In this forum, the topic is often money.  Without money there is no mission.  But what happens when money gets in the way of mission? My friend David Scavuzzo seems to hate Swiss steak dinners.  Maybe he doesn’t hate the dinners (anything covered in that much gravy has to be good, doesn’t it?) but he […]

Nothing strikes fear in the heart of a stewardship chair quite like the phrase “Pony Express.”  The once popular stewardship program is now distinctly out of style.  It worked kind of like several concurrent chain letters that would be delivered in person.  A chain had a list of members; the one at the top of […]

Most ministers would tell you that there are three high holy days on the calendar when they expect their sanctuaries to be more full than usual: Christmas Eve, Easter and Mother’s Day. What message do you send to visitors on those days? I have always sat in the congregation hoping just once that the pastor […]

At the Learning to Turn our Cups Over seminar on Saturday Reverend David Bell offered many wonderful challenges and insights.  One of them in particular really resonated with me.  He pointed out that if people make donations to help people, we as churches should emphasize that in all of our stewardship communications. The next time […]

I got to go to two funerals last week. Not many say they “get to go” to these things, but these were very nice. Both gentlemen had lived long, full lives. One was a much-loved pastor. The other was an accountant who loaned his professional expertise to many organizations, both United Methodist and secular. There […]

I heard someone talk about change last week. He asserted that change happens for one of two reasons. It is either pushed by fear or pulled by vision. In terms of church finances there has been very little “business as usual” in recent years. Attendance and membership in mainline denominations is already dropping. And the […]