September 12, 2018
Generosity Tip: It’s About Time
As we enter a new program year, families and the church face an important issue – how do we manage (steward) our time? Summer is over, weekend trips to the shore or mountains are memories, school is already in full swing and with school come all of the school and extracurricular activities, and your children...
June 5, 2018
Generosity: The Narrative Offering
For the past year we have had six congregations in SEPA Synod and eight congregations in NEPA Synod participating in a pilot program to Create Congregational Cultures of Generosity. Teams from each congregation of the Pastor(s) and four to six lay leaders attended a two day intensive training program to help them understand what to...
March 26, 2018
The Pros Use Coaches. Shouldn’t You?
Did you ever notice how many coaches professional athletes use? These are the best in the world in their sport, and yet all of them use coaches on a regular basis. In fact, in team sports like football or baseball (Go Phillies!!!) there are even specialized coaches for quarterbacks or pitchers; linebackers or a hitting...
January 31, 2018
Model Self-Giving During Lent
Lent is just around the corner and for many congregations it is an opportunity to encourage members to follow practices of self-denial, self-sacrifice and other practices to more fully follow the example of our Lord Jesus. At the same time, I have seen changes of emphases with regards to “giving something up” in Lent. While...
January 4, 2018
Stewardship: Pope Francis and Money
When I talk to congregational leaders about stewardship, I like to remind them that money is mission. I was interested to see that Pope Francis agrees with me. A recent article by Margaret Marcuson applauds Pope Francis not only for talking about money, but working to align the practices of the Vatican Bank with its...
