Posts tagged GCS Stewardship Team
Faith and Generosity: Answering the Call to Support the Grand Canyon Synod

It is a question of equality between your present abundance and their need,
so that their abundance may also supply your need, in order that there may be equality. 
As it is written,
“The one who had much did not have too much,
and the one who had little did not have too little.” 
—2 Corinthians 8:13b-15

The Grand Canyon Synod Council encourages all congregations to faithfully allocate mission support as an intentional commitment to our shared mission as church together. We encourage congregations to be generous and proportionate in their mission support, in accordance with the witness of scripture and the saints who came before us.

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Guarding the Gift: How Estate Planning Extends Your Ministry Beyond This Life

In this reflection, Pastor Mike Girlinghouse, Interim Chaplain at LCM Canterbury in Flagstaff, shares how estate planning serves as an act of faithful stewardship, allowing us to bless ministries and loved ones even after we’re gone. Inspired by 2 Timothy 1:12-14, we are reminded of the importance of entrusting our lives and resources to God’s care.

Read Pastor Girlinghouse’s devotion about the impact of planned giving and how to secure your legacy through trusts and wills. Interested in setting up an estate plan? Contact the Office of the Bishop at gcsynod.org/contact.

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Unlock the Power of Narrative Mission Plans: Webinar Recording Now Available

Missed the “Learn How to Construct a Narrative Mission Plan” webinar with Pastor Tim Brown? No problem! The full recording is now available, along with essential resources to guide you through creating a mission-focused budget. Learn how to effectively communicate your congregation’s impact with these step-by-step tools. Access the recording and resources today!

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Empower Your Congregation with Solar: Discover Financing Options in IPL’s Webinar

Discover how your congregation can go solar with insights from Interfaith Power & Light’s recent webinar on solar financing. The session covers various financing options, federal incentives like Direct Pay, and real-life experiences from a congregation that has successfully navigated the process. Access the webinar recording and additional resources to start your solar journey today.

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Support Your Synod and Save on Taxes: A Special IRA Opportunity

Discover how you can make a difference and save on taxes with an IRA charitable rollover. If you’re 70½ or older, this special opportunity allows you to give up to $105,000 from your IRA directly to a qualified charity, like your ELCA congregation or the Grand Canyon Synod, without paying income taxes on the amount. Connect with Lisa Higginbotham, our Regional Gift Planner, to learn more about this impactful and tax-efficient way to support the ministries you care about.

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Thermostat energy savings project​: Are you wearing a sweater while your pastor is sweating?

In this article from the Grand Canyon Synod Stewardship Team, discover how Spirit of Hope in Mesa, AZ, saved $6,000 annually on utility bills by installing programmable thermostats. By leveraging SRP’s rebate programs, the church improved comfort, reduced costs, and embraced good stewardship practices. Learn how you can implement similar energy-saving measures in your congregation and benefit from available promotions.

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Celebrating 'All Ages Becoming': A New Chapter in Intergenerational Faith

Mark your calendars for the 10/24/2023 launch of 'All Ages Becoming: Intergenerational Practice in the Formation of God's People,' a groundbreaking book that reaffirms intergenerational practice as the heart of our Christian identity. With insights from 17 diverse authors, including Linda Staats with the GCS Stewardship team, this book promises a global perspective on nurturing faith across generations.

Join the virtual celebration with authors and experts worldwide on October 24, 2023 (register here for one of two time slots). Pre-order the book now and secure your invitation to a journey of communal spiritual growth.

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Three expressions of Lutheranism under one roof: The GCS Stewardship Team worships in Glendale, Arizona

Pastor Dan Potaznick, accompanied by the Grand Canyon Synod Stewardship Team, relays an inspiring narrative of the multicultural worship experience where three congregations — St. John’s Lutheran Church, Iglesia Luterana Vida Nueva, and Emmanuel Sudanese Lutheran Church — each offer a unique and vibrant expression of faith.

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Updated narrative mission plan is available

The Grand Canyon Synod Stewardship team has released their updated annual narrative mission plan. This is part of our Proposed Mission Plan for 2024-2025. That full report is available for review in our assembly pages.

We hope you will join us for our final presentation of the Mission Plan prior to Synod Assembly, on Saturday, 5/20/2023, 9am MST/PDT, 10am MDT. Click here to register.

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A Cup of Generosity: December, 2022

"When you give to the needy do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing." Matthew 6:3

It occurred to me the other day as I was trying to work with a budget app that my daughters had talked me into, that sooner or later your left hand is going to figure out what your right hand is doing.

View this month’s Cup of Generosity in this post or in this PDF.

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A Cup of Generosity: October, 2022

“We should look to see what God is doing in our lives but with the knowledge that God isn't out to get us but God is there to guide us, comfort us, perhaps sometimes to challenge us but always to be leading us in the right direction and caring for us along the way.”

View this month’s Cup of Generosity in this post or in this PDF.

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Stewardship resources and video from Generosity Across the Generations

The Grand Canyon Stewardship Team presents Generosity Across the Generations, a Zoom webinar for stewardship & finance teams, pastors, church councils & discipleship leaders. Watch the video in this post and download the resources as a PDF.

Broaden your view of generosity beyond a single age group. Each generation has gifts to offer, and approaches generosity differently.

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