September 2017
September 1, 2017 by Presbyterian Foundation
Lessons Learned from the Stewardship Kaleidoscope
Stewardship Kaleidoscope is an annual conference offering excellent plenary speakers, informative workshop leaders, provocative worship experiences, and incredible networking opportunities for all who are passionate about stewardship and generosity. Drawing leaders from across the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and beyond, Stewardship Kaleidoscope is designed to help participants explore stewardship, in its many colorful dimensions. The 2017 conference was held in St. Petersburg Beach, Florida, Sept. 25 to 27, 2017.
Monday, September 25
Plenary 1 with Adam Copeland
Story: Stewardship as Pastoral Care
Creating a Culture of Generosity by Robert Hay Jr.
Story: A Generous Culture
Endowments 101 by Lisa Longo
Story: Start a Legacy Giving Ministry Program
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Plenaries 2 and 3 with Cynthia Rigby
Story: No Limits Stewardship
Drafting a Winning Stewardship Team by Olanda Carr
Story: Drafting a Winning Stewardship and Generosity Team
Let your Budget Speak the Vision by Rob Hagan
Story: Let the Budget Speak the Vision
Stewardship for Children by Minner Serovy and Gina Struensee
Story: Stewardship for Children
Capital Campaigns for Smaller Congregations by John Wray
Story: Capital Campaigns are Possible Even for Small Churches
Donor-Advised Funds by Joe Tackett and Sherry Hester Kenney
Story: Donor-Advised Funds – What Are They and Why Are They So Popular?
Understanding Stewardship in Different Racial and Ethnic Communities by Jim Reese
Story: Understanding Stewardship in Racial and Ethnic Communities
Story: Ideas for Planned Giving
Using the Power of Bequests and Other Legacy Giving Options
The Presbyterian Foundation’s new Live Forward, Give Forward® – Wills and Legacy Giving Program kit makes it easier for you to communicate with people in your church about the power of bequests and other giving options. The kit offers a leadership guide, legacy vision worksheet, communications plan, ideas to promote your program, and additional tools and support to help you develop a wills and legacy giving program.
Your Ministry Relations Officer (MRO) can help with this guide and other services to cultivate generosity and build a giving program. You can find your MRO at presbyterianfoundation.org or by calling 800-858-6127.
Navigating Through Life’s Storms – Nurture Future Ministers
From hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Katia, Jose, and Maria; extreme flooding in Houston as well as across Africa and southern Asia; wildfires in the northeast and the earthquake in Mexico; over the last few weeks (and this is only addressing the natural disasters) … many have uttered questions of theodicy. If God is a good God, why do bad things happen? At the doctor’s office, a nurse suggested to me that it was God’s wrath. More than ever, this leads me to affirm the need to have well-equipped pastors to help people navigate the questions of life and faith, be able to name the grace of God in the presence of chaos, and model God’s mercy, justice, and reconciliation.
Have you seen the Sept. 18 issue of the Presbyterian Outlook and Leslie Scanlon’s article on the “Pastoral Pipeline”? As the church evolves before our eyes, in ways most of us would have never imagined 20 years ago, it is easy to take for granted our responsibility to identify and nurture those with gifts for ministry. Yet, the need to have well-equipped pastors to help our communities delve into the questions of theodicy and see God, not as a cosmic abuser, but the Triune God who reconciles humanity and calls us into a loving relationship with God and neighbor is a critical as ever. Supporting our seminaries that provide the toolbox is essential too. Theological Education Sunday was September 17. If your church did not celebrate on this day, consider naming another Sunday as such and download resources from the Presbyterian Foundation website. Either way, I urge you to notice the gifts and abilities of those in your community and affirm them. Identify those God may be calling to ministry of word and sacrament, as well as, elders and laity that would benefit from education opportunities at one of our 10 PC(USA) seminaries and those seminaries in covenant relationship with us. Please pray for our seminaries, students, faculty, and staff and consider a financial gift to the Theological Education Fund (the only denominational source of funds that our seminaries receive.) We need to raise up leaders and equip them for engaging the world for generations to come.
Celebrate Theological Education/ Seminary Sunday!
Downloadables here/ Place print orders here
Giving to God – Stewardship as a way of living our faith
When we realize that everything we have comes from God’s grace in our lives, then we are better able to express our faith and be good stewards with all that God has entrusted to us. See how churches and their members in the PC(USA) are responding to God, building cultures of generosity and ensuring that Christ’s work in the kingdom continues.
