Seldom do I meet a pastor who, when they find out I’m in fundraising, asks about raising money. Ironically, most seminaries don’t teach this elemental aspect of ministry—congregations are nonprofits; contributions are elemental to their growth. However, before congregations and…
To hand someone a dollar or not?
by Kim Priddy, Associate Pastor of Missions To hand someone a dollar or not? This is a debate that is faced when you come upon someone holding a cardboard sign at an intersection that reads: “Hungry- Anything Helps.” The bible…
“Show Me the Money” No Longer Works When Denominations Talk to Churches
Rather than a Jerry Maguire demand of “show me the money,” denominations often find themselves asking “where has all the money gone?” Depending on the denomination, funds to denominations began declining between 30 and 50 years ago. However, it took…
Americans with fewest resources giving greater percentage to charity, study finds
By BNG staff America’s poor and middle class are giving more to charity even though they’re earning less, while the country’s rich are earning more but giving a smaller portion of their income to charity. That’s the conclusion of a…
Soar past tithing on your way to becoming wildly generous
Should we forget tithing? Is it passé? Does it set up an artificial target on which too few people actually agree? Tithing seems like an obvious principle–10 percent of your income–yet too often it becomes a negative point for confusion,…
With humor and hard work, church changes its ‘culture of giving’
By Jeff Brumley Two years ago, Second Baptist Church in Liberty, Mo. gambled that two cartoon cows would help foster a culture of generosity and transform stewardship in the congregration. It might sound crazy, but it worked, resulting in a…
Does anybody really know what tithing is? Does anybody really care?
Has a more general, difficult to measure, New Testament-oriented concept called generosity snuffed out the clear, easy to measure, Old Testament concept of tithing? Let me try that again. Has a left-brained legalism about tithing interpreted as 10 percent of…
Wise decisions about charitable holiday giving
As the holiday season approaches, my inbox and our mailbox seems to fill quickly with Christmas greetings and with requests for money. We love getting Christmas cards and letters. After reading them, my wife displays them around the living room…
The currency of God’s kingdom
The Currency of God’s Kingdom 1 John 5:1-6 In the past, I have volunteered as a coach for various YMCA youth sports teams. The last team that I coached was a K-1st grade soccer team. In the YMCA league, they…