Welcome

 

Welcome to the Steward’s Well, a quarterly resource created especially for those leading stewardship in their congregations. We have entered into the season of ordinary time, a time in the church year between Pentecost and Advent. Marked by the liturgical color green, we know that ordinary time does not mean business as usual; rather, it is a season of growth.

Many of us begin this season ready for vacation. Summer can be a time to re-calibrate and restore a healthy rhythm between work, play and rest. Periods of dormancy are essential for growth in the natural world. A seed must take cover in the dark in order to germinate and bear fruit. To grow, do we also need to enter into a time of dormancy?

 

This edition of "The Steward’s Well" invites us to reflect on two questions: How well are we stewarding the gift of time? How well are we embracing the practice of Sabbath-keeping? In his book Sabbath: Restoring the Sacred Rhythm of Rest , contributing writer Wayne Muller, recognizes the natural generosity of the human spirit. The instant we are filled, he writes, our first impulse is to be kind, to give something away. The world aches he says for the generosity of well-rested people.

Has your well gone dry? If so, take time to rest, renew and replenish your spirit. Slow down and grow into the practice of Sabbath-keeping. In this ordinary time, can we do something extraordinary in discovering the generosity of well-rested people? Rest and see.

 

Blessings,
Laurel

 



Nourishing Life in Gratitude: My Story

Deciding where to give these days is getting tricky.

I’ve been part of a wonderful Episcopal congregation in NYC for over 15 years. Week in and week out I’ve seen the incarnate love of God expressed in and through the members of this church. Whether in healing prayer, prophetic witness, or soulful singing, these sisters and brothers exhibit a little bit of heaven on earth when they gather in God’s house and the neighboring streets. This community stirs my heart and constantly reminds me of the joyful and difficult call to “Be not afraid” (Luke 1:30) and to serve one another in the name of Jesus.


Nourishing Life in Generosity: Best Practices


Sabbath: A Day of Being, Having, and Doing Enough

In the rush and pressure of our busy lives, most of us have completely forgotten what enough of anything feels like.


How do we know we have done enough work, made enough money, achieved enough success, done enough for others, built enough security, have enough options, enough room for enough things, enough time to get to the bottom of our ever-expanding to-do list?




No Budgets Allowed

Summer is a time to tell stories—whether it is around a campfire or gathered on the front porch. How does your congregation tell its sacred story? Read on and learn how.

 

I often tell congregations that no budgets are allowed in the development of an annual giving campaign—at least in the traditional sense. For those who have been charged with raising funds to pay annual operating expenses, the urge to share the budget with complicated charts and graphs can be extraordinary. After all, if people simply knew how much money it costs to run the parish, surely they would be compelled to give more—right? WRONG!



Re-creation: Making Time for Being Made New

A generation ago, it was hoped that advances in technology would help humans work more efficiently. The cartoon TV show The Jetsons portrayed that world of the future where a push of the right button could handle any task from preparing meals to cleaning the house. Now we find ourselves living in something very different from that forecasted future. Rather than make more time for leisure, advances in technology have increased the workload. More and more people work longer and longer workweeks as smart phones and the internet keep us constantly tethered to work with that one more email to answer before going to sleep.



Annual Giving Year Round Planning Timeline

Looking to get a head start in planning this year’s annual giving campaign? Here is a suggested year-round planning guideline for you to consider.

 

Remember, the purpose of an annual giving campaign is not only to raise support for the life-giving ministries of your congregation, but to also help people explore intentional and proportional giving as a spiritual practice that reflects gratitude and generosity for all that has been given.

 

Take time to consider how you can implement any or all of these components that will lay a firm foundation for the success of an annual giving campaign.


Events

2011 Leadership Seminar
Ecumenical Stewardship Center
November 28 – Dec 1, 2011
St. Pete’s Beach, Florida

 

2012 Consortium of Endowed

Episcopal Parishes
Becoming God’s Courageous Community
March 7-10, 2012
Christ Church, Charlotte, North Carolina

 

 

Featured Websites

 

Stewardship of Life Institute
http://www.stewardshipoflife.org/

 

Generous Giving
http://www.generousgiving.org/

 


Resources

A Life of Being, Having and Doing Enough
by Wayne Muller

 

C.L.I.M.B Higher: Creating a Vision for Giving and Discipleship
by Scott McKenzie, PhD., and Kristine Perry Miller, CFRE

 

Made for Goodness: And Why This Makes All the Difference
by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu
 

 




Email Me

The Rev. Laurel Johnston
Stewardship Officer
Los Angeles, CA
212-716-6219