Benevolence Resources/Narrative Budget
Our Benevolence Story is new resource highlighting the ways your benevolence offering supports the work of ministry in four key areas: The Wider Church, Martin Luther University College, Congregations and Leaders.
This resource is available in video as well as PNG and PDF formats – 8.5×11 (letter) and 4.25×5.5 (bulletin). You may consider sharing this resource through a variety of mediums such as slideshows, social media, bulletin inserts, AGM reports, council dockets, and newsletters.
This resources is primarily intended for digital access. Congregations wishing to order print copies (limited number available) are asked to contact Liz Zehr (ezehr@elcic.ca) at the Eastern Synod Office.
Format – Video
Format – 8.5 x 11
Format – 4.25 x 5.5
Blog Posts
Generational Giving: Can Young Families Give?
We talked about the high cost of housing and how that disportionately affects younger people. That’s true, and yet cultivating generosity is too important to be deferred until later in life. The church doesn’t say, you can learn to pray when you’re retired and have more time. Instead, we encourage everyone to pray as they are able. Read more
Living Into The Kingdom of God
We can live out our beliefs as the early church did by stewarding resources to meet the needs of all, writes a director of programs and grants for Leadership Education at Duke Divinity. Read more
The Church Has A Complicated Relationship With Money
The author of a new book opens a discussion on stewardship, poverty and the holy uses of wealth. Read more
Why Pastors Should Understand Economics
Economists live in a world of scarcity. Christians believe in God’s abundance. In this conversation, an economist and a pastor talk about the ways in which that tension plays out in ministry and life. Read more
‘Crisis and Care: Meditations on Faith and Philanthropy’
In this excerpt from an edited volume, Aimée Laramore describes the difficulties of the diverse economic problems facing congregations — and the opportunities that adapting to them could provide. Read more
Train Up A Steward
An article by Sandi Knutson entitled: “Train Up a Steward: How I was Taught to Manage Money” – how teaching children about money can help encourage them to grow into being generous stewards.
Mission Statement Decision Tree
A Simple Tool to Help You Make Mission-Driven Decisions Every Time – “Mission Statement Decision Tree” by Janice Ziemba.
All Saints & Gratitude
In this blog post, Lori Guenther-Reesor shares some reflections on gratitude as we celebrate All Saints Sunday. You can find her blog here.
Lori Guenther Reesor – Stewardship Blog
Lori Guenther Reesor is a speaker, writer, stewardship coach and disciple. She has worked extensively in the area of generous giving and has a number of resources available to assist congregational leaders. Lori is a Mennonite pastor and has worked with churches from a variety of denominations. She is uniquely gifted to help churches talk about money: and holds a Math degree, a theology degree, and a ministry degree. She enjoys public speaking, from workshops and webinars to sermons. You can learn more about Lori HERE.
Faith+Lead Stewardship Blog (Luther Seminary)
Luther Seminary, St. Paul Minnesota, offers a Stewardship Blog containing reflections and resources to support generous giving. To view the blog, please click HERE.
Of particular interest, you may wish to consult the article entitled, Where Is God In My Life With Money by Menzi Nkambule. This article reflects on the ways that God works in and through our money, highlighting the areas of lifestyle investing, high impact investing and how this related to God’s Word.
Our Ministry Together – Video Series
Our Ministry Together is a series of videos that were created to highlight various sections of the Eastern Synod Budget. These areas are supported to some extent by congregational Benevolence. Videos may be used to enrich conversations at various levels, and are intended to provide context to various levels of our ministry together. Videos are available on our YouTube Channel, or can be downloaded from the Eastern Synod Worship Resources Library.