What feelings do you get when you think about fundraising?
Does raising funds feel like a “necessary evil?”
Do you grudgingly invite financial participation and maybe only when the budget is low?
The Rev. Dr. Tom Bryson, the co-pastor at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, remembers the day as a young boy when his father brought home the family’s first microwave oven.
Concerns about climate change, diversity in the workplace and corporate boards, tobacco marketing, fossil fuels and weapons of war have shaped the way churches invest. This applies to endowments, strategic investments and other long-term investment tools.
An endowment extends good stewardship above and beyond a church’s operating budget, said the presenters of “Introduction to Endowments: Why Have One, and What Are They?”
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to stewardship or generosity.
In a rich conversation about unleashing generosity in culturally specific ways, the Rev. Lucille “CeCee” Mills challenged pastors and church leaders during her workshop at Stewardship Kaleidoscope, an annual conference focused on stewardship, generosity and finances for churches. It was held both virtually and in person in Savannah, Georgia, Sept. 26-28.
Stories motivate stewardship by demonstrating the “markers of hope” each church creates and reminds members that they are part of an organization that makes a positive difference in the world.
Church leadership in this age is not just about technical changes or making adjustments, says the Rev. Dr. Michael Bos. It’s about changing your culture and values, which means there will be dissent, criticism and debate.
Pastors preaching about money tackle both the good news of the gospel and the brass tacks of money management. There are ways to approach the oft-dreaded stewardship sermon with a little C.I.A. help.
No, not that CIA.
