LISTSERV mailing list manager LISTSERV 16.0

Help for ELCANEWS Archives


ELCANEWS Archives

ELCANEWS Archives


ELCANEWS@LISTSERV.ELCA.ORG


View:

Message:

[

First

|

Previous

|

Next

|

Last

]

By Topic:

[

First

|

Previous

|

Next

|

Last

]

By Author:

[

First

|

Previous

|

Next

|

Last

]

Font:

Monospaced Font

LISTSERV Archives

LISTSERV Archives

ELCANEWS Home

ELCANEWS Home

ELCANEWS  February 2000

ELCANEWS February 2000

Subject:

Lutherans Learn Key Stewardship Strategies, Share Ideas

From:

News News <[log in to unmask]>

Reply-To:

[log in to unmask]

Date:

Thu, 17 Feb 2000 11:20:53 -0600

Content-Type:

text/plain

Parts/Attachments:

Parts/Attachments

text/plain (110 lines)

Title: Lutherans Learn Key Stewardship Strategies, Share Ideas
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

February 17, 2000

LUTHERANS LEARN KEY STEWARDSHIP STRATEGIES, SHARE IDEAS
00-033-JB

     LISLE, ILL. (ELCA) Successful stewardship in the church must be
mission- and vision-focused and requires constant attention and hard
work. Those were some of the ideas expressed as Lutheran stewardship
leaders met here Feb. 3-6 to learn about stewardship in its broader
context.
     Under the theme "Stewardship at the Heart of the Church," the
leaders' conference was sponsored by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America's (ELCA) Division for Congregational Ministries. It drew 190
participants, including staff from the churchwide office, synods and
congregations of the ELCA, and volunteers.
     The purpose was to bring the leaders together for fellowship,
training and learning about stewardship, said the Rev. Michael L. Meier,
director for leadership development, ELCA Division for Congregational
Ministries.
     "One of the challenges we have is to help the whole church
understand stewardship in a deeper and broader way," he said.
Stewardship includes gathering funds to support the church's ministries,
and it encompasses a person's activities at home, in the neighborhood,
at work and at church, Meier said.
       "All of these people are involved in networks where they teach
and model living the life of a faithful steward with lots of emphasis on
education, fellowship, encouraging growth and leadership development,"
Meier added.
     One speaker, Mark Dollhopf, certified fundraising executive,
Branford, Conn., discussed giving patterns and fund-raising methods.
Stewardship involves responsibility and accountability by which each
person returns thanks for God's gifts, he said. Development is a
program of planned or systematic growth in which an institution reaches
out to its constituents and motivates them to give, Dollhopf said. Many
churches need to improve resource development, he said.
     "Stewardship is the ideal to which we strive, as well as to
teach," Dollhopf said. "Development is a way to accomplish stewardship."
     "We fall short as resource developers when we fail to inspire
people to give," he said. Dollhopf said congregations need resource
developers to plant seeds and work with stewardship directors.
     Pastors and bishops are chief fund-raisers for their church
organizations, he said. "They must know how to plan, invest people in
the mission and inspire them to give," Dollhopf said, however, neither
may be the best person to ask specific people for significant financial
gifts.
     Focus on mission and vision in the church is critical, he said.
Successful churches focus on the mission for the benefit of people
outside the congregation, Dollhopf said.
     "This is hard work," he said. "This is ongoing work. People
succeed when there is creative, energizing conversation with people in
the pew."
     Key speakers also focused on stewardship in its biblical,
historical and everyday contexts.
     Stewardship is at "the heart of the Bible," said the Rev. Sarah
Henrich, associate professor of New Testament, Luther Seminary, St.
Paul, Minn.
     "How we tend to the work of peace, justice and mercy with what we
have been given is the whole question of stewardship," she said.
     In a Bible study, Henrich cited stewardship references in Genesis,
the Psalms, 1 Corinthians, Galatians, Romans and the Gospel of John.
John 21:15-17, which discusses love for Jesus, is an important lesson
for stewards, Henrich said.
     "Loving Jesus has very strong, practical, real-life implications,"
she said. "People expect the love of Jesus in the feeding and being fed.
That's what we're talking about in this conference."
     Stewardship is the work of Christ in the world outside the
institution of the church, said Dr. Claire Wolfteich, assistant
professor of practical theology and spiritual formation, Boston
University. A person's identity and his or her vocation are closely
related, she added.
     "The workplace is a tremendous place for mission," Wolfteich said.
"That, I think, is an important area for stewardship."
     Wolfteich said she is interested in the changing roles of women in
the workplace. A woman's workplace experience may influence church
activities and vice versa, Wolfteich said.
     "Stewardship is about spirituality in life and cannot exist
without it," she said.
     Martin Luther spoke openly about stewardship and financial issues,
said Dr. Carter Lindberg, professor of church history, Boston University
School of Theology.
     "Everything in Luther's theology is the theology of stewardship,"
Lindberg said. "He had no qualms about speaking about money because
money had a place in discipleship. Stewardship in Luther's sense is
all-encompassing. It involves everything."
     Lindberg also said Luther put a strong emphasis on "the common
good."
     "With this orientation, all of life can be seen as stewardship, as
in serving the neighbor," he said. "The gifts and capabilities you have
can serve others."
     Lita Brusick Johnson, director of the ELCA World Hunger Appeal,
said the ELCA Conference of Bishops last year raised the possibility of
doubling annual giving to the appeal from its present $12.6 million to
$25 million. Last year was the Appeal's 25th anniversary, and gifts
increased $2.5 million over 1998, she said.
     "This will be a wonderful path to double giving," she said.
     In concluding remarks, the Rev. Mark R. Moller-Gunderson,
executive director and coordinator for mission support, ELCA Division
for Congregational Ministries, thanked the stewardship staff and
volunteers.
     "There are many, many healthy hearts in the church," he said. "We
can thank God for that. There are lots of healthy places with healthy
hearts."


For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html

Top of Message | Previous Page | Permalink

Advanced Options


Options

Log In

Log In

Get Password

Get Password


Search Archives

Search Archives


Subscribe or Unsubscribe

Subscribe or Unsubscribe


Archives

October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
November 2018
October 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
November 2003
October 2003
September 2003
August 2003
July 2003
June 2003
May 2003
April 2003
March 2003
February 2003
January 2003
December 2002
November 2002
October 2002
September 2002
August 2002
July 2002
June 2002
May 2002
April 2002
March 2002
February 2002
January 2002
December 2001
November 2001
October 2001
September 2001
August 2001
July 2001
June 2001
May 2001
April 2001
March 2001
February 2001
January 2001
December 2000
November 2000
October 2000
September 2000
August 2000
July 2000
June 2000
May 2000
April 2000
March 2000
February 2000
January 2000
December 1999
November 1999
October 1999
September 1999
August 1999
July 1999
June 1999
May 1999
April 1999
March 1999
February 1999
January 1999
December 1998
November 1998
October 1998
September 1998
August 1998
July 1998
June 1998
May 1998
April 1998
March 1998
February 1998
January 1998
December 1997
November 1997
October 1997
September 1997
August 1997
July 1997
June 1997
May 1997
April 1997
March 1997
February 1997
January 1997
December 1996
November 1996
October 1996
September 1996
August 1996
July 1996
June 1996
May 1996
April 1996
March 1996
February 1996
January 1996

ATOM RSS1 RSS2



LISTSERV.ELCA.ORG

CataList Email List Search Powered by the LISTSERV Email List Manager