wfn.org | LCMS Congregational Stewardship Workbook 2000 Available

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

LCMSNews -- No. 19
April 3, 2002

Updated stewardship workbook available

"Congregational Stewardship Workbook 2000" is now available for 
congregations to order by phone from Concordia Publishing House, and it 
will be available for ordering online starting in mid-April from the LCMS 
Board for District and Congregational Services (DCS).

"For congregations with the workbook, it is like having a stewardship 
expert on staff," said Rev. Larry Reinhardt, director of stewardship 
ministry with the DCS. "In fact, it's even better than a staff person, 
because it contains insights, approaches, encouragement and information 
from the brightest and best stewardship minds in our church body."

The workbook, held in a three-ring binder, has 28 booklets divided into 
seven sections. Among the topics it addresses are "Growing Christian 
Stewards," "Building an Effective Committee," "Planning Whole-Life and 
Year-Round Stewardship," "Building an Effective Volunteer Ministry," 
"Stewardship for Children," "Stewardship for Youth," "Personal Money 
Management," and "Budgeting." The 28 chapters also are on a CD-ROM that is 
included with the workbook.

Reinhardt said that the workbook reflects "comprehensive revisions" of 
another stewardship workbook used in the Synod throughout the 1990s. He 
said that there are eight new booklets, as well as the text of John 
Herrmann's "The Chief Steward," which Reinhardt describes as "a stewardship 
classic in the Synod." Among the new chapters is one titled "Managing 
Facilities," which "can help congregations develop a proactive stewardship 
plan for their facilities," Reinhardt said.

He indicated that more than 2,800 copies of the workbook were distributed 
to congregations through LCMS districts in the past year.

"It's the best stewardship resource I have ever seen," said Rev. Ronald 
Garwood, president of the LCMS Wyoming District.

Rev. Tim Zimmermann, a parish pastor and chairman of the Iowa District East 
stewardship committee, said that members of congregational stewardship 
committees in the district were introduced to two booklets in the workbook 
and "were impressed by the practical help they received."

Rev. Wayne Schroeder, stewardship executive with the South Wisconsin 
District, said that pastors have told him that people were volunteering to 
be on stewardship committees of congregations after those congregations 
started using the workbook.

"Congregational Stewardship Workbook 2000" is available for $99.95 from 
Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis. To order, call CPH at (800) 325 3040 
and request stock no. S-21859.  Starting the middle of this month, it may 
be ordered online from the DCS by going to http://dcs.lcms.org and clicking 
on "Resources."

Ideas for using the workbook are on the Web at 
http://dcs.lcms.org/stewardship (then go "CSW2000").

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