance your church’s outreach, Funding Forward provides the tools and insights to move beyond the constant worry about finances to listen to God's voice more clearly.
Designed to be a collaborative learning experience for a group of church leaders, this course provides a framework for participants to explore innovative solutions to creating financially sustainable ministry models. This course was structured with the understanding that each church's path to financial sustainability is as unique as its mission and community. This is not just about financial management; it’s a journey of faith, stewardship, and community building by discerning God's mission for your congregation, understanding how you can meet the tangible needs of your local community, and using underutilized congregational assets.
Modules
Welcome
Get oriented to the course, meet your instructor, download the interactive handbook, and more.
What is Funding Forward?
In this module, you will:
- Discover why tithes and offerings are no longer enough for most congregations.
- Acknowledge any grief about “what was” before moving in to “what is.”
- Understand the funding forward process.
Identifying Your Congregation's Assets
In this module, you will:
- Be reminded God has provided more than enough to do God’s work.
- Inventory the financial, time, skills, and network assets God has entrusted to your congregation’s care.
Discerning God's Mission
In this module, you will:
- Experience God’s presence anew as you listen to God and neighbors in new ways.
- Discern how God is inviting your congregation to participate in the work God is already doing in your neighborhood.
Aligning Money & Mission
In this module, you will:
- Assess how your congregation’s budget is currently aligned with the mission God is inviting your congregation to join.
- Learn how to prune good programs that are no longer aligned.
- Tend to the grief of letting go of good programs while they are still good.
Reimagining Your Congregation's Property
In this module, you will:
- Explore Mark Elsdon’s Mission & Money Matrix.
- Learn three creative ways to approach church property: renting, selling, and sharing.
- Imagine new ways God might be calling your congregation to use it’s property.
Starting a Social Enterprise
In this module, you will:
- Discover what a social enterprise is.
- Discern if God might be calling your congregation to start a social enterprise.
Shifting Your Congregation's Staffing Model
In this module, you will:
- Explore the benefits of part-time ministry.
- Learn how to engage lay leadership.
- Discern if God might be calling your congregation to move toward a lay-led, clergy-supported model of ministry.
Finding Funding
In this module, you will:
- Explore various ways to fund your congregation’s work using funding from inside and outside of the congregation.
- Map your congregation’s network of partners.
- Be reminded that there is more than enough funding to do the work God is calling us to do.
Shifting Your Congregation's Financial Model
In this module, you will:
- Discover the practices your congregation needs to shift its financial model.
- Celebrate failure as you learn and grow.
- Unearth spiritual practices your congregation can tap as you make this financial shift.
Completing the Course
Find out your next steps as you complete the course and how to stay connected with your group. You'll also be able to submit feedback about your course.
One-time purchase
$55
With Faith+Lead Membership
$0*
Get a free public display license to use for group study.
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*by joining Faith+Lead Membership for just $19.95 per month
- Modules:
11 Modules
- Format:
Self-Paced, On-Demand
- Access:
Lifetime Access
Get to Know Your Instructors
Grace Duddy Pomroy
Grace Duddy Pomroy is the Director of the Stewardship Leaders Program at Luther Seminary. She’s a lay, millennial stewardship leader, speaker, and financial educator based in Allyn, WA. She is the co-author of the stewardship book, Embracing Stewardship: How to Put Stewardship at the Heart of Your Congregation’s Life, as well as author of the free 2013 ELCA stewardship resource, “Stewards of God’s Love.” Her latest book, Funding Forward: A Pathway to More Sustainable Models for Ministry, was just released September 2024. Grace is also a consultant with Relèven, a charitable organization that lovingly preserves, restores, and repurposes under-utilized churches into community hubs and affordable housing.
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One-time purchase
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- Access the course workbook for individual study
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- Access every live and recorded workshop
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- Access to this on-demand course
- Access to all 40+ on-demand courses
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- Access all leaders guides for group study
- Access all course workbooks for individual study
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What to Expect with a Faith+Lead Academy Course
You’ll get a transformative learning experience that combines trustworthy theological teaching with spiritual practices, interactive elements, and a supportive online community.
Know
Expand your theological toolkit with fresh insights for today’s ministry landscape. Connect timeless wisdom with practical frameworks for navigating change.
Be
Do
Practice skills to lead confidently in your ministry context. Take actionable steps to invite your community into God’s unfolding story.
Every Academy course is designed to
Help your growth in one of these core areas:
Develop a Christ-centered identity, grounded in theology, scripture, and spiritual practice, that empowers community members to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in everyday life.
Tell the story of Jesus and invite neighbors into Jesus’ way of life and love through words and actions they can recognize.
Listen deeply, name God’s presence in the midst of everyday life, and form life-giving relationships across all dimensions of diversity—both within and beyond the church.
Through mutual relationships with the neighbors among whom you’re hosted, join in acts of compassion, justice, and reconciliation as a witness to the ministry of Jesus—especially in places of suffering and despair.
Harness skills of agile leadership, stewardship, fundraising, entrepreneurism, and management to be nimble enough to respond to a changing cultural landscape.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I expect when I take an Academy course?
Academy courses consist of 6-10 lessons or modules, each walking you through the “know, be, do” learning framework. You’ll learn some new information with instructor videos and other resources (know). You’ll engage in a spiritual practice that will help you develop your faith around the topic (be). Then, you’ll be asked to apply what you’ve learned through activities completed online or in the “real world” (do).
How long will it take me to complete a course?
Each module is designed to take 15-45 minutes. Some learners complete the course in as little as one day. Some do a module a day or even a module a week. We suggest allowing some time between modules to process what you are learning, but not so much time that you lose momentum.
What resources are available if I’m a group leader?
Each course includes a flexible leader’s guide with multiple pathways for group facilitation. You’ll find thought-provoking discussion questions and practical activities that connect faith with daily life, designed to work with whatever preparation time you have available. These resources equip you to foster meaningful discipleship experiences that meet your community where they are.
What do I need to know about the free private online social group?
The private online group allows you to connect with others. Because our courses don’t have a required start or stop date, you will encounter others in different places in the course and even in different courses altogether. This is by design. Feel free to interact as much or as little as you like.
What should I do if I have questions or problems with my registration?
Reach out via email to faithlead@luthersem.edu with your question and we’ll get back to you with a response within two business days.
What if I have a suggestion or request for a course topic?
The best way to connect with us is to complete this form with your suggestion. We always want to hear your feedback. You may also include it in the comments section of the course evaluation.
Don’t see your question addressed?
Email us at support@faithlead.org for more information. We’ll be delighted to connect!