This past weekend as a part of the First Call Theological Education Retreat, new pastors were joined by more experienced pastors, lay people, and members of the stewardship network for training in a new ELCA Stewardship Resource, “Money Leadership for Thriving Congregations.”
Money Leadership is a resource designed to engage people in a healthy conversation and self-assessment of their feelings, knowledge, experiences and practices related to money.
Based on Scripture and affirmation of faithful financial planning, participants learn about debt reduction, spending, saving, giving, financial life planning and develop a personal action plan to address financial issues.
The workshop was helpful for leaders to think about their own personal stewardship as well as training them to lead these workshops in their congregations.
As Pastor Adam Starrett who serves Bergen Lutheran in Roland noted, “It made me consider ways I can move all my spending decisions to be more theological decisions.”
Deb Ford, Youth Ministry Coordinator for Zion Lutheran in Waterloo, hopes to use this workshop to help form good stewardship practices with youth. “If young people learn early about giving and wise spending and saving habits as a foundation, they will carry that with them and be good stewards throughout their lives.”
Al Charlson, a member of the Stewardship Network who has worked in finance his whole life commented that he “appreciated the opportunity to take concepts I’ve worked with for years and put them in the context of discipleship.”
If you are interested in hosting a workshop on being faithful with personal finances from a Lutheran perspective in your congregation or conference, contact Pastor Mark Anderson at the Synod Office.
