| | | | | | | | | | | | PRACTICAL WISDOM FOR LEADING CONGREGATIONS |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter and GoFundMe offer congregations a chance to reach beyond their usual network of church donors, expanding the congregation's focus and impact, says Adam J. Copeland.
Initially popularized in the arts community as a way to raise money for specific projects, crowdfunding, or "crowdsource funding," is part of the rapidly changing landscape of charitable giving, with important implications for the church, Copeland said.
"Usually, congregations are supported only by members of the congregation -- typically, only a subset of the congregation," said Copeland, who teaches practical theology at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. "But many folks support intellectually the mission of our congregations," he said. "Crowdfunding offers the opportunity to expand giving beyond those who attend worship."
As the director of Luther Seminary's Center for Stewardship Leaders, Copeland studies trends in religious giving and financial stewardship. Earlier this year, he wrote a free, downloadable booklet, "Crowdfunding for Congregations and Faith-Related Nonprofits," available at his website.
Copeland has a B.A. in religion from St. Olaf College and an M.Div. from Columbia Theological Seminary. He is pursuing a Ph.D. in rhetoric from North Dakota State University, with a focus on new media and religion.
He spoke recently with our colleagues at Faith & Leadership about crowdfunding for congregations and the changing nature of church stewardship.
Read more from the interview with Adam J. Copeland »
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| IDEAS THAT IMPACT: STEWARDSHIP & GIVING
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What's your personal mission? That question is the first step in the ministry of fundraising, and helps keep the focus on serving God, not just raising money, writes the director of stewardship development for one of the largest PCUSA churches in the nation.
Read more from Sean Mitchell » |
Something about stewardship campaigns inspires simplistic thinking even in leaders who, on other subjects, are quite capable of grappling with ambiguity. Stewardship is complicated, and as we talk about it and preach about it, we must hold its complexities faithfully.
Read more from Dan Hotchkiss »
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There are three New Testament models of stewardship: the beggar, the patron and the tentmaker. A United Methodist bishop asks: can we re-imagine these roles for a new age?
Read more from Bishop Ken Carter »
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Preaching and Stewardship: Proclaiming God's Invitation to Grow by Craig A. Satterlee
Both new and veteran preachers alike find the annual stewardship sermon a challenge and are eager for encouraging, practical advice. In Preaching and Stewardship, Craig Satterlee offers a nuts-and-bolts handbook on preaching stewardship, raising issues preachers need to consider when preparing stewardship sermons and offering advice on how to address them. Satterlee argues that stewardship preaching must include a bold and concrete proclamation of God's love, will, and justice, as well as an invitation to grow as stewards in response to this proclamation. He focuses each chapter on a question preachers ought to ask themselves as they prepare the stewardship sermon, beginning with, 'What do you mean by stewardship?' and 'Why should we give to the church?' In chapters 3 through 6, he explores what the Bible says about stewardship. In chapter 7, he names some of the assumptions both preachers and worshipers bring to the stewardship sermon. The final chapter a variety of ways congregations can support the stewardship sermon. Satterlee illustrates the premise of each chapter with anecdotes from congregational life. Preachers who desire examples of stewardship sermons will especially appreciate stewardship sermons he shares from various preachers to illustrate points in the main text.
Learn more and order the book » |
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