I’m here to find resources that can help me innovate faithfully and renew Christian communities.
I was recently approached by a congregation looking for advice on advertising. You see, they wanted more people to attend their church and give money to their budget. So, they figured, I might have some insight about the places young families went on the internet to search for information about churches. I ended up having…
Stewardship calls us to share. Sure, there’s the money part of sharing, but really, stewardship is much more than that — sharing our spiritual gifts, our time, our listening ear, our very selves with others. When stewardship is working well it becomes cycle of sharing, one person touched by God’s action in their life inspires…
Years ago, I was having coffee at a café in the shadow of a large, historic congregation. I struck up a conversation with the barista who eventually asked what I was doing in the neighborhood. I explained I was meeting the pastor of the church next door. “Oh, really?” she replied, “I had no idea…
Scrolling through my Facebook feed last week, I saw a short video of a lion cub learning to roar. In its very cute, yet powerful way, the cub was discovering the potential majesty hidden in its vocal chords. This week’s newsletter is about voice and stewardship. Pastor Sarah Renfro, whom I met at a stewardship…
Stewardship isn’t just for adults. Yet, in many of our congregations, we put off teaching about stewardship until young adulthood. I don’t think that practice is borne of bad intentions. It’s just that, for many of us, teaching stewardship to children requires a bit of extra thought and careful practice. In today’s article, Minner Serovy…
I first met — and was impressed by — the Rev. Karl Travis when he spoke at a stewardship conference, and I’ve been following his stewardship wisdom ever since. In today’s post, Karl calls out several reasons pastors hesitate to address money in our ministry. Not stopping there, however, he then describes how essential it…
Fall brings its own sets of tasks for Minnesotans — raking leaves, storing the lawn mower, getting that trusty snow shovel ready once again. It can also be a time to consider the bounty of the summer. In today’s post, Lee Ann Pomrenke reflects on her recent experience being a part of a CSA. As…
This week’s newsletter wraps up our series on preaching stewardship with a final takeaway. It calls for vulnerability and, well, an approach that might challenge many preachers. Yet, I think it’s high time the church — and its preachers — approached stewardship sermons with a posture of openness. Curious what I mean? Read on. Yours…
Fall is busy time for stewardship leaders, and my guest preaching schedule is quite full. While I love to preach about stewardship topics around the church, I’m also aware when I do so of the danger of passing the buck. Preaching on stewardship is a powerful opportunity for local pastors to share the gospel and…
This is the time of year many preachers prepare sermons that focus, particularly, on stewardship. In today’s post (from our archives), David Lose shares his discoveries as a “convert” to stewardship preaching. Next week, we’ll continue our preaching mini-series with a review of the book, Preaching and Stewardship. Yours truly, Adam Copeland, Center for Stewardship…
Our series on the new book, Beyond the Offering Plate: A Holistic Approach to Stewardship, wraps up this week, this time with a post by yours truly. My chapter in the book considers the gifts — and challenges — of technology. Since you are all receiving this newsletter by email, you’re already part of how the…
As new readers consider my new book, Beyond the Offering Plate: A Holistic Approach to Stewardship, many have noted the diversity of new insights into stewardship. Sure, there’s some old topical favorites, but there’s also particularly innovative perspectives like today’s newsletter piece by Mary Hinkle Shore on the stewardship of life at its end. If…
Today we return to the second iteration of the newsletter series on the new book Beyond the Offering Plate: A Holistic Approach to Stewardship. While it was tempting, for the sake of novelty, to publish an entire book on stewardship without addressing money, there was no real doubt that the book must devote a chapter…
The question of language comes up a lot in stewardship circles. I think the search for the right words suggests our discomfort with the present realities of stewardship in congregations. Words matter, and it’s hard to find the right words that connect us to deep, meaningful realities of money, God, and giving. In today’s post,…
I recently attended a large worship conference hosted by a mainline denomination. The liturgy and music was creative, though also on the “traditional” side of the worship spectrum. On the final night of the conference, we sang the hymn, “How Great Thou Art” with 800+ other worshippers. My seat was in the back, so I…
