Obama and McCain Going Public with Their Giving: Observations for the Next Generation

By now you are probably aware that both Barack Obama and John McCain have posted prior year personal tax returns on their respective websites for public inspection. Public officials being public about private financial matters merit some positive and public praise. But let’s be careful as we scrutinize the candidates’ charitable giving.
Yes, we see that [...]

My First Capital Campaign

My wife Lisa and I learned an important lesson early in our married life about stewardship. We lived in a great community and were members of a great church. The preaching was good, the Bible lessons were good, the people were good, and most importantly, the food was good. Every time we [...]

Faith and Governance: The Role of the Ministry Board

Wisdom. Dedication. Leadership. Advisors. These are all terms commonly used to describe nonprofit board members. And all of these terms are applicable and relevant. But what about board members of the average nonprofit ministry? Is there one role that is more needed or desired over another? Or should other roles be added to the list?
To [...]

Reflecting on Declines in Giving to Religion

By far, the largest amount of charitable giving in the United States on a year-by-year basis is to religious causes. So, should we be concerned if we see shifts in certain factors surrounding this area of philanthropy?
Maybe so. The alarm sounded with the recent release of a study by the Indiana University Center [...]

Where’s Your Treasure?

Missionaries amaze me. I will never forget a testimony by a missionary couple who left the United States to serve in Japan. They could only take personal items that would fit into one shipping crate. Everything else had to be left behind. The wife shared her story of how she went through her home and [...]

Soap and Toothpaste–A Testimony About Giving

I ran across an old book the other day, Spiritual Life Through Tithing by Ernest Thomas. As I glanced through the book I saw a brief paragraph about William Colgate, the founder of the Colgate-Polmalive Company, maker of soaps and dental-care products. I thought it might be useful to share this paragraph from the [...]