In the latter half of 2024 and into early 2025, my church has seen a decline in giving—and perhaps your church has experienced a similar trend. As ministers focused on stewardship, generosity, and church finance, is it possible to steer things in a more positive direction?

MortarStone recently released its 2024 Annual Report, which is based on real data from 537 churches. The report highlights contributions from 941,790 unique giving households that collectively made 43.1 million gifts, totaling $13.7 billion. A closer look at this data reveals interesting trends that can be impacted by ministry.

A lot of church leaders spend time teaching financial stewardship—encouraging people to manage their money wisely, stick to a budget, and give regularly. And that’s important! But stewardship is only part of the story. If we want to help people truly grow as disciples, we’ve got to go beyond good money management and lean into something deeper: a lifestyle of generosity.

Many church leaders overlook the true impact of stewardship on their ministries, often limiting it to conversations about finances. That was certainly the case for Sam Gungaloo, a lead pastor of the Washington Conference of SDA near Seattle. When invited to his first Stewardship Impact Workshop hosted by the Christian Stewardship Network (CSN), Sam wasn’t initially convinced.

Church leaders increasingly recognize that financial challenges among members aren’t just practical—they’re deeply spiritual. Teaching financial literacy through a biblical perspective equips congregants for transformative, lasting change.

Are you leading stewardship ministry in your church and looking for fresh ideas, encouragement, or connection? You’re not alone—and you don’t have to lead alone. That’s why the Stewardship Leader Collab Calls from Christian Stewardship Network exist: to equip you with insight, community, and practical strategies that help you build a culture of biblical generosity in your church.

The role of the church finance leader is not simply about controlling spending—it’s about setting priorities that support and grow the ministry. For the senior pastor, building a strong partnership with your finance leader ensures that every dollar is connected to the mission, reinforcing both the church’s financial health and its spiritual impact.

I was in elementary school when I played my first game of Monopoly. My family had gathered for Christmas, and I watched with eager anticipation as the game board was set up. My underdeveloped economic mind assumed the goal of the game was to gain the most cash possible; therefore I moved my token swiftly around the board collecting cash in favor of collecting properties.

In today’s world, where trust is seldom found, cultivating a culture of transparency is more important than ever to the mission of the church. Transparency is not just modern phraseology but a biblical principle that aligns with our responsibilities as stewards of God’s work

You may have heard the statistic that Jesus spoke more about money and possessions than any other topic during His earthly ministry. While some debate the accuracy of this claim, it’s undeniable that Jesus had much to say on the subject.

Church leaders talk about financial matters all the time, and it is not uncommon for these conversations to be focused primarily on the progress toward your giving goals. For an effective financial stewardship strategy that starts at the top, expand your financial discussions to include the topics that affect your givers.

Like so many areas of life, the COVID-19 pandemic turned the investing world upside down. But not in the ways you might imagine. 

Imagine you begin to exhibit health concerns. You present various symptoms that give rise to concern. One response you could make would be to consult the information superhighway, which will give a broad range of possible illnesses from one end of the spectrum to the other. Another response would be to consult a physician.

Church giving can be an uncomfortable topic, but funding is essential to your church's function. There are many hurdles to overcome, but with the right approach, you can help your congregation grow and become better givers.

Church leaders talk about financial matters all the time, and it is not uncommon for these conversations to be focused primarily on the progress toward your giving goals. For an effective financial stewardship strategy that starts at the top, expand your financial discussions to include the topics that affect your givers.

Paul begins his letter to the Romans by stating that he is a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God. He also adds "by the will of God" in most of his other letters to affirm the purpose of his calling to preach the gospel to Jews and Gentiles, something Paul never doubted. So sure was he of his calling and purpose that he gave up his freedom and eventually his life to pursue and fulfill it.

Capital campaigns are intensive fundraising endeavors aimed at securing substantial funding within a set timeframe. Typically, these campaigns support projects like constructing a new church, renovating facilities or retiring debt. However, beneath the financial surface lies a profound question: Do capital campaigns align with biblical stewardship?

Until the introduction of online giving, givers weren’t really thanked for their donations to their church. It was their obligation and their worship, so they didn’t expect a thank you. 

It is difficult to watch the events happening in Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine and consider the level of brutality that people can impose on one another. That kind of behavior seems inhuman. How can some people cause such harm to others? The apostle Paul reveals the answer in his letter to the Ephesians.

For the past few years, nonprofit organizations and churches have been hearing about the upcoming generational wealth transfer. Estimates range anywhere from $60 to $90 trillion dollars that will be passed from Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation to their heirs and the causes they care about over the next 30 years.

Whenever I read the Scriptures, especially when it involves a story, I try to imagine it as if I am physically standing there watching the events unfolding. This helps me not to interpret the text the same way every time and usually causes me to ask questions I wouldn't ask through casual reading. This happened recently while reading Jesus' feeding of the five thousand, and, as it often happens when meditating on God's word, I saw something new.