10/14/2025

From Sunday School, we learned that “blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven … and the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”

Today, we can take that approach to stewardship, because blessings follow those who give to help their church.

The Beatitudes were spoken by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew, and also in the Sermon on the Plain, in Luke. They describe the character and attitudes valued in the Kingdom of Heaven and serve as a guide for living a Christian life. Key Beatitudes include blessings for the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, and the peacemakers – and they are among the best-known Bible verses.

10/13/2025

Years ago, I read a story about a man who was required to change his password monthly at his work. He decided to make each month’s password into something that would reinforce a good habit. After all, he had to type the password several times a day, so why not make this an opportunity for personal growth?

During the first month, the password reminded him to forgive his ex-wife. Month two, it reminded him to quit smoking. The third month, he committed to saving for a trip to Thailand. All three worked for him.

9/22/2025

One of the Gospel texts for October is the familiar story of a widow and the unjust judge (Luke 18:1-8). The story highlights the widow’s persistence and what she was able to accomplish despite the heavy odds that were stacked against her. Too often the judge gets credit for eventually overcoming his proclivity to injustice and doing the right thing. But did he really have a choice? The widow was persistent, but her persistence alone did not get the job done. It was her resourcefulness that eventually got the desired results. The Greek text suggests that the widow wore the judge down with her relentless pursuit of justice, but also by making him aware of the consequences of not doing the right thing (18:5).

9/17/2025

If your church waits until a few weeks before pledges are due to start talking about stewardship, they’ve missed a year of opportunity to prep the ask.

9/16/2025

Many of you find yourselves reading this in the midst of your church’s fall generosity campaign. It is that time of the year when many congregations take a look back at all that God has done even as you dream about the ministry in which you want to engage in the coming year, and how you might fund that ministry. What themes, stories, or pie graphs can you use to inspire a little more generosity in light of shrinking congregations, inflation, and deferred maintenance costs? We wonder, especially during our fall campaigns, “How do we create, cultivate, and/or inspire generosity?”

8/14/2025

Volunteers are the backbone of most non-profits, including our Presbyterian churches. On any given day, church members and others give their time to assist with the church’s landscaping, bookkeeping and budgeting, newsletters and community relations, and certainly with Sunday School.

8/13/2025

Before God called me into ministry, I was convinced that I was going to become a teacher. I planned to dedicate my life to teaching French to high school students. I attribute my love of the French language to my grandfather, who taught me words like bienvenue (welcome) and je t’aime (I love you) as a child. He would recount stories (although apocryphal at best) about our family’s ancestral ties to France. Our family crest even bears the words toujours fidele – “always faithful.” It is a phrase that has come to carry even more meaning for me since becoming a minister, just like my grandfather.

8/12/2025

One of the great things about book clubs is the variety of reactions any given selection is likely to evoke. I may find a certain character very sympathetic, but my neighbor isn’t having it. You see something in a story I would not have noticed without you. Reading with others often elicits new and deeper insights than we might have on our own.

7/18/2025

Remember the boxes of pre-printed pledge envelopes you or your parents would receive each year from the church? Every Sunday that you went to service, you’d place your check or cash into the small envelope and seal it tight for the offering plate.

7/17/2025

Earlier this summer, I shared a story about my grandmother during a legacy giving presentation for the Presbyterian Foundation’s Online Day of Learning webinar. I want to share it again here.

6/17/2025

The buzz of anticipation fills the congregation when new members join a church. They’re excited, we’re excited, and the church heart swells with pride.

6/12/2025

A wise pastoral colleague of mine, Rev. AnnAline Drake, once told me over lunch, “All ministry is transitional ministry.”

AnnAline is highly experienced and, frankly, right about most things, so I listen carefully when she drops a line like this. While her wisdom rang true at the time — some three years ago — I had no idea how important it would become to my ministry as a Ministry Relations Officer at the Presbyterian Foundation.