United Methodist Foundation of New England

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 ...

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 ...

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.

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 ...

03/09/2026

What we love about this story is a smaller membership church prayerfully considering what to do with an abundance of resources. After their discernment, they decided they should support a local nursery so that single working parents could have childcare.

What can your church do with the abundance of blessings that you have?

Yes! We all have an abundance of blessings, we just need to look them from God's perspective and not ours.

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03/05/2026

TURNING FEAR INTO FAITH
Setting priorities based on your relationship with Christ

I receive a few stewardship emails and one of my favorites is the Lenten Journey of 40 ACTS with Stewardship (an organization in the UK).

The focus of today's devotion is putting one's generosity before paying bills. The story doesn't "I started giving and received a huge gift" but rather a journey of faith.

This will make a great devotional for your finance or leadership teams.

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02/25/2026

FUNDING YOUR MINISTRY AND MISSION BEYOND THE OFFERING PLATE

Below is an article written by Michaela Murray of Ministry Architects, and also a friend of this Foundation, about the world of funding through grants. She doesn't just offer general ideas but gives specific thoughts about how to go through the process of applying for grants to fund your ministry and mission.

It's a great read with awesome ideas. Let us know what you think!

Grant funding doesn’t have to be intimidating. Michaela Murray outlines how churches can assess readiness, research funders, and write compelling proposals to expand their community impact.

02/10/2026

WE ARE A SMALL CHURCH BUT WE CAN DO GREAT THINGS!

In a time when many of the churches we serve as averaging 25 or less in worship, here are three shining examples of how similar churches discerned what they had, defined a need beyond their walls that would serve their neighbors, designed a response, and then deployed the ministry with joy, grace, and excitement.

What gifts does your church have at this time? What are the needs of the communities you serve, based on conversations with your neighbors, and how will you use your gifts to address one of those challenges?

Good stewardship is giving thanks for our blessings and then using them to be a blessing to others.

If you've got questions or want to talk, give the Foundation a call. We are excited to listen, ask questions, and then prayerfully discern with you what the Spirit is calling you to do!

Some people need diapers for their children, while others need a place to recover from surgery and freedom from medical debts. Three United Methodist churches are responding — and making an outsize contribution to their communities.

01/28/2026

Putting Your House in Order is a tool for doing some smart life planning. Whether you've got an estate of pennies or millions, this program helps to name all of one's treasures and many of them are in the form of friendships, family, and financial blessings. Send us an email and we will be glad to talk with you about the program.

It was a great time at the Brunswick UMC where lots of God-inspired things are happening!

12/03/2025

The Church Is Not Dying. The Church Is Not Disappearing. The Church Is Multiplying
A Reflection and a Reading - David Abbott Director of Stewardship and Leadership

Below is just a part of Isaiah Park's article about welcoming imagination and seeking God in places other than Sunday morning.

What might church look like in your community based on the "counting" that he mentions below?

What might happen if your leadership team read this article and then spent 15 minutes imagining what y'all could do as good stewards of all that God has entrusted to you?

What if....

"Instead of counting only who shows up on Sundays, what if we also counted:

God-prints in the neighborhood?
Stories of new and restored relationships?
Missional partnerships?
Transformative conversations?
Community impact?
New faith communities?
Cultivating Fresh Expressions?
Baptisms and professions of faith happening outside the sanctuary?
Healing, recovery, and belonging?
Spiritual friendships?
New leaders emerging in unconventional spaces?
Vitality is not found when the church is insular. Vitality is found when the church is sent and is on the move." (Isaiah Park)

Discover why the church isn’t dying but multiplying—reshaping vitality through imagination, new communities, and Spirit-led mission beyond the sanctuary.