United Methodist Foundation of the Northeast

United Methodist Foundation of the Northeast The Foundation is dedicated to serving all United Methodists in New England and New York.

Inspiring Faithful Financial Stewardship

Faith-Based Stewardship & Financial Services for Churches, Agencies, Clergy, & Individuals

STEWARDSHIP IS THE OUTWARD AND VISIBLE SIGN OF OUR INNER AND PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD!A Reflection by David Abbott...
07/28/2026

STEWARDSHIP IS THE OUTWARD AND VISIBLE SIGN OF OUR INNER AND PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD!
A Reflection by David Abbott, Director of Stewardship and Leadership

As congregations begin to think about their fall annual finance campaign, it's important to help folks to understand that stewardship is more than expecting the commitment card or monthly check from an individual or family. ("We all know that David", but do we really?) It's also not one of those reflections that justifies the treasures OR talents thought process.

As this article shares, Barnabas, through the way he lived his faith in his daily life, didn't focus on one part of himself (like money) but on his whole being.

He lived in faith when no one wanted to welcome Saul after his conversion because their feared what he might do.

He walked with John Mark on a second mission journey when Paul didn't want to give him another chance based on John Mark's previous action the first time around.

We invite you to share this with your Finance team as well as all of your leadership. A question for conversation might be "When people in our church hear the word stewardship, what do they think of first? What does that say about us as a faith community?"

The conversation could take y'all wicked deep into the joy of stewardship and impact all aspects of your ministry and mission. Wouldn't that be awesome!

We often think that generosity is something we do.

Looking for great resources to be the best stewards of what God has entrusted to you?The Lewis Center for Church Leaders...
07/08/2026

Looking for great resources to be the best stewards of what God has entrusted to you?

The Lewis Center for Church Leadership has many of these "50 ways to..." sheets as well as resources for other aspects of church development.

Take a moment in the quiet of summer to explore this resource about youth ministry and all the others they offer.

Being a good steward is more than collecting enough for the budget, it's making all that we are, and all the we have, available for God to do amazing things in, and through, us!

These 50 tips will help your church engage with and equip its teenagers so that they can become effective leaders and disciples.

IS YOUR STEWARDSHIP TRANSACTIONAL OR TRANSFORMATIONAL? When asking some (not yours for sure!) churches for their definit...
07/02/2026

IS YOUR STEWARDSHIP TRANSACTIONAL OR TRANSFORMATIONAL?

When asking some (not yours for sure!) churches for their definition of stewardship, they talk about raising money for the budget, getting more people in the pews so that there can be more dollars in the plates, and the idea that with the money they are raising, they can't maintain the church as they wish they could.

Sound familiar?

In this article, Cesie talks about how the answer for such challenges is not more transactions (more money coming in) but transformational (inviting people to help live out God's vision).

For instance, how do you invite people to participate in the Sunday morning offering?

When you send out your yearly/quarterly giving statements, do you lament (that's a scriptural word so it must be good, right) the lack of money of do you rejoice (another scriptural word that speaks of hope) at what y'all have accomplished with the resources entrusted to your faith community?

Can you figure out which one is transformational?

Take a few minutes to read this article and then consider sharing it with your Finance Committe.

Are you encouraging transactional giving or transformational generosity? Check out the difference.

You may not have time to read the entire "Giving USA 2026 Report" so here are some observations that churches need to be...
07/02/2026

You may not have time to read the entire "Giving USA 2026 Report" so here are some observations that churches need to be considering.

When was the last time you invited people to increase their giving to support the vision God has placed before your faith community?

When have you ever asked people if they have included the church in their legacy giving plans?

What is your answer when a person calls and says, "I want to give a large donation in my parent's memory, what do you need?"

Here are the main points of this article. You'll find more details if you take the 5 minutes to read what Jonathan Page has written.

1. There is more money being given now than at any point in our country’s history.
2. Individual generosity is significant, but there is serious growth in bequests and generosity from foundations.
3. Giving is up, but religious generosity is growing at a slower rate than other categories.
4. Leaders need to have clarity around priorities for generosity and effectiveness of generosity practices in their local church.

Let us know what you think of the article and ideas.

Jonathan Page explores four key insights from Giving USA 2025 and what church leaders can learn about stewardship, fundraising, and generosity.

GIVING ON A CONSISTANT BASIS IS GOOD BUT KNOWING THE "WHY" OF OUR GIVING IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANTAn article by David King ...
06/10/2026

GIVING ON A CONSISTANT BASIS IS GOOD BUT KNOWING THE "WHY" OF OUR GIVING IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT

An article by David King notes that with the technology of today and the obligations of past generations pertaining to one's stewardship/generosity is good but understanding it as a spiritual practice is much healthier.

"With shifts in giving cultures and rapid adaptation of giving technologies, religious practices are undoubtedly changing. But that does not mean that both leaders and individual donors can overlook the need to prompt regular reflection on the “why” of giving.

Consistency may not serve as the be-all and end-all for giving, but the fact that so many religious givers seek greater consistency says something about how they view the practice of giving.

Consistency may help to ensure they give a certain amount to meet a budget, a pledge gift, or a religious mandate, but it may more significantly serve as an opportunity for regular reflection and reinforcement for how giving shapes and even transforms both giver and recipient."

Drawing on recent research from Givelify and philanthropic scholars, David P. King, PhD, examines the gap between religious donors’ desire to give consistently and their actual giving patterns. He explores how congregations and faith leaders can foster generosity by framing giving not simply as a ...

THIS IS STEWARDSHIP!! First UMC in Gatlinburg is providing affordable parking along the main drag of this very popular ...
04/22/2026

THIS IS STEWARDSHIP!! First UMC in Gatlinburg is providing affordable parking along the main drag of this very popular town. What's awesome is that they are using part of those funds to provide grants to other UM churches in Southern Virginia! They are also considering how they can use a newly renovated space for retreats and maybe affordable meals for tourists who can't pay the high prices of restaurants.

As you think about your church, it's property, and it's location, what might you do that could fund your ministry AND that of other UM churches beyond your area?

One church in the article used their parking lot to raise funds for a youth mission trip!

Let us know what you decide to do as good stewards of what you've been entrusted with!

Key points: First United Methodist Church of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is taking advantage of its tourist town location to help United Methodist ...

WHAT IS ADAPTIVE LEADERSHIP?“I’m discovering that adaptive leadership is as much spiritual as it is strategic. It’s not ...
04/15/2026

WHAT IS ADAPTIVE LEADERSHIP?

“I’m discovering that adaptive leadership is as much spiritual as it is strategic. It’s not about charisma or cleverness, it’s about showing up. Over and over again. Especially when you’re tired. Especially when you’re unsure. Especially when the ground beneath you doesn’t feel secure.” Rev. Gary Noonan “How to lead as a pastor when you’re uncertain of your own future.” Faith and Leadership.

This is also a great article about how pastors with visa challenges are serving God in this country through the current immigration challenges facing pastors and others.

A Scottish pastor facing possible deportation because of a backlog in visas for religious workers reflects on leading a congregation amid deep personal uncertainty.

THIS IS STEWARSHIP! This is the outward and visible sign of HCUMC's inner and personal relationship with God!What might ...
04/13/2026

THIS IS STEWARSHIP! This is the outward and visible sign of HCUMC's inner and personal relationship with God!

What might you do in your local community that is about sharing love and empowering our youth to run faster, feel stronger, develop teamwork?

While sports like football, basketball, and baseball often receive strong support and funding, track and field programs are frequently ...

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