Each year, Synod Council invites me to make a presentation on trends in giving and attendance in the diocese. (Synod Council is the representative body
With vestry meetings in the rear-view mirror now in most parishes across the diocese, it’s time to make good on your parish’s stewardship objectives. If
In the second chapter of Genesis, we read about how God fashions human beings from dust, places them in the Garden of Eden and gives
Churches have experienced a noticeable and protracted change in giving patterns since the earliest days of the pandemic and beyond. Not only has there been
People make donations for all sorts of reasons. For some it is the mission of the organization, while for others it’s how their gift will
My friend and former colleague Dave Robinson was fond of saying that many church leaders suffer from “terminal nostalgia.” That is to say, they retain
One of the best parts of my job is working with parish leaders to help them achieve their financial stewardship objectives. This continuous engagement helps
Practicing stewardship intimately ties us to who we are as a Christian people. Stewardship is an expression of faith. It is not simply the Church’s
Our understanding of stewardship as a way of life is based in scripture. The first chapter of Genesis tells us that God created all things
It has been widely reported that the Anglican Church of Canada will be gone by 2040. Given the change in demographics, the aging of our
I’ve long taken exception to secular fundraising’s dependency on the promotion of “benefits” or “membership” to encourage giving. There is almost no emphasis on altruism
Recently I’ve devoted considerable time to thinking about how we can better assess the generosity of donors in parishes. Part of this thinking is motivated
Recently, the Ontario government announced a reopening plan that would see public activity return to pre-pandemic levels. It is an aspirational objective, that’s for sure.
I have a confession to make. There was a time when I wasn’t quite sure what to do when the collection plate came around. I knew
Any way you look at it, the pandemic is having a profound impact on how parishes respond to ministry needs, stewardship education and worship. This
Growing up, I was always impressed by the generosity of my father. In many ways, he had a rather unassuming upbringing. As the son of
What motivates people to be generous? Throughout my career as a stewardship educator, I have encountered countless people who have made a priority of giving
Churches have responded to the pandemic with exciting worship innovation and adaptation. They have found new ways to maintain contact with congregants, to socialize and
I’m a maker of lists, a setter of schedules, a taker of tests. I love online quizzes – IQ scores, Myers-Briggs, history, geography, the bible
It has been a tumultuous year. Despite its wild uncertainty, 2020 – the year of the pandemic – will go down as one that forced
In the weeks following the birth of our first child, my wife and I had our will drawn up. Being in our early 30s, we
The lockdown began in the third week of March. That week resonates strongly for many of us, as it brought in a period of unprecedented
I want to share some personal thoughts with parish leaders about the idea of presenting a deficit budget at vestry time. I can appreciate that
It might seem odd to draw attention to a major milestone or anniversary one year before it happens. It would be strange, for example, to
Here’s a fresh idea: Encouragement Sunday! What’s that, you might ask? It’s a new way of looking at a longstanding idea – of prayerfully making
Everyone loves to receive a letter. Even at a time when fewer people send letters and e-mail and text are the preferred vehicles of communication,
One statistic stands out for me more than any other when assessing the health of stewardship in a parish: the total number of donors who
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