Depth Perception
Again with those percentages. Congregations can better manage finances if they work with percentages for distribution of funds. It's a tried and true method.
Basics in Generosity. Stewardship principles all the faith traditions can affirm.
Begrudging Largesse.
The Big Three: Remaining Focused on the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. David Bell provides perspective in an age of bailouts and recession.
Blow Vuvuzela! Blow! Mark L. Vincent's vuvuzela gets kidnapped and he is forced to reflect on his view of the ownership of possessions.
Boom Come the Boomers.
Boredom does not breed style.
The Budget as Dangerous Management Tool.
Changes in the wind.
Changes since 9/11.
Changing Times. A recessionary economy brings opportunity to some, hardship for others, and a changing economic lifestyle for everyone.
A Chasm between faith and responsibility. We think there is a bridge across this chasm!
Chimp stewardship.
A Christian Business? Businesses that assign themselves the Christian label will find their consumers have high expectations of customer serivce.
Communications Dr. Downs style.
Competent leadership. Competency does not replace a commitment to mission.
Competition. Communication reduces competition within working groups. Smaller working groups tend to have more opportunity for communication.
The Congregational Economy. The congregation's economy is more than its budget.
Conversation with Amy and Jocelyn.
Chronologically challenged.
Communion needs community.
Consume to create.
Contemporary Christianity.
Creation: the moral meaning of money.
Creation questions an organization might ask.
Criticizing and Kissing.
The current giving climate. Reflections on changes in giving patterns during a recession.
Curveball Beanballs.
Debt reduction.
Defining the Terms.
A Denominational Future. A mass mailing sets off reflections on the future of denominations. You can read even more at here, here or here.
Deserving tax breaks.
Deserving tax breaks, part 2.
Desire for control follows size of investment.
Dirty Information.
Displaced theology. Reflections on the University of Chicago moving the theology department for an expanding economics program.
Do I have to join? People are shedding their labels, and this might include your organization.
Don't forget to think. It is possible for two or more contradicting economic trends to be true.
Downturn Echoes.
Dropping off the college students. Dropping off college students can be compared to a day care field trip down the cereal aisle.
Due diligence. Dale Yeager reflects on how due diligence and assessing credibility go together.
An encounter while leaving a Burger King restroom.
Ethics Review.
Evangelism set right?
Even More Excuses to Leave Church.
Feeding the poor: an optional activity? The answer is "No."
A few distinctions. The words "accounting", "finance" and "economics" are not interchangeable
A few stray thoughts. As new persons find a home in your congregation, others begin to feel like strangers in the same congregation.
A firstfruits cosmology.
Fiscal knowledge isn't carnal knowledge! Not knowing what people give effects how a pastor treats people, even though so many think it does not.
Generosity.
Generosity Reflections.
The gift of financial awareness.
Global wealth and the generous Christian.
A good stewardship sermon. 4 key points about tithing.
Greater Good.
Grumbling?
Hairy Donations.
Happy Birthday Ben.
Healthy systems.
Home on the range?
Horse sense is possible. An Introduction to the Steward Leaders Game.
How much is enough?
How much is too much?
How much mission for the money? What kind of language are you using to make financial reports?
I perceive you are mistaken.
Integrative Thinking & a Little Merger. How the formation of Christian Leadership Alliance could be an example of integrative thinking.
Interesting and Relevant Institutions.
In troubled times. Congregations need economic wake up calls too.
Is it a gift when you designate?
It is not time my worth!
Keeping a firstfruits commitment. Mark and Lorie Vincent state their commitment to keep giving, even when battling leiomyosarcoma.
Kerygma washing. Grime tends to adhere to the gospel. Is it time for a power washing?
Leadership Lesson. The starting point for Steward Leaders.
Leading in the future.
The Life of the Steward.
A Little Black Swan Thinking. Nicholas Taleb's book has implications for Development professionals.
A little decorum please. Reminders of how Christian people function in the middle of social, financial and political concern.
A little music please. New resources for the offering and offertories.
A look Ahead. Are we at a new economic normal?
Losing Control.
Marking Time. There are good reasons for congregations to begin their fiscal years in October.
Money.
Money Management.
A Money Mania Excerpt.
Another Money Mania Excerpt.
Mortal Profit.
Nanny McPhee, an Icon for Interim Leaders. The Nanny McPhee movies provide the best case studies!
Net worth.
A new kind of temple clearing. Matthew 21 as seens by Michael Zehr.
New life for denominations? What it takes to re-build Christian denominations.
A new worship routine. The call of a Moses as a guidebook for worship. Michael Zehr reflects.
A Nigerian blender.
A 9th reason?
The 9th reason.
Non-anxious financial parenting. Can we remain calm in front of our children, especially in difficult financial times?
Non-profits and property taxes.
Not another performance review!
An ode to money.
One Way?
Organizational Switch.
Our new venture.
Passion for worship. Michael Zehr reminds us that worship is a verb.
The Pastor says...
Plugging the funding gap.
Post Christian.
The powerful moment.
Praise for bounty.
Pray.
Prayerful Reactions. The Reverend Harrie D. Tenure-Short gets reactions to a prayer for children.
Prayer with the emerging church.
Problem solving: the work of a designer. Lorie Vincent compares a good oncologist to a good organizational development consultant.
The problems of self-interested leaders. The temptation to act in self-interest rises during recessionary times.
Reclaiming Grandpa's way. Grandpa exemplified living on multiple income streams.
Reconciling duplicity.
A reductionist blessing.
Reflections on the housing allowance.
Renewing Terms.
Rethinking Time.
Return on investment.
Return on investment (again).
Saturation.
Shebnah. Did we know him? Shebnah was the anit-Steward Leader.
Sing this! Lyrics to "A Deep and Glorious Song" by Ken Medema. A new offertory classic!
Sin isn't just for Catholics.
Specialists are a benefit.
Spin Cycle. Reflections on multiple uses of a dollar before it leaves one's possession.
A Sporting Religion.
Stay just a little while longer! Mark L. Vincent on the top ten reasons people leave congregations.
Steward is the word. A preference for the word "steward" over the word "tewardship."
Steward trumps stewardship. More on the difference between these two words.
Stewards don't have to give,or so we say. Since when does being a steward preclude generosity?
Stewardship as creation (part 1).
Stewardship as creation (part 2).
A Stewardship Ministry. The essence of Stewardship Ministry.
A Stewardship Prayer. A basic prayer for consecrating giving.
STS not FTBNBT!Kim Stezala passes along wise advice for organizational leaders.
Stuck Theology.
Stuck Theology 2.
Stumbling blocks to the Islamists, foolishness to the secular humanists
Swimming Upstream.
Theological reflection-are you scared?
Thick Irony.
Thoughts growing from Haitian lanterns.
Thoughts on apathy.
Time for the Offering.
Time Warped.
Tithing.
Total Economy Thinking.
Train jumpers with ferret.
Transformation.
Transformational Stewardship. Organizations that want to grow the heart of the giver need to make the entire shift. Anything else is just window dressing.
Troubling Insight.
Two Planning Scenarios.
Two Theological Errors But who is counting?
Unified giving versus designation: must we choose between them?
Want prosperity? Go to church.
Wealth Transfer: much ado about nothing?
We can't grow unless we discuss it. An excerpt from a Chris McDaniel interview.
Welcome to Cleveland!
What Charles and Corey taught me.
What exactly is ours?
What's in it for me?
Why go at all?
Wise management for one's heirs.
With apologies to all ornithologists.
"Yes, but....." is not a supportive position. Answering "Yes, but . . . ." is really just saying "No."
You don't have to work, you know. a 5 yr old's comments about government handouts leads Mark L. Vincent to reflect on how children learn about money.
Youth Convention Reflections.