Did you know that online giving among the good people of Great Britain experienced an increase of 75% between 2008 and 2011? Pretty good hey?
A survey published this week by the Evangelical Alliance also revealed that within the UK evangelical Christian community, over half of those respondents surveyed said they had made online donations to a charity or ministry in the last 12 months.
Our recent international survey of full-time Christian mission workers has revealed that 27% of those surveyed rely on an annual income of £10,000 or below.
Of those Christian workers who took part, the average income for survey respondents was revealed to stand in the region of £15,000 per year. This is at a time when the average salary in the UK is reported to be £27,415 (Source: PayScale).
The Christmas Tree is an advent gift from Stewardship to you.
Inspired by the tale of two trees; surprise gifts for two unsuspecting families, we offer simple tales of miracles, hope and generosity. We hope to inspire you. To remind you of the wonder of Christmas; a celebration of generosity, of God’s greatest gift to all mankind.
As a mother of four girls I used to look forward to Christmas the same way my mother - also of four children - did: with doom and gloom. Rather than a glorious celebration of family, feasting and fun, all I looked forward to was the endless lists to tick off, novel presents to buy for my ever-growing family and innumerable God-children. Cards, presents, food preparation, decorating the house, let alone fitting in nativity plays, Christmas concerts and church prayer evenings. When did I ever turn into such a scrooge and such a kill joy? It all had something to do with setting my sights on perfection. The perfect day, present, outfit, family gathering, the perfect meal, - oh and let’s not forget the perfect homemade Christmas card. My pursuit of perfection of course never quite happened, and each year I vowed I would start earlier, plan better, buy a bigger freezer perhaps. I had become a slave to the ‘perfect Christmas’.
We've just released 'VAT for Churches - a detailed guide' - a must-read for any church leadership. Find out how to get your copy in this blog post.
Camel-hair shirts and the locust diet.
A long time ago, in a garden overflowing with goodness, a naked young lady was convinced by a talking snake that she wanted more. This lie was an enormous whopper the like of which no-one had ever heard because, in reality, this young lady wanted for nothing. All of her needs were met. But from the moment the lie was heard, she itched for more.
Despite making a conscious effort each year to avoid the Christmas consumer frenzy and keep my mind focused on the real meaning of Christmas, the reality is that it’s very difficult to keep an eye on spending during the festive season. It’s a bit like hoovering up the needles under the Christmas tree, just when you think you’ve finished, more appear!
Even if you rigorously scale down on present giving, only send e-cards, or make all your own decorations, there are plenty of other little extras that can catch you by surprise and eat up your cash.
On 1st October 2011 at 8.30pm, sixteen members of the Stewardship staff will gather at the O2 in Greenwich, London, to complete (probably) the longest walk of our lives. The Shine Walk traces the London Marathon route for the complete 26.2 miles, and participants walk through the night to raise money for Cancer Research UK.
It's a cause that is close to many of our hearts simply because cancer has become such a widespread and devastating illness. We at Stewardship wanted to join forces with Cancer Research UK and show our support for the charity that does so much to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.
Take a look at 2 Corinthians 9 and you’ll come face to face with some bumper sticker verses: ‘whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly’ (verse 6), ‘God loves a cheerful giver’ (verse 7) and ‘God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work’ (verse 9).
If you weren’t a fan of context you could take these as fuel to fire a prosperity gospel: after all, if we give a big enough offering with a big enough smile we’ll surely end up with a whopping great blessing on our lives, right?
Not to be confused with Hope Corner, Hope Centre is a story just as inspirational. 39 churches in the Macclesfield area came together to inspire hope in the local community, and out of it was borne the Hope Centre - a coffee shop and Christian bookshop designed 'to respond to human need by loving service'. In addition to serving up quality coffee and Christian literature the Centre has also been able to respond to prayer requests. 'We're reaching out to lonely, isolated people in our community.' Bob Boland, Chairman of the Trustees, said.
blogs by the Stewardship team and selected guest writers.
Stewardship is the operating name of Stewardship Services (UKET) Limited. Established in 1906.
Registered charity no. 234714, and a company limited by guarantee, registered in England no. 90305.
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