Publication date:
01 May 2000Length of book:
194 pagesPublisher
Rowman & Littlefield PublishersDimensions:
229x153mm6x9"
ISBN-13: 9781566992152
More than Money is a wondrous journey to 11 congregations across the United States that have been transformed by living out stewardship that is more than fundraising. Important factors emerge from the lively descriptions and records of dialogue between McNamara and the pastors and lay leaders he visited: The pastor's leadership is a linchpin of stewardship endeavor; they are willing to talk directly with their members about money. The churches take seriously a biblical and theological vision of their mission and are willing to be counter cultural in reaching toward that vision. In these churches, membership is viewed as carrying a high level of meaning and responsibility.
More than Money: Portraits of Transformative Stewardship is about much more than money; it is about how stewardship is integrated into the lifeblood of vital congregations. Even more than that, it is about how a wholistic approach to stewardship helps vitalize congregations. The book contains 11 well-written and illuminating congregational portraits. We hear from pastors, former pastors, and laity as they tell the story of their churches and their approach to stewardship. These are not boring stories about how churches raise money, but exciting stories that give us the rich flavor of congregational life. And they are stories of mainline–even liberal–churches where commitment is high and sacrificial giving is expected. The chapter about All Saints Church in Pasadena, California, alone is worth the price of the book. Any mainline pastor or church leader who wants to see how stewardship is actually done, and done well, should read this book.