Articles on "Stewardship"
The Eclipse of the Offering?
by H. Paul Santmire
What does the Offering signify? Can we really "offer" anything to God in our worship? While some are raising serious concerns about how to speak of the giving of gifts, the author raises an equally important concern about the Offering and the role of Christian "formation."
Exercising Our Church’s Funds
by Jerry H. Johnson
Currently, there are more than 10,650 congregations in the 65 Synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The amount of cash or cash equivalents held by this church through its congregations, synods, and the churchwide organization is well into the billions of dollars. We are not speaking here of buildings or other real estate but of cash that resides mostly in bank accounts day after day, month after month, and year after year. In addition, the Board of Pensions is responsible for many more billions of dollars residing in various securities and other investments as directed by members.