I’m here to find resources that can help me innovate faithfully and renew Christian communities.
Now that fall stewardship campaigns are in the rearview mirror, it’s tempting not to address money in congregations for another six months at least. However, it turns out that when you’re not asking for money is a great time to talk about it. In this week’s piece, Deborah Rexrode reminds us of this potential yearound…
Huge thanks to everyone who worked to enrich the newsletter in 2018, including both those who wrote thoughtful articles and those who shared them with new readers. Community is what makes this work worthwhile which is why it was encouraging to encounter so many new leaders at the Rethinking Stewardship conference. With sights now set on the year…
Our call as Christians is to love — not from a distance, but by breaking down boundaries and walking side-by-side with our neighbor.
As we near the end of Advent with anticipation for another year of hearing Mary’s powerful testimony in the Magnificat (Luke 1:39-55), I’m struck by the emphasis on money in our Christmas story. In Mary’s short song, she mentions the poor and hungry, the rich and powerful, and the blessings of God. When at its…
I love a good metaphor, and today’s post by James Dontje really delivers. Metaphors, when they work well, alert us to new discoveries, sometimes even concerning topics we thought we had all figured out. So, in today’s post, enjoy James’ piece engaging stewardship and a theology of…rot! Yours truly, Adam Copeland, Center for Stewardship Leaders…
As digital giving options have become more popular, many churches have turned to technology to help enable their members to give. In this week’s post, I examine a particular type of online giving, one becoming more popular by the day: crowdfunding. A version of this article appeared first with the Lake Institute for Faith and…
Last week, Rev. Anna Ostenso Moore described her journey to “yes…and stewardship.” This week, Anna describes her wise, winding path toward claiming stewardship’s implications for Christian community. I’m grateful to Anna for inviting us, as readers, along for this journey. Yours truly, Adam Copeland, Center for Stewardship Leaders A Holy Process towards Stewardship Speaking: Part 2 Anna…
In this week’s post, Rev. Anna Ostenso Moore describes her recent journey to “yes” and stewardship. Even for those of us who love preaching, addressing money in the pulpit can be provoke anxiety, doubt, and shame. In this week’s post, Anna calls out what helped her find her stewardship grounding. In next week’s post she’ll…
What is it, exactly, that pastors do? The pastoral vocation might be described in specific tasks: preaching, visiting, presiding, leading meetings, praying. Stepping back, though, I’m drawn to pastor Andrew Hermodson-Olsen’s proposal in today’s article below. He suggests that pastors—and others, as well—have the beautiful role of attending to the stories of others. It’s a…
I recently read — get this — a non-churchy book! Before I got too impressed with myself, though, I soon realized the book has everything to do with stewardship in Christian communities. Below you’ll find my review of Alissa Quart’s new book, Squeezed: Why Our Families Can’t Afford America. As you’ll see, in many ways…
Last week, Erin Weber-Johnson called us to be mindful of the particular people who we’re inviting to give. This week, Erin shares how such an approach can face challenges given the brokenness of our institutions. She also suggests ways we might counteract these gaps by asking better questions. Intrigued? Read on. Yours truly, Adam Copeland,…
When I was newly ordained, I had an unexpected opportunity to preach at a large youth conference. As part of my preparation for the event I asked a mentor — a frequent speaker and marvelous preacher himself — for advice. He said, whenever he speaks at a youth conference, he picks out a particular youth…
In this week’s post, Larry Strenge suggests some practical ways pastors and other stewardship leaders might engage in conversations concerning money. Very helpfully, Larry shifts the focus from the problematic side of money and the church—shame, guilt, obligation—to the freedom, grace, and gifts we have from God. Stewardship, then, becomes a grateful response to God’s…
In today’s post, pastor Larry Strenge considers stewardship leadership and rural ministry settings. His wise words, though, are relevant to all of us, urban, suburban, and rural Christians alike. I particularly appreciate how Larry’s story starts with an early memory around money and giving. What are your early memories around finances? How do they still…
I’ve always been a huge fan of church leadership conferences. Well, last summer Luther Seminary continued our tradition of hosting a Rethinking Stewardship conference. If you couldn’t make it, we’ve got you covered with today’s post which includes links to ten video presentations from Rethinking Stewardship. We know it’s not always possible to attend in…
