The Steward

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Giving of our first fruits should be our top priority

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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Here’s why some churches are growing

First, the good news: 28 per cent of the parishes in the diocese are experiencing growth in attendance, number of givers or both. That means ...
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The power of personal witness

One of the things that Anglicans typically are not inclined to do is speak about their faith. The Natural Church Development program indicates that “passionate ...
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Before you ask, thank

Like many others, I’ve made my fair share of donations over the years. One gift stands out from all the others. The amount was rather ...
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Let’s reimagine how we use God’s house

In the interest of stewardship, is it time to rethink how we use our buildings? After salaries for clergy and administrative support, the up-keep of ...
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Effective parishes turn outward

Following the success of his March column, Seven Habits of Highly Effective Parishes, Peter Misiaszek, the diocese’s director of Stewardship Development, asked others to write ...
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Why the Church needs generous givers

Last month’s article on The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Churches garnered considerable interest, as evidenced by the emails and conversations I have had concerning ...
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Seven habits of highly effective parishes

First, the good news: 25 per cent of the parishes in the Diocese of Toronto are experiencing growth in attendance and number of givers – ...
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Learnings from across the pond

This past summer my wife, our three kids and I visited Great Britain. It was, first and foremost, a vacation. Over the course of three ...
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Participate in the dream of your parish

What does it mean to have a generous spirit? Webster’s dictionary provides many definitions that are helpful: characterized by a noble and kindly attitude; giving ...
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Can you give one per cent more?

I want to share some exciting, promising news. We have all heard, time and again, that the church is in crisis, that attendance is down ...
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You can be love in the world

Can you imagine what your community or church would be like without Anglican outreach? Imagine no parish food bank or mission trip to Africa. No ...
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What if the offertory was a celebration?

A few months back, I penned an article on whether the passing of the collection plate had run its course. Given the volume of emails, ...
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Finding hope in the early church

I have always admired the zeal and commitment early Christians had for founding a new church and facing untold opposition from those with an interest ...
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Stewardship program achieves results

For many parishes in our diocese, autumn is the time of year when activity flourishes as congregants return after their summer vacation. It is also ...
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A Christian legacy can enable new ministry

In the weeks following the birth of our first child, my wife and I had our wills drawn up. Being in our early 30s, we ...
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Has passing the plate run its course?

The more that I think about it, the more I am convinced that passing a collection plate for money is a practice that needs rethinking. ...
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Put on the armour of light

As we embark on a new year, many of us pause to consider what we can do differently to improve our physical, emotional, financial or ...
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Millennials changing how we give

How do we respond to the ways that millennials are changing the church? We’re not just talking about reaching out to newcomers; we’re talking specifically ...
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Demographic change is here

Canada has reached a milestone. For the first time in its nearly 150-year history, the number of seniors is greater than the number of children. ...
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How newcomers can give money

Lately it seems I have been preoccupied with the question of how the church can better respond to the challenge of welcoming newcomers. Specifically, I’m ...
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Make giving regular, reliable and real

I have a confession to make: I’m not a tither. After you get over the shock that the director of Stewardship Development for the diocese ...
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We shouldn’t make assumptions

As a stewardship educator, most of my time is dedicated to teaching – and hopefully inspiring – members of our congregations to embrace a life ...
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Can you pass the stewardship quiz?

Over the past few years, we have covered a myriad of topics related to generosity, including personal commitment, discipleship, time and talent, outreach, proportionate giving, ...
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Ten good stewardship habits

At this time each year, many parishes embark on intentional-giving pledge drives. It is a time of great anticipation, as volunteers take stock of their ...
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