Can I be transparent? I despise most Christian surveys. The reason is simple. They never seem to have any good news.  Their data gives the impression that the sky is falling. The surveys tell us there is no hope and Jesus is, at best, asleep at the wheel or, at worst, no longer in control. Most Christian surveys imply that Satan […]
Tag Archives | Money
9 Lessons Pastors Learn From Josh Hamilton About Wealthy People And Money
Brian Dodd on June 9, 2012 in Character, Generosity
When speaking with pastors, one of the top concerns I often address is how to effectively deal with financial leaders. Many simply feel inadequate, uncomfortable, or intimidated. To help pastors deal with this issue, click here for a previous post I wrote on the subject. What makes this topic have current relevance for me is a June 11th Sports Illustrated article on […]
10 Practices Of Effective Stewardship Pastors
Brian Dodd on May 9, 2012 in Church Leadership, Generosity
“I used to love money and use people. Now I love people and use money.” – Kevin Cross There was once a time as described in Acts 2:45 when people in local churches literally sold their goods and possessions to anyone with needs. That level of generosity seems so extravagant that it has to now be impractical and […]
What Causes And People I Financially Support And Why
Brian Dodd on May 8, 2012 in Generosity
I have always been told that “April showers bring May flowers.” As I have gotten older, I have discovered that it still rains in the month of May. It is a literal downpour of people requesting financial support. The month of May is when we get graduation announcements and numerous requests to help people pay for summer camps, mission trips, and […]
The Top 10 Leadership Blog Posts I Read On The Internet This Past Week
Brian Dodd on April 5, 2012 in Church Leadership, Generosity, Sports Leadership
Brad Lomenick, who directs an incredible movement of young leaders called Catalyst, has often said, “Generosity is the new currency.” I learn a lot from Brad and he is spot on with that statement. In an effort to follow Brad’s lead, I want to share some amazing posts from some very talented writers whose thoughts impacted me greatly this past week. If […]
What CBS News Taught Me About Love And Church Leadership
Brian Dodd on March 18, 2012 in Church Leadership, Generosity
I want to apologize to everyone with the spiritual gift of administration in advance. We make things way too hard as Christian leaders. Sometimes we are simply too smart for our own good. We think too much instead of moving forward in faith with what we know is right. This weekend, CBS News attended our church […]
7 Rumors About The American Church That Are False
Brian Dodd on March 12, 2012 in Church Leadership
In Malcolm Gladwell’s book The Tipping Point, he makes the observation that rumors are the most contagious of all social messages. I agree as nothing spreads quite like a bad rumor. The following are 7 false rumors that have run wild but after closer inspection, simply have no basis in reality: The American Church Is In Trouble – […]
FREE Solutions If You Are Tired Of Being Broke As A Church?
Brian Dodd on March 11, 2012 in Church Leadership, Generosity
Are you tired of being broke as a church? Are you tired of sweating every week’s offering? Are you constantly praying for no snow not because it is unsafe for your people to travel, but because its impact on the offering? Do you literally have no financial margin as a church? Do you wish you could add […]
How God Gave My Family A Miracle
Brian Dodd on February 26, 2012 in Character, Family, Generosity
In six months I will be celebrating my 10th anniversary at Injoy Stewardship Solutions. I have spent a lot of time lately thinking about the events that resulted into my being hired at this wonderful organization that helps fund vision for church leaders. In 2002, my wife and I were deeply committed to her being a […]
The Generation That Is Re-Defining Generosity
Brian Dodd on January 20, 2012 in Church Leadership, Generosity
The following is a post I wrote earlier this week for the wonderful Catalyst blog website. You can visit their site by clicking here. I hope you enjoy and are inspired by it. As a Christian leader in my mid-40s, I constantly struggle with cynicism. Like many experienced leaders, I have faced multiple disappointments, been […]
20 Lessons From Passion 2012 For Pastors On Leading Financial Leaders
Brian Dodd on January 13, 2012 in Church Leadership, Generosity
As a follow up to yesterday’s post 20 Leadership Lessons All Christians Should Know From Passion 2012, I would like to go deeper into the subject of cultivating financial leaders in your local churches. As a reminder, after being inspired by the $2,566,670 raised by the 40,000+ students in attendance as well as the 40,000+ watching […]
Here Is A Strategy For Helping Christians Become More Generous Givers To Churches
Brian Dodd on December 22, 2011 in Church Leadership, Generosity
If your church needs to raise significant capital, I have developed a theory on what is needed for givers to mature, develop and fully participate in your initiatives. I refer to this growth curve as moving givers from Stability To Surrender To Sacrifice. Here is what I have witnessed over the last decade: The first time a person gives to […]