Not Your Parents' Offering Plate

Not Your Parents' Offering Plate PDF Author: Dr. J. Clif Christopher
Publisher: Abingdon Press
ISBN: 1501804936
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 116

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Book Description
People don’t give to church because we don’t offer them a compelling vision of the good their giving will achieve. Hearing a young attorney speak of the faithbased reasons for which he had just made a substantial monetary gift to a community youth center, Clif Christopher asked the speaker if he would consider making a similar contribution to the congregation of which he was an active member. “Lord, no they would not know what to do with it” was the answer. That, in a nutshell, describes the problem churches are facing in their stewardship efforts, says Christopher. Unlike leading nonprofit agencies and institutions, we too often fail to convince potential givers that their gifts will have impact and significance. In this book, Christopher lays out the main reasons for this failure to capture the imagination of potential givers, including our frequent failure simply to ask. Written with the needs of pastors and stewardship teams in mind, Not Your Parents’ Offering Plate provides immediate, practical guidance to all who seek to help God’s people be better stewards of their resources.

Not Your Parents' Offering Plate

Not Your Parents' Offering Plate PDF Author: Dr. J. Clif Christopher
Publisher: Abingdon Press
ISBN: 1501804936
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 116

Get Book

Book Description
People don’t give to church because we don’t offer them a compelling vision of the good their giving will achieve. Hearing a young attorney speak of the faithbased reasons for which he had just made a substantial monetary gift to a community youth center, Clif Christopher asked the speaker if he would consider making a similar contribution to the congregation of which he was an active member. “Lord, no they would not know what to do with it” was the answer. That, in a nutshell, describes the problem churches are facing in their stewardship efforts, says Christopher. Unlike leading nonprofit agencies and institutions, we too often fail to convince potential givers that their gifts will have impact and significance. In this book, Christopher lays out the main reasons for this failure to capture the imagination of potential givers, including our frequent failure simply to ask. Written with the needs of pastors and stewardship teams in mind, Not Your Parents’ Offering Plate provides immediate, practical guidance to all who seek to help God’s people be better stewards of their resources.

Whose Offering Plate Is It?

Whose Offering Plate Is It? PDF Author: Dr. J. Clif Christopher
Publisher: Abingdon Press
ISBN: 1426729847
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 115

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Book Description
In Not Your Parents' Offering Plate, Clif Christopher challenged churches and pastors to take a lesson from the leaders of not-for-profit organizations: if you want people to give to your church, first offer them a compelling vision of the good that their giving will accomplish. The book encouraged an entire culture change for many in the Christian community in how they viewed the offering plate. It also unleashed a barrage of questions on specifically how to create this new culture while maintaining the foundations of one's faith tradition and mission. In this sequel, Christopher responds to these questions in the same forthright manner that he originally laid forth his propositions. He offers simple, strategic advice on such difficult questions as: “Exactly how do I go about gaining access to the donor records when my church has prohibited it for a hundred years?” “How do I explain a meeting with just those who are strong givers without alienating those who are not?” “How can we advocate online giving without encouraging some to abuse their credit cards?” “What should letters to different giving constituencies look like?”

Rich Church, Poor Church

Rich Church, Poor Church PDF Author: J. Clif Christopher
Publisher: Abingdon Press
ISBN: 142674336X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 122

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Book Description
What is the bottom line at your church?

Creating Congregations of Generous People

Creating Congregations of Generous People PDF Author: Michael Durall
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1566995027
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 104

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Book Description
Asking parishioners for money is very different from creating congregations of generous people. In this provocative book, stewardship consultant Michael Durall argues convincingly that annual pledge drives inadvertently perpetuate low-level and same-level giving in congregations. Written with the voice of experience, this book will help clergy and lay leaders initiate and sustain effective stewardship programs. Durall believes that asking for money eventually becomes routine, even tedious-but creating a congregation of generous people becomes ever more meaningful with passing time.

Ask, Thank, Tell

Ask, Thank, Tell PDF Author: Charles R. Lane
Publisher: Augsburg Books
ISBN: 9781451405057
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 132

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Book Description
The goal of this book, says author Charles Lane, is to perform a dramatic rescue of stewardship, freeing it from any connection whatsoever to "paying the bills." When the Bible talks about stewardship it almost always talks about the intimate connection between how a person handles financial matters and that person's relationship with God. Stewardship is an intensely spiritual matter that lies close to a disciple's relationship with Jesus.The book is designed especially for use in congregational planning and study. Congregational stewardship leaders will come back to three foundational verbs ? ask, thank, tell ? over and over as they help individuals experience the joy of giving generously. The author makes the convincing case that there is little in life today that can help a disciple grow in relationship with Jesus more than a solid intentional biblical stewardship.

Whose Offering Plate Is It?

Whose Offering Plate Is It? PDF Author: J. Clif Christopher
Publisher: Abingdon Press
ISBN: 1426710135
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 118

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Book Description
If you want people to give, offer them a compelling vision of how their giving is going to build God's kingdom.

An Introduction to Ministry

An Introduction to Ministry PDF Author: Ian S. Markham
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 047067329X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 294

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Book Description
An Introduction to Ministry is a comprehensive and ecumenical introduction to the craft of ministry for ministers, pastors, and priests that make up the mainline denominations in the United States. Ecumenically-focused, It offers a grounded account of ministry, covering areas such as vocation, congregational leadership, and cultivation of skills for an effective ministry. Covers the key components of the M.Div. curriculum, offering a map and guide to the central skills and issues in training Explores the areas of vocation, skills for ministry, and issues around congregational leadership Each topic ends with an annotated bibliography providing an indispensable gateway to further study Helps students understand both the distinctive approach of their denomination and the relationship of that approach to other mainline denominations Advocates and defends a generous understanding of the Christian tradition in its openness and commitment to broad conversation

Beyond the Offering Plate

Beyond the Offering Plate PDF Author: Adam J. Copeland
Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
ISBN: 1611648114
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 200

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Book Description
Everyone knows that stewardship is more than money and finances. Nevertheless, seldom do we give time to explore the profound concept of stewardship in its many dimensions, including stewardship of time, work, body, mind, spirit, community, technology, and more. Beyond the Offering Plate does just that. Written by ten engaging pastors, seminary professors, and church leaders, this unique resource offers a diverse and holistic approach to stewardship. In ten accessible chapters, readers will learn how they can faithfully and practically discuss and engage with stewardship on a regular basis. Ideal for church leaders, seminary students, and pastors, this book includes questions for reflection and applications for life together at the end of each chapter. Copeland adds a special section with biblical references and preaching themes at the end of the book. Featured contributors include: Margaret P. Aymer, Associate Professor of New Testament at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Austin, Texas Kathleen A. Cahalan, Professor of Theology at Saint John's University School of Theology and Seminary in Collegeville, Minnesota MaryAnn McKibben Dana, author of Sabbath in the Suburbs David Gambrell, Associate for Worship in the Office of Theology and Worship of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) David P. King, Karen Lake Buttrey Director of the Lake Institute on Faith and Giving and Associate Professor of Philanthropic Studies at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana Neal D. Presa, pastor and former moderator of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Ellie Roscher, Director of Youth and Story Development at Bethlehem Lutheran Church Twin Cities in Minneapolis and author of How Coffee Saved My Life Mary Hinkle Shore, pastor of Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Brevard, North Carolina John W. Vest, Visiting Assistant Professor of Evangelism at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia

Giving and Stewardship in an Effective Church

Giving and Stewardship in an Effective Church PDF Author: Kennon L. Callahan
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 078793867X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 147

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Book Description
This complete guide to giving and stewardship sheds new light on solid financial resources, one of the 12 keys to building an effective church. Here is a practical plan for the growth and development of giving and stewardship in your congregation, complete with action worksheets that advance the progress of the plan over four years.

101 Ways to Bug Your Parents

101 Ways to Bug Your Parents PDF Author: Lee Wardlaw
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0142403407
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 209

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Book Description
When his parents call off the family vacation and enroll their son in a creative writing class instead, twelve-year-old Steve comes up with a wacky moneymaking project.