Sue's Musings

It’s always a challenge to find a good book on stewardship, and I’ll be honest – I don’t know if this is the best one out there or not. I haven’t read many good ones. In fact a heading for one section reads, “Stewardship Literature: Sometimes Helpful, Sometimes Not.” And we can all probably give many examples of the last kind.

What I like about this one is that it is very practical, it uses real life stories, and most importantly, it talks not just about how to encourage a spirit of generosity in the church, it also talks about how people view and use money in their day to day lives. Without taking that seriously, we will have a hard time connecting people’s faith with their pocketbook – and that isn’t just about raising money, it really is about our understanding of faith and how it relates to daily life.

I’m always curious what others say, so in browsing the amazon.com customer reviews, this is what one said: “He has lots of tips here, yet the part I liked the most was his whole new way of looking at raising money. Rather than something to be dreaded like some sort of congregational root canal, he presents giving as an affirmation of one’s life and the embodiment of the hopes of a group of people. He combines realistic techniques with a sense of inspiration.” (Jeff Bradley)

It is full of practical ideas and tips, but it’s real value is the way it challenges us to think about money in the church, and generosity