Category Archives: Stewardship

Stewardship Kaleidoscope 2021

2021 Stewarship Kaleidoscope

Stewardship Kaleidoscope will be in Cincinnati, Ohio September 13 – 15, 2021 and online. There are multiple ways for you to participate this year, as the ability to travel and be together continues to evolve.

For those attending in-person there will be over 20 workshops to choose from. Virtual attendees will join for plenary sessions, four pre-selected workshops designed to provide a strong foundation in best stewardship practices, and worship experiences.

If you plan to attend in person, group pricing is being offered that will allow more people from your congregation to attend together, to learn together, and to take home practical tools for expanding generosity. Early bird discounts will be available for individual, group in-person, and virtual registrations.

Get more information about the conference, our speakers, workshops, and pricing at StewardshipKaleidoscope.org. Registration will be open soon.

PC(USA) scholarships are available – click here for more information.

Recommended covid safety protocols for in person attendees will be observed. Details for what to expect will be provided as the conference date gets closer.

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) will be part of #GivingTuesday

By Pat Cole | Presbyterian News Service

Originally published on the Presbyterian Mission site here.

LOUISVILLE — On the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) will once again participate in a celebration of giving that is observed around the globe.

#GivingTuesday, which this year falls on Nov. 27, is described by its organizers as “a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to encourage philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide.”  Following the widely recognized shopping events of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday presents an opportunity to kick off the giving season by inspiring people to collaborate and give back.

Within the PC(USA), opportunities to make a #GivingTuesday gift will range from the national level to congregations. A Presbyterian #GivingTuesday webpage offers several giving options for Presbyterian Mission Agency ministries and other PC(USA) causes. The PMA giving opportunities include the “greatest need,” Compassion Peace & Justice, Public Witness and Advocacy, World Mission, Young Adult Volunteers, the Christmas Joy Offering, the Presbyterian Giving Catalog, the Presbyterian Hunger Program, 1001 New Worshiping Communities, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, and Racial Equity and Women’s Intercultural Ministries.

In addition, the webpage also invites gifts for Presbyterian Women, the Presbyterian Foundation, the Presbyterian Historical Society and Hands and Feet, a ministry of the Office of the General Assembly. For congregations interested in receiving #GivingTuesday gifts, the Presbyterian Foundation has developed resources to help them participate.

#GivingTuesday was founded in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y, a community and cultural center in New York City. #GivingTuesday encompasses a broad range of organizations, including many faith-based groups, and last year the movement reached into more than 150 countries.  The PC(USA) began participating in #GivingTuesday four years ago.

The Rev. Dr. Diane Moffett, president and executive director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, said #GivingTuesday offers Presbyterians an opportunity to reset their focus after Black Friday and Cyber Monday and give from the spirit of gratitude that was celebrated on Thanksgiving Day.

“#Giving Tuesday also comes just days before the beginning of Advent, the season when we celebrate the coming of the Christ Child, the greatest gift of all,” Moffett said.

“Your gift to Presbyterian Mission will make a difference in our efforts to be a church of action,” she said. “Your generosity is one important way you can help our church be love with skin on it.”


Creative_Commons-BYNCNDYou may freely reuse and distribute this article in its entirety for non-commercial purposes in any medium. Please include author attribution, photography credits, and a link to the original article. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDeratives 4.0 International License.

2018 Stewardship Kaleidoscope

Stewardship Kaleidoscope is an annual conference offering excellent plenary speakers, informative workshop leaders, provocative worship experiences, and incredible networking opportunities for all who are passionate about stewardship and generosity. Drawing leaders from across the Lutheran Church (ELCA) and the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) and beyond, Stewardship Kaleidoscope is designed to help participants explore stewardship, in its many colorful dimensions!

Register at www.stewardshipkaleidoscope.org/

New Solar Grant Awarded to Four Indiana Churches

Hoosier Interfaith Power & Light has been awarded another Community Conservation Challenge Grant from the Indiana Office of Energy Development to help four Indiana congregations obtain solar panels. This competitive $100,000 grant will benefit St. Peter’s United Church of Christ in Carmel, and All Souls Unitarian Church, Eastgate Christian Church, and Neighborhood Fellowship Church in Indianapolis. The churches collectively pledged more than $100,000 of matching funds to invest in panels and energy conservation measures. They will also host educational events, including Using Energy Prudently workshops, to benefit other congregations. Along with previous grant recipients, the ranks of H-IPL solar grant congregations now number 25 across Indiana, of all denominations, faiths, and sizes.

For the Office of Energy Development’s press release, go here.

Is your congregation interested in solar?
Take steps to prepare:

  1. Have the conversation: Secure approval from congregational leadership to install solar if funds become available. We can help you interpret the benefits of renewable energy for your congregation.
  2. Talk to an installer: They offer free estimates, and will help you consider the size, positioning, and cost of your array.
  3. Begin (or continue) energy conservation measures: Have an energy audit. Consult H-IPL’s Using Energy Prudently Resources to guide action steps. Watch for an upcoming Using Energy Prudently workshop in your area, or request one.

June Assembly Stewardship Follow-up

Prayer cards

Joy and thanksgiving on beautiful paper! What you see above are your prayers of gratitude.

At the June 8 assembly you were invited to bring prayers of thanksgiving forward after the sermon, written on small squares of origami paper. I took them home and put them in a jar, praying your thanksgivings with you.

I expected it to be fun. I didn’t expect to be so moved that tears came to my eyes.

Opening each prayer turned out to be an opportunity to acknowledge the generous working of God in the lives of others. It was like looking at a meadow full of different wildflowers. When we are thankful for these gifts that are dear to us, we hold them close to our hearts, and that means we attend to them and we tend them. Caring for the gifts we have received from God is at the heart of stewardship.

Thank you for the privilege of sharing your prayers.

~ Michelle

Coming Up: In a month or two you can expect to see newsletters and other resources for nurturing the joy of your congregation as they steward all the gifts and resources you have been given for your ministry, from skills and vocations to buildings and finances.

Feel free to write with ideas: mjbartel@nullgmail.com

And write or call (812-292-0950) if you’d like to join me in this work!

Stewardship Kaleidoscope 2012

About The Conference

Join us for enlightening plenary sessions, informative workshops and inspiring worship! Mark your calendar now and watch this website for conference updates.

PLENARY LEADERS
Michael Jinkins • Clif Christopher • Maggie Lauterer

WORSHIP LEADERS
Tom Taylor • Susan Andrews

Additional sponsors are welcome.
Contact us for details.

March 12-14, 2012
Charlotte, North Carolina

Download the brochure from the Conference website.

Inspiring Creation Care

Inspiring Hoosiers to Care for Creation

Hoosiers of all faiths will gather at noon on Saturday, March 5, to celebrate God’s creation and issue a call to reduce energy use in our homes and congregations.

You are invited to join Presbyterians and other people of faith at First Baptist Church, 8600 N. College Ave., Indianapolis, for the first statewide gathering of Indiana clergy and lay people committed to acting as more responsible stewards of God’s Earth.

This event will launch Hoosier Interfaith Power and Light (H-IPL), a new statewide organization that seeks to bring Hoosiers of faith together as stewards of creation in order to promote energy conservation, energy efficiency, renewable energy and related sustainable practices.

The program will include:

  • a worship service led by Indiana clergy from many denominations and faith traditions across the state;
  • choral music celebrating the beauty and wonder of creation by a choir open to all Hoosiers and led by Steve Potts, Director of Music at First Baptist Church;
  • presentations on three programs that equip congregations to inspire and enable their members to significantly reduce energy use; and
  • breakout sessions for clergy and lay leaders interested in beginning faith-based energy conservation initiatives in their communities and denominations

To register, go to www.HoosierIPL.org or call 812-332-5252.

Those interested in joining the choir are asked to indicate this on the registration form and arrive by 11 a.m. to practice.