Generosity Extravaganza 2026

Sponsored by the Southeastern and Northeastern Pennsylvania Synods
and our partners

Our 2026 Generosity Extravaganza

Engaging Generosity: A Roadmap for Vitality

Practical, usable ideas and programs to help congregations develop a culture of generosity.

Agenda

8:30 am – 9:00 am: Registration

9:00 am – 9:15 am:Welcome

9:15 am – 10:00 am: Worship

10:00 am – 10:45 am: Keynote Presentation

10:45 am – 11:00 am: Q&A with Keynote Speaker

11:00 am: Break

11:15 am – 12:15 pm: Workshop 1

12:15 pm – 1:00 pm: Lunch

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Workshop 2

2:00 pm – 2:20 pm: Break

2:20 pm – 3:20 pm: Workshop 3

3:30 pm – 3:45 pm: Concluding Remarks and Evaluation

Keynote

The Rev. Dr. Andrea Walker
Engaging Generosity-A Roadmap to Vitality

This keynote invites leaders to reimagine generosity as a spiritual practice rather than a fundraising tactic. Drawing on Generosity Stewardship and Abundance by Lovett Weems and Ann Michel and Giving to God by Mark Allan Powell the speaker will outline a roadmap that moves from awakening God’s abundance , to teaching and practicing stewardship, to cultivating a culture of giving that leads to vitality. At its heart, generosity is worship—an act of gratitude and discipleship that strengthens mission, builds trust, and nurtures joy. Participants will leave with practical steps for leading faithfully, teaching consistently and celebrating generosity as the pathway to thriving, mission-oriented congregations.

Rev. Dr. Andrea L Walker currently serves as pastor of the historic 180-year-old congregation, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in DC. Previously, from November 2012 to January 2020 she served in the Global Mission unit of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) as the Area Director for Madagascar, West and Central Africa. In this role she had responsibility for the ELCA’s mission in nine countries on the continent of Africa, and the island nation of Madagascar. These responsibilities included traveling to oversee the relationship with Lutheran Churches in these countries, including budgets, projects, programs and missionary personnel.

Before taking on this position, she served as pastor of St. John’s in Summit, NJ for nine years. There, she worked with the congregation through engaging stewardship education to bridge the gap of a sizable deficient.

Workshops

Giving as Worship — Reframing Generosity in Congregational Life

Workshop Time 2, 3

This workshop will help leaders and congregations reframe financial giving and stewardship as acts of worship, gratitude and discipleship rather than obligation or institutional maintenance. Participants will explore biblical foundations, reflect on their own practices, and design ways to integrate “giving as worship” into their ministry contexts.

The Rev. Dr. Andrea Walker, presenting

Collaborative Ministry

Workshop Time 2, 3

Join us for a conversation about 6261 Ministry Communities – a collaborative ministry model of the NEPA Synod that consists of 6 congregations served by 2 pastors, 6 licensed lay ministers, and 1 deacon, all bundled together for common life, ministry, and mission. Come learn more about this model, which launched in 2023, to hear how and where it is taking root and what God’s collaborative Spirit is up to in these 6261 Ministry Communities. At its core, collaboration is a practice in being generous and receiving generosity, both of which increase our vitality and shared purpose within God’s work in the world.

Deacon Kat Tigerman serves as the Director for Evangelical Mission (DEM) for the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod. She is both an ELCA rostered deacon and a member of the deaconess community of the Lutheran Diaconal Association (LDA). Prior to this role, she has worked domestically and abroad, for both non-profit ministries and congregations. Many of these roles were new starts or opportunities for revitalization, through which she has gained a deep appreciation for collaboration, creativity, and flexibility! Kat also enjoys sharing time with her family in the garden, with their farm animals, reading, and playing board games.

Children are Generous

Workshop Time 1, 3

In the work of the Faith Alive Initiative, we are striving to help congregations fully welcome children into their worship each and every time they gather. This includes teaching generosity practices and modeling authentic ways of giving.

We will explore books, curriculum, and resources that can help encourage generosity in children. We will also discuss the various ways children can participate in worship that encourages their own stewardship.

The Rev. Annemarie Hartner Cook is an Assistant to the Bishop and Program Director of Faith Alive in the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod. She is a graduate of Valparaiso University (‘03) and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (‘07). Pastor Cook is also a member of the Advisory Council for the Institute of Liturgical Studies at Valparaiso University and the co-host of the lectionary podcast “Mind the Gap RCL”.

The Landscape of Religious Giving: Trends and Best Practices for Meaningful Engagement

Workshop Time 1, 2

The landscape of giving looks different than it used to, and new approaches are needed in congregations to engage with donors now and in the future. In this workshop, we’ll explore the trends and look at how we can deepen the spiritual practices of giving and strengthen our congregations’ engagement with donors today.

Meredith McNabb is the Associate Director for Education at Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, part of Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. In this role, she provides core leadership for the Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising and the Cultivating Generous Congregations courses and other educational programming nationwide.

Meredith is an attorney and spiritual director and an ordained clergy member in the United Methodist Church. She served previously as the Director of the Center for Clergy Excellence in Virginia, overseeing formation, continuing education, and accountability for the 1600 Virginia United Methodist clergy, and as an Associate District Superintendent in Indiana, resourcing and supervising part-time clergy across both rural and urban contexts. She and her spouse make their home in Indianapolis.

Laying the Foundation: Leading Change to Navigate Church Property Transitions.

Workshop Time 1, 2

Peter Beeson will offer practical steps and guidance on using your church owned real estate for ministry. From analyzing the current trends for why this work is necessary, to grieving what was and building for a better future, to sharing encouraging stories of what has worked elsewhere. Participants will leave with a practical hand-out on the Seven Steps for leading change, to equip them and their congregations to steward their real estate for social and community good

Peter Beeson is a real estate development practitioner and ELCA pastor with experience in using church owned real estate for social and community good. He’s led multiple congregations through making the paradigm shift to view their real estate as an asset, rather than a burden, including a decision to tear down an existing sanctuary and build a ten story high-rise with 100+ units of affordable housing plus worship and community space in the Midwest. He holds a Masters of Real Estate Development from Iowa State University and a Masters of Divinity from the Berkeley School of Theology. He is the co-founder of Realize, LLC.”

A Conversation about Best Practices in Congregational Generosity

Workshop Time 1, 3

In this workshop persons who attend will be invited, if willing, to share the best practices in their congregation for stewardship/generosity. Active listeners are, of course, welcome. Persons will be invited to share for three minutes what they think works best for Love of God in Jesus Christ and love of neighbor in a congregation. After those who are willing share, everyone will be invited to form small groups around a practice that inspires them to listen, respond, and sharpen the practice for ten minutes. Each small group will have a notetaker who will share the key elements of the practice for the whole workshop. If time permits, two cycles of small groups around the best practices should be possible. In addition, Pastor Krey will share his library of the best books and resources in generosity /stewardship and at the end will share his best practices.

The Rev, Dr. Philip D. W. Krey is the former President and Ministerium of New York Professor of Church History, emeritus of United Lutheran Seminary. He has served parishes in Baltimore, Chicago, and Philadelphia. Since 2015 he has been the Pastor of St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Perkasie, PA, a thriving and generous congregation in the Philadelphia suburbs. St Andrew’s is a growing congregation, and its income has exceeded its expense budget every year since 2016. In 2022 the congregation completed a capital campaign of over $1 million for a few foci including benevolent giving.

Narrative Budgets: Telling the Story Behind Each Line Item

Workshop Time 1, 2

Some things are easier to fund than others. The local homeless shelter seems more in line for what Jesus calls us to give to than lights, floor wax, and water bills. And yet, even these “less attractive” line items help tell the story of the church’s mission in the world today. This workshop will introduce Narrative Budgets, show examples of multiple ways this tool can be used in a variety of contexts, and walk through what putting together one in your church could look like!

Pastor Lexy Steinle is the lead pastor at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Fargo, ND. She is a second career pastor and has been greatly shaped by her 7 years of teaching elementary music in public schools and various music and youth related positions in her congregation prior to becoming their pastor. She lives with her 2 geriatric cats Zelda and Zuri, and currently enjoys Olympic Weight Lifting, co-captaining an adult kickball team, and wandering around farmers markets with friends.

The Psychology and Theology of Giving: A Dialogue of motivating factors that cause people to contribute, donate, and give

Workshop Time 1, 3

This workshop will be led by a facilitator helping us to explore and examine the psychology and theology of giving. It will take place in the format of a conversational dialogue with small interval lectures to prompt discussion. We will explore factors that motivate people to give utilizing the disciplines of psychology and theology. We will examine scripture and studies by institutions who have done research on motivating factors. (Please note the presenter is not a psychologist, but is an ordained minister)

Rev. Dr. Quintin L. Robertson (known as Pastor Q to his congregants and Dr. Q to his students) has served in the academy and church for over twenty-five years in the Atlanta and Philadelphia metropolitan areas. Quintin has intentionally served in interim pastoral ministry serving four American Baptist congregations over the last 12 years and has served as a supply minister at ELCA and UCC congregations. While serving the church he is an administrative faculty member of United Lutheran Seminary serving as the Director of the Urban Theological Institute.

His ministry is ecumenical and intercultural, having served diverse congregations with members from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. He has preached and lectured around the globe at many churches across denominational lines and has preached and lectured at more than thirty colleges, universities, and seminaries. During his time in Atlanta, he led a weekly Bible Study with students at Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Clark Atlanta University.

Quintin earned his DMIN degree and MDIV degrees from the Interdenominational Theological Center, his MBA degree from Clark Atlanta University and his BBA from Howard University. He participated in the Summer Venture in Management Program at Harvard University between his Junior and Senior years at Howard University. He has been inducted into the Martin Luther King, Jr. Board of Preachers at Morehouse College.

Since the beginning of his ministry, he has been a mentor to many and has found himself providing safe space for many students, ministers and laity as they seek counseling. Recently he has begun providing pastoral counseling to individuals and couples. He exemplifies through his ministry that “every day is a new beginning,” and that God’s “grace is sufficient.” Quintin is a foodie and history buff. He often posts pictures of his meals on social media and enjoys reading and watching historical and biographical documentaries and fictional historical books and movies.