It’s been ten years and counting since the board of which I am the current chair opted for Policy Governance. And still the identity of our owner(s) eludes us. We took up the question again at a recent meeting. Comments fell along the usual lines until a board member suggested God as the owner. Silence. [...]
Don’t let your church be a casualty in the offering wars
January 28, 2013 By 6 Comments
Move over worship wars. There’s a new battle brewing in North America’s churches, this one focused on the Sunday morning offering. Fewer of the faithful carry cash these days, and for younger worshipers, writing a check is as old school (and annoying) as email. But tradition dies hard. Stewardship stalwarts cling to their collection plates [...]
Generosity in quotes
January 25, 2013 By Leave a Comment
“It seems to me that compassion asks what a person feels or needs…. and condescension assumes. (Stuff like: You are a mess and I can fix you. Awww you poor thing- I am so past that kind of experience that I’m sure I can help you do this better…” ) The times I’ve felt someone [...]
What part of thank you don’t you understand?
January 23, 2013 By 4 Comments
Maybe it was just me, but the just completed end-of-year “gold rush” seemed unusually vociferous, what with the addition of emails, texts, and tweets to the usual direct mail onslaught. Even the stodgiest of charities jumped into the online fundraising waters, panning for riches beside the early adapters. Frantic fundraisers left no method of asking [...]
Reflections from a generous giver on asking, thanking, and growing donors’ hearts
January 21, 2013 By 4 Comments
The following reflections on money, faith, and fundraising as ministry come from Don Meyer, a Buffalo, NY businessman whose generosity is well-known in Christian circles. When Don speaks, ministry leaders listen. And speak he did at a recent meeting of the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International board, on which I serve alongside Don’s wife, the [...]
Geneoristy in quotes
January 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment
“I’ve often heard it said — and I believe — that living for Christ is all or nothing. I think sometimes we perceive ‘all’ as something exotic, and since we aren’t doing that, we settle for ‘nothing.’ What we fail to realize is that ‘all encompasses wherever we are right now. I am inspired by [...]
Nonprofit leader, fundraising isn’t your board’s problem.
January 16, 2013 By 2 Comments
Just once, I’d love to pick up a report citing CEO support for boards doing what boards were created to do. That is, to govern — preferably well. Better yet, in an exemplary manner. Sadly, the 2012 Governance Survey from the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability isn’t it. Despite ECFA’s valiant efforts to steer ministry [...]
The fault of too much generosity
January 14, 2013 By 2 Comments
The featured person must have been extraordinarily special if his or her family was willing to spring for a two-column wide, boxed obituary in the local newspaper. That’s my assumption, and when it happens, I take notice. This past Sunday, there were two such entries, book ending the spread of shorter obits. One of the [...]
Generosity in quotes
January 11, 2013 By 2 Comments
“Your offering is not a tip for a good sermon, nor are you paying for services rendered. Your stewardship, bringing your tithes and offerings to the community in which you worship, is a spiritual practice that comes right out of scripture. The people Jesus taught and healed lived in grinding poverty. And then there were [...]
New leader + old mistakes = trouble
January 9, 2013 By 2 Comments
The congregation of which I am a part has had a rough go of it over the past couple of years. We chewed up a pastor heralded as a “change agent” by the search committee that found him. In the process, we lost nearly a third of our membership, including many of our strongest givers. [...]
