Here’s another sneak peek at my new book, Giving Up: How Giving to God Renews Hearts, Changes Minds, and Empowers Ministry, available now. This excerpt is from the second chapter, titled “The Hidden Virtue of the Early Church.” I want to give the church corrective lenses to see that the ministry of Jesus, Paul, and the very…
Announcement: Giving Up is Coming Soon!
It’s Ready After years of gathering ideas, studying Scripture, preaching “The Money Talk”, collecting three decades worth of wisdom…and months of writing and re-writing, the book is finished. We took our final pass at it with our red pens and now it lives with the publisher and then onto the printer…and then I hope…to you!…
Barista, Priest, and Planter
Last week I posted some thoughts about the cost of church planting. I also included a You Tube video interview with Alex Wilgus, of the Greenhouse Movement. Alex helped us see how the funding of a church plant can be ‘raised’ through deputation; praying for support and asking friends and family to consider giving to…
The First Question to Ask Before You Ask!
Note: All my life I have had to ask for money…and in the back of my mind has been a reluctance. A guilt. How could I? I’m taking away from them! But Alex Wilgus clears this up in the first few minutes of this video below. Simple wisdom. One of the great challenges for the…
How to Write A Year End Appeal Letter
As a ‘lame duck’ rector of the church I’d pastored for decades, I had an unusual experience writing my last year-end appeal letter. I had announced my resignation six months earlier. The entire congregation was waiting for some good news from the Search Committee. And we had a significant financial need. HUGE! We needed to…
Should you Write an Appeal Letter
It is starting to happen on most afternoons now. I innocently walk to my mailbox hoping for a few letters or a favorite magazine. I open the mailbox door, and it all starts to overflow into my arms and onto the street. Catalogs. More catalogs. Credit card offers. Direct mail solicitations. And of course, daily…
The Stewardship Digest: Everything in One Place
I decided to gather these ‘greatest hits’ in a single Stewardship digest. These posts distill some of the most practical applications of the issues raised in Giving Up. Here they are…up-to-date.
Meet Ben Gill: The Church’s Best Stewardship Leader
Just Posted this at LeaderWorks: Ben Gill is THE man when it comes to Stewardship, Capital Campaigns, and raising money for Kingdom work. The impact of his company Resource Services, Inc. is incalculable. They helped us (at Christ Church) raise the millions of dollars needed for the acquisition and expansion of our campus. And after…
