Helping our congregations to live as good stewards and generous people is a responsibility church leaders should take seriously. Oftentimes, it is a lack of financial education that prevents people from growing in this area of their faith. Thankfully, there are people in our midst, like Stephen Hartley, our guest in today’s episode, who are passionate and willing to provide the education and knowledge our people need. In this episode, we’re talking about a not-well-known tool, a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD), available to seniors that will help them better steward their resources and perhaps increase their generosity.

In this episode of Stewardship Leader, we have another leader in the

stewardship spotlight. We’re talking with Greg Gless from ResLife Church in

Grandville, Michigan. Greg is the Generous Life Pastor and oversees the

stewardship and generosity ministry at ResLife Church. His God-story of

coming into and serving in this ministry is inspiring, as is his impact in

serving the people at ResLife and beyond. You will enjoy hearing Greg and

his story.

Planned giving is more than just a useful service that a church or ministry should provide to its members. It is a powerful tool that enables them to leave a legacy, ensuring that the work of the ministry continues to thrive long after we are gone. In this episode of Stewardship Leader, we’re talking with Dave Hess from Financial Planning Ministry about the significant impact this ministry is having in helping families and funding future ministries. You’ll also learn how you can get an inside look at their process and learn more about their partnership opportunities.

Pastors need to know that there’s more to stewardship ministry than helping people get out of debt or develop a budget. A natural outflow of good stewardship is generosity. As Christians become affluent by practicing good stewardship, a need for more intentional and strategic generosity becomes equally important. In this episode of Stewardship Leader, we’re talking with David Thoroughman from MortarStone about a ministry to the wealthy, helping those whom God has entrusted with wealth in giving strategically and wisely to the Church and Kingdom causes.

An effective financial discipleship ministry requires a strategy with many moving parts. A crucial part is being able to understand the generosity of your congregation and ensure your people’s ability to give is made as simple as possible. In this episode, we’re talking with Taylor Brooks, the founder and CEO of Simple (formerly known as Simple Donation), to find out how he and his team submit to and support the mission of the Church through software and personal service.

When building a robust and effective Stewardship and Generosity Ministry at your church, you must take into consideration the ministri’s ability to scale and grow into the future. In this episode, we’re talking with Chris Goulard, the Pastor of Strategic Advancement at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, about building a volunteer leadership team to ensure the long-term growth and health of the ministry. You will learn when is the right time to build your team, how to recruit, some of the roles and responsibilities on the team, the benefits and challenges of having a leadership team, and much more.

During economic uncertainty, people start adjusting their financial

choices, including their generosity. The reality for most church members is

that they are working with fewer resources than before due to inflation. At

the same time, given their limited resources, they're trying to achieve

what they believe is the greatest good possible through their giving. And,

according to giving data a significant number are choosing to give to

religious causes other than their church. In this episode, we're talking

with Carl Tierney from Vision 2 to understand how churches can improve both

their communication around giving and the financial discipleship of their

members.

Tithing is a Biblical principle and practice that began as early as the Garden of Eden. It is the practice of returning the first portion (a tenth) to God as an act of worship and obedience. Unfortunately, this topic can be contentious and divisive even in some faith communities. In this episode of Stewardship Leader, we discuss this topic with Donna Nicholson Stief, the Director of Stewardship at LCBC Church, and learn the what, the why, and the how of their 90-Day Tithe Challenge.

Faithful stewardship is what each believer and every church is striving toward, and it’s important to have the Biblical knowledge, as well as the practical tools and resources to achieve it. For more than 40 years, Christian Financial Resources (CFR) has been meeting the needs of churches and individuals to better steward their resources. In this episode, we’re talking with Darren Key, the CEO of CFR, about the many ways their ministry serves churches and individuals to save, give, and manage their money wisely.