CSN exists to encourage, teach and connect church and stewardship leaders and help them build and lead healthy stewardship ministries in their church. You can learn more about CSN @ christianstewardshipnetwork.com.
ResourcesGenerous Life Ministry Contact Greg Gless
ResourcesDr Shane Enete's bookWhole Heart Finances website
Center for Financial DiscipleshipContact Courtney Markley - email
Dr Shane Enete's bookWhole Heart Finances website
Dr Shane Enete's bookWhole Heart Finances websiteKingdomadvisors.comCompany stock screenersinspireinsight.combriinstitute.comevalueator.comKingdomadvisors.com
Dr Shane Enete's bookWhole Heart Finances website
Dr Shane Enete's bookWhole Heart Finances website
John's Website - https://generousheart.com/John's Email - john@generousheart.com
Martus Solution SoftwareConnect with Martus Solutions
Generosity Pledge CardGospelLights.orgMore resources from Brian - here
Happily Generous Book Christian Financial Resources
ResourcesGrey Matter Research WebsiteMortarStone WebsiteThe Giving GapThe Generosity GapLapsed Ministry Donor ReportMortarStone 2023 Annual Report
Often overlooked in stewardship discussions, those with abundant resources face their own spiritual and practical struggles. In this episode, we're again joined by Gregg Gless, Generous Life Pastor at ResLife Church in Grandville, MI, to explore the unique challenges and opportunities that come with ministering to individuals and families who have a financial surplus. You'll learn how Greg and his team have grown a community of generous people by focusing on what matters most: discipleship.ResLife Church - Real Life Contact Gregg Gless - gregg@reslife.orgLearn About Generous Giving - here
What does it look like for a church to effectively minister to people when they are in financial distress? Should churches provide financial assistance? To whom, and for what needs? How can church leaders ensure that the help they're providing isn't hurting or treating the symptoms rather than the root issues? In this episode of Stewardship Leader, we're talking with Gregg Gless, the Generous Life Pastor at ResLife Church in Grandville, MI, about their REAL Life Mentoring ministry specifically tailored for those who are struggling financially. You'll learn how REAL provides people the opportunity to grow spiritually and practically.ResLife Church - Real Life Contact Gregg Gless - gregg@reslife.org
The Generous Life App aims to inspire and equip the world's largest gathering of generous Christians. It is more than just a financial tool. It's a community of like-minded Christians united in their journey toward financial freedom and kingdom impact. With its user-friendly interface, Generous Life allows members to manage their money, set financial goals, and connect with others for advice and support. This app provides budgeting tools, resources, and financial stewardship education tailored specifically for the Christian community. In this episode, we're talking with its founder, Greg Gless, to learn about the features and benefits of the app and a unique opportunity for our CSN community.Generous Life Links:Intro VideoWeb App - www.GenerousLifeApp.comDownload the app: Apple Store and Google Play Store
How do Christians think about money and giving? A new report created by the Institute For Financial Health reveals essential data about Christians' perspectives on these topics. It provides cutting-edge insights into the areas of generosity, debt, savings, budgeting, retirement, church teachings, and professional guidance. In this second podcast, we're again talking with the Institute's founder, Art Rainer, the creator of The Christian Financial Health Report, to discuss its findings and how these can assist church leaders and those who minister in financial discipleship in helping people improve their financial health.Ministry ResourcesChristian Financial Health ReportInstitute For Financial HealthChristian Money SolutionsMore than Money PodcastAre you a pastor or church leader?At Christian Stewardship Network, we are passionate about teaching the biblical perspective on finances so that you can teach your church with authority, confidence, and integrity. Our network is a group of passionate Christ-followers with a burden to teach and equip God's people in stewardship and generosity. Sign up for our mailing list to get new content directly to your inbox!Become a member of our network to access our entire library of online courses, participate in monthly network calls, and more!CSN is a recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Help us reach more churches with the message of stewardship and generosity, Support our mission through giving.
How do Christians think about money and giving? A new report created by the Institute For Financial Health reveals essential data about Christians' perspectives on these topics. It provides cutting-edge insights into the areas of generosity, debt, savings, budgeting, retirement, church teachings, and professional guidance. In this podcast, we're talking with the Institute's founder, Art Rainer, the creator of The Christian Financial Health Report, to discuss its findings and how these can assist church leaders and those who minister in financial discipleship in helping people improve their financial health.Ministry ResourcesChristian Financial Health ReportInstitute For Financial HealthChristian Money SolutionsMore than Money PodcastAre you a pastor or church leader? At Christian Stewardship Network, we are passionate about teaching the biblical perspective on finances so that you can teach your church with authority, confidence, and integrity. Our network is a group of passionate Christ-followers with a burden to teach and equip God's people in stewardship and generosity. Sign up for our mailing list to get new content directly to your inbox! Become a member of our network to access our entire library of online courses, participate in monthly network calls, and more! CSN is a recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Help us reach more churches with the message of stewardship and generosity, Support our mission through giving.
Managing money comes with challenges, and none of us feel like we're doing it perfectly. That's why so many parents feel like they're not qualified or financially wise enough to teach their kids about money. In this episode of Stewardship Leader, we're continuing our conversation with financial teacher and author Matt Bell. Matt has spent years teaching others how to manage money well, and through his book Trusted: Preparing Your Kids for a Lifetime of God-Honoring Money Management, he continues this work by focusing on and teaching parents how they can impart Biblical and practical financial wisdom to their kids.
Managing money comes with challenges, and none of us feel like we're doing it perfectly. That's why so many parents feel like they're not qualified or financially wise enough to teach their kids about money. In this episode of Stewardship Leader, we're talking with financial teacher and author Matt Bell. Matt has spent years teaching others how to manage money well, and through his book Trusted: Preparing Your Kids for a Lifetime of God-Honoring Money Management, he continues this work by focusing on and teaching parents how they can impart Biblical and practical financial wisdom to their kids. If you want to know how to impart Biblical and practical financial wisdom to your kids, this episode and the next are for you.
Talking about generosity in the Church should be about transformation, not a transaction. Giving is not primarily for the benefit of the Church or God's work but for the benefit of each believer and their relationship with God. It is not about fundraising; it's about discipleship. In this episode of Stewardship Leader, we're talking with Jim Sheppard, the CEO and Principal of Generis, about the vital need for discipleship in finances and how deeply connected it is to our faith and service to God and His Kingdom.
Financial discipleship is essential to helping people develop a Biblical view of money and possessions. Many programs, such as small group studies and video-taught classes, will provide the knowledge and wisdom necessary for people to mature as stewards of God's resources. But, sometimes, the financial strain is more difficult and requires a one-on-one approach. This episode of Stewardship Leader is the second of three, focusing on financial coaching as a discipleship ministry. We are joined by Courtney Markley, a financial coach and advocate for building a trained network of financial coaches to serve God's people in every church and beyond with a Biblical view of money.Contact Courtney - courtney@markleycoachinggroup.comCourtney's Website - https://www.markleycoachinggroup.com/CSN Membership - https://membership.christianstewardshipnetwork.com/
Financial discipleship is essential to helping people develop a Biblical view of money and possessions. Many programs, such as small group studies and video-taught classes, will provide the knowledge and wisdom necessary for people to mature as stewards of God's resources. But, sometimes, the financial strain is more difficult and requires a one-on-one approach. This episode of Stewardship Leader is the second of three, focusing on financial coaching as a discipleship ministry. We are joined by Courtney Markley, a financial coach and advocate for building a trained network of financial coaches to serve God's people in every church and beyond with a Biblical view of money. Contact Courtney - courtney@markleycoachinggroup.comCourtney's Website - https://www.markleycoachinggroup.com/CSN Membership - https://membership.christianstewardshipnetwork.com/
A troubling church statistic that seems not to be improving is the number of people not giving anything measurable to their church. Have you asked yourself why a significant number of your congregation isn't giving? We have, too! To answer that question, Dave Briggs, the Stewardship Director at Central Christian Church in Phoenix, AZ, decided to do a year-long study to better understand this phenomenon. He joins us in this webinar to share his findings and offer some things church leaders can do to reverse this trend.
Get ready to unlock the potential of giving in the Church with MortarStone's 2023 Annual Generosity Report. In this episode of Stewardship Leader, we're discussing some of the findings from this insightful report to help church leaders get a better understanding of the significant shifts and trends in generosity in the Church. We believe this information is crucial to the future of the Church and beneficial for church leaders for helping people grow in their commitment to God and funding God's kingdom. MortarStone - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mortarstone/ CSN Forum - https://www.christianstewardshipnetwork.com/forum
For the second year, CSN and Vision 2 have collaborated to develop the Stewardship Survey to understand what churches are dealing with and to develop recommendations and resources to help them disciple their congregations in stewardship and generosity. In this episode of Stewardship Leader, we discuss our findings and provide recommendations to assist you with your ministry efforts.
Helping our congregations to live as good stewards and generous people is a responsibility church leaders should take seriously. Oftentimes, it is a lack of financial education that prevents people from growing in this area of their faith. Thankfully, there are people in our midst, like Stephen Hartley, our guest in today's episode, who are passionate and willing to provide the education and knowledge our people need. In this episode, we're talking about a not-well-known tool, a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD), available to seniors that will help them better steward their resources and perhaps increase their generosity.
In this episode of Stewardship Leader, we have another leader in the stewardship spotlight. We're talking with Greg Gless from ResLife Church in Grandville, Michigan. Greg is the Generous Life Pastor and oversees the stewardship and generosity ministry at ResLife Church. His God-story of coming into and serving in this ministry is inspiring, as is his impact in serving the people at ResLife and beyond. You will enjoy hearing Greg and his story.
Planned giving is more than just a useful service that a church or ministry should provide to its members. It is a powerful tool that enables them to leave a legacy, ensuring that the work of the ministry continues to thrive long after we are gone. In this episode of Stewardship Leader, we're talking with Dave Hess from Financial Planning Ministry about the significant impact this ministry is having in helping families and funding future ministries. You'll also learn how you can get an inside look at their process and learn more about their partnership opportunities.
Pastors need to know that there's more to stewardship ministry than helping people get out of debt or develop a budget. A natural outflow of good stewardship is generosity. As Christians become affluent by practicing good stewardship, a need for more intentional and strategic generosity becomes equally important. In this episode of Stewardship Leader, we're talking with David Thoroughman from MortarStone about a ministry to the wealthy, helping those whom God has entrusted with wealth in giving strategically and wisely to the Church and Kingdom causes.
An effective financial discipleship ministry requires a strategy with many moving parts. A crucial part is being able to understand the generosity of your congregation and ensure your people's ability to give is made as simple as possible. In this episode, we're talking with Taylor Brooks, the founder and CEO of Simple (formerly known as Simple Donation), to find out how he and his team submit to and support the mission of the Church through software and personal service.
When building a robust and effective Stewardship and Generosity Ministry at your church, you must take into consideration the ministri's ability to scale and grow into the future. In this episode, we're talking with Chris Goulard, the Pastor of Strategic Advancement at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, about building a volunteer leadership team to ensure the long-term growth and health of the ministry. You will learn when is the right time to build your team, how to recruit, some of the roles and responsibilities on the team, the benefits and challenges of having a leadership team, and much more.
During economic uncertainty, people start adjusting their financial choices, including their generosity. The reality for most church members is that they are working with fewer resources than before due to inflation. At the same time, given their limited resources, they're trying to achieve what they believe is the greatest good possible through their giving. And, according to giving data a significant number are choosing to give to religious causes other than their church. In this episode, we're talking with Carl Tierney from Vision 2 to understand how churches can improve both their communication around giving and the financial discipleship of their members.
Tithing is a Biblical principle and practice that began as early as the Garden of Eden. It is the practice of returning the first portion (a tenth) to God as an act of worship and obedience. Unfortunately, this topic can be contentious and divisive even in some faith communities. In this episode of Stewardship Leader, we discuss this topic with Donna Nicholson Stief, the Director of Stewardship at LCBC Church, and learn the what, the why, and the how of their 90-Day Tithe Challenge.
Faithful stewardship is what each believer and every church is striving toward, and it's important to have the Biblical knowledge, as well as the practical tools and resources to achieve it. For more than 40 years, Christian Financial Resources (CFR) has been meeting the needs of churches and individuals to better steward their resources. In this episode, we're talking with Darren Key, the CEO of CFR, about the many ways their ministry serves churches and individuals to save, give, and manage their money wisely.
ResourcesGood Sense - Freed UpCompass - How to Build Your Finances God's WayRamsey+ - Financial Peace UniversityGenerous Giving - Journey of Generosity
Generosity is a core principle of Christianity, and yet it seems to be one of the most difficult areas for believers to understand and regularly engage in. Just about every week, churches all over the world have some kind of giving or offering moment to encourage giving, and still, what we know is that a significant, perhaps as much as 50% of churchgoers, give very little, if anything at all. In this episode, we're talking with Rodney Ross from Life Church to discuss ways to invite people to take their next step in generosity and trust God in their finances through the offering moment and beyond.
Pastors are responsible for teaching God's word to their congregation every week. It's an important task and, at times, challenging, especially when the topic is on money and giving. It is no wonder most pastors avoid teaching on the subject. In this episode of Stewardship Leader, we're talking with David Ashcraft, the founding pastor of LCBC Church (Lives Changed by Christ) in Manheim, PA, about his perspective on stewardship and generosity to learn how he taught his congregation for nearly 32 years how to be good stewards and faithful givers.
Whether a pastor should know the giving of his congregation is a hotly debated topic. Though most do not want to know what people give individually, knowing some metrics is vital for at least two crucial reasons. In this episode of Stewardship Leader, we're discussing the why, the who, and the what of giving data and why it matters to your church ministry. Joining us is Ken Schafer, Stewardship Minister at Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood, TN, and campaign and generosity consultant with Generis.
Legacy is what we leave behind to our kids. It may include material possessions or a financial inheritance, but of greater worth are the values and lessons we pass on to them. When it comes to money, kids need guidance and wisdom, something every parent wants to provide but feels inadequate to teach their kids. In this episode, we're talking with Matt Bell, the author of Trusted: Preparing Your Kids for a Lifetime of God-Honoring Money Management, to learn the why, what, and how of teaching our kids godly financial principles.Matt's website - https://mattaboutmoney.com/Matt's book - Trusted: Preparing Your Kids for a Lifetime of God-Honoring Money ManagementSound Mind Investing - https://soundmindinvesting.com/
In this episode of Stewardship Leader, we have another leader in the stewardship spotlight. We're talking with Rodney Ross from Life Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Rodney is the Central Team Leader of Giving and Generosity and oversees the stewardship and generosity ministry at Life Church. His start in the ministry and the role he's currently serving started with an act of tithing. While on the church website giving his tithe, he became aware of an opportunity to serve at his church. Now, many years later, Rodney says he is in his dream job, serving his church in the area of his passion and equipping staff and members as they take the next step in their stewardship and generosity journey.
Simple Donation Website - https://simpledonation.com/Jeff's email address: Jeff@simpledonation.com
As we continue building out this exploration, we would love to hear from churches that have made intentional changes or put a deeper focus on their stewardship strategy and what the outcome was.Call to Action:Access to the Stewardship Survey and Resource PagePlease send your success stories or additional questions to: info@christianstewardshipnetwork.com Vision2 is a giving solution that facilitates generosity and supports stewardship efforts. CSN helps churches to not only understand how generosity and stewardship intersect but also provide resources for growing stewardship as God intended.
Jesus' commandment to his disciples in Matthew 28:19-20, what we know as the Great Commission, was to share the gospel and make disciples. These instructions were not just for the 12 that Jesus chose but for all disciples past, present, and future, and central to our roles as disciples is faithful stewardship. In this episode of Stewardship Leader, we'll look at one of the most compelling sections of Scripture that reveal God's plan and purpose for us as disciples and faithful stewards.
ResourcesFinancial Planning Ministry - www.fpm.orgJoin our CSN community by becoming a member. If you're an aspiring or current stewardship leader, this resource has been specifically created for you. Learn more about it and sign up here.
In this episode of Stewardship Leader, we have another leader in the stewardship spotlight. We're talking with Vinnie Hu, the Director of Financial Health and Stewardship at Hoboken Grace Community Church in Hoboken, NJ. Vinnie's stewardship journey and his calling into the ministry is a story of surrender and of putting God first. As Vinnie says it, “throughout my life, whenever God has called me to do something, it's not because he wants something from me, it's because he wants something for me, and usually, that prize is God himself.”
ResourcesServe your people and fund ministry through estate planning - Financial Planning Ministry.Did you hear about our new CSN Membership Portal? If you're an aspiring or current stewardship leader, this resource has been specifically created for you. Learn more about it and sign up here.
ResourcesConnect with James Lenhoff - jameslenhoff@goodsensemovement.org Good Sense Coaches Training Features and Benefits Good Sense Coaches Training - Buy
ResourcesNext Level Generosity by Horizons Stewardship - Learn how to navigate the giving landscape, and ensure your ministry is well funded.Did you hear about our new CSN Membership Portal? If you're an aspiring or current stewardship leader, this resource has been specifically created for you. Learn more about it and sign up here.
In this episode of Stewardship Leader, we're featuring another leader in the stewardship spotlight. We're talking with Donna Nicholson Stief, the Director of Stewardship at LCBC (Lives Changed By Christ) in Anaheim, PA, about her journey from an executive working in the professional credit and collection industry to leading in stewardship ministry. You will find her stewardship and generosity story encouraging and her wisdom invaluable!
What you will hear in this podcast:“A faithful steward should always be able to answer the question, why?”“Money is not actually that complicated. The math is pretty easy…it's the emotional side of things that makes things really difficult.”“There's so much stimulation that's telling us, “This will fix your problem; this will make you more attractive, more powerful, or more influential,” and all those messages are streaming at us 24 hours a day now.”“The whole goal of retailers is to streamline and take away obstacles to purchases; make it so easy that in the moment when you feel like you want something, you can buy it and have it on order immediately.”“And I'm saying, as a financial planner, the church needs to get into this discussion because it actually has what these people actually need.” ResourcesGood Sense MovementNew CSN Membership
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