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The Importance of Thank You By Douglas Shaw

Rule #36: Saying Thank you to donors is necessary and profitable Saying thank you – it sounds so simple, right? There’s a great Wallace Shawn line from the classic movie, The Princess Bride, that always come to mind whenever I hear the annual poll results of donors’ top two giving complaints: (1) not being thanked…

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Generous Refreshment By Ed McDowell

A Season of Generous Refreshment The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. ~ Proverbs 11:25 The sweetest refreshment experienced is always associated with generosity.  Stop and think about the times of refreshment in your own life, examine the details of that refreshment and you will find generosity flowing through the…

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The Meaning of Allegiance By Andrea Leigh Capuyan

A Steward’s Allegiance A steward leader’s activity must be rooted in their attention and allegiance to their owner. Our owner guides the direction of a steward’s service to others. The question of allegiance is central to the very definition of a steward because we must answer who owns us. The King and His Kingdom supersedes…

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A Winning Fundraiser During COVID-19 by Peter J. Mahler

Deliver a  Fundraiser that Stands Out during COVID-19 It can be challenging to help your fundraiser rise “above the noise” during the best of times. But while our nation’s economy is struggling during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, meeting your fundraising goals is even more difficult. So, how can you run an effective campaign? Before you…

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Focus on Faithfulness By Larry Gadbaugh

  What does faithfulness look like in this season? This question about faithfulness has become an essential in my pursuit of being a good steward of my calling.  Discerning the answer to this question helps me gain direction during the most challenging and uncertain periods of leading our organization. As the new CEO of First…

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Enslaved by Debt By Dr. Gary G. Hoag

  The Real and Present Dangers of Debt We live in a time when social activists are seeking to end slavery and human trafficking around the globe, while a more nefarious foe has enslaved the peoples of the earth: DEBT (Proverbs 22:7b). Our global economy has been built on debt. For Americans, the availability of…

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Are You Living in Freedom By Jim Stern

Are You Living in Freedom? Psalm 107 is one of many powerful psalms of deliverance and freedom. “Then they [the children of Israel] cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains. Let them give thanks…

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Stewarding When It Is Difficult By Howard Rich

What does it look like to steward when it is difficult? The most difficult leadership experience of my life was shepherding my mother and sisters through the death of my dad.  Following my dad’s diagnosis with lung cancer, he was moved into our home where my family would care for him in his final days. …

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Organizational Change By Pam Marmon

8 Rules to Transform How You Think About Organizational Change If you’re leading a disruptive organizational change—a church-wide reorganization, for example—you’re probably feeling the pressure. Both in leadership and elsewhere in life, we’re taught to associate change with pain and discomfort. It’s no surprise then that many people fear transformation and assume the mindset that…

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The Stewardship of Power By Howard Rich

The Stewardship of Power and Position Have you ever known someone who let power or position go to his or her head? I’ll bet it was hard for you to follow or respect that leader.  Power is an essential force in human relations that can be used for good or evil, but to be a…

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