America's Service Commissions’ Post

We're excited to share this inspiring article by Eboo Patel, "What the YMCA Taught Me About Community, Civil Society, and Democracy." Reflecting on his formative years at the B.R. Ryall YMCA, Eboo shares how Y activities—from summer camps to swim lessons—shaped his life and taught them the value of community support and giving back. Read the full article to discover the life-changing impact YMCA programs have on youth. https://lnkd.in/guU3rdV3

"The spirit of service that fuels AmeriCorps has united Americans of every color, class, faith, and political party for 30 years. Congress should build on that legacy, not diminish it." AnnMaura Connolly from Voices for National Service & Rye Barcott of #WithHonorAction make a compelling case for #nationalservice as an effective solution for meeting community needs and bridging our country's political divisions. Read more ➡️ bit.ly/AmeriCorps30 #AmeriCorps #AmeriCorps30

Have you begun to wonder if an annual giving appeal is still effective? This short case study is for you. You will read how three churches of various sizes and denominations were guided by an experienced Horizons coach to experience double-digit increases! https://hubs.ly/Q02BZ3YS0

BLOG! The Goal & Role of Christian School Development Read HERE ► https://buff.ly/3LgkyBA The goal of development is to engage people rationally with your work. Providing opportunities for individuals to give “casually” or through participation in projects can be helpful in building your database. Steps should be taken, however, to move those giving in these categories to becoming core donors.

💡Stewardship Survey Insight: The 2023 Stewardship Survey supports our position that having a dedicated stewardship role is crucial for a successful stewardship strategy...for churches of ALL sizes. Read more in our blog. https://hubs.ly/Q02mHC0B0 #Stewardship #ChurchLeadership #2023StewardshipSurvey.

Was giving in your Arch/Diocese up or down in 2022? Join Scott Whitaker, Bevin C. Kennedy, Joseph M. Gillmer, CFRE® CSPG CAP®, and host Jim Friend for a #GivingUSA panel discussion on Diocesan Development topics, including Diocesan Appeals/Catholic entities/Catholic Schools, losing donors, IRA Distributions, Major Gifts, Donor Advised Funds, using Artificial intelligence (AI) in Development, and much more. https://lnkd.in/ebdn-YH3

As a dean, your role is more important than you may realize, especially when it comes to advancement and fundraising. In this video blog, Lighthouse Counsel Senior Consultant Karen Baldwin. Ed.D. explains that although it might not come naturally to you, there are steps you can take to step into that all-important role at your nonprofit.

Taking something you really care about over the hurdle from doing it yourself to equipping others to do it can be nerve-wracking. That transition requires training, tools, and time, but at the end of the day, it takes *trust*. Nothing can grow beyond your capacity to manage it without placing trust in those you've brought along to carry it forward. As Christians, we know this also includes trusting God with the big results—once we've done our due diligence, and laid the groundwork, and followed a well-made plan, trying to control outcomes usually leads to diminished growth (and burnout). This is a roundabout way to say that I'm so thankful for the lead trainers who've worked hard to help us expand the footprint of our Helping Without Hurting in Benevolence Ministry training at The Chalmers Center at Covenant College. We're getting ready to launch a cohort next week (first class meets on 2/15) led not by me or other staff, but by two trainers who work primarily with their local churches! They'll provide high-quality training, but bring their own experience and contextual application to bear. The training is *better* for this—not only does it reach more people by expanding our capacity to offer trainings, it helps show learners that the "experts" who are sharing research and best practices with them are also walking through the same problems they're facing in their daily work. This is how you go from a product to a movement—not just getting people into trainings, but equipping them to implement new practices and (eventually) get excited to bring others along on the journey. If you want to join in and change the way your church or ministry walks alongside members of your community struggling with material poverty, there's still a few slots in our winter cohort: https://lnkd.in/eSR8vTwr

Part 3 of 3: How do you fund the Great Commission at your parish when you're financially scraping by? If I had a dime for every time I have heard this question, I'd be rich enough to fund the Great Commission...ha! But seriously, it is a struggle at many parishes. If we are becoming missional parishes, then that needs to be reflected in our budgets. But for some parishes the problem isn't pruning--there are serious budget shortfalls to address. This article is about how becoming a "first fruits" parish funds evangelization, mission, and goes hand in hand with missionary discipleship. And...it isn't impossible. It may be our only way out, and the scriptural path forward. https://lnkd.in/gXsyPR9s #evangelization #budget #parishrenewal #apostolicparish #mission #tithe #creativeevangelization

A Focus on Forever! What a difference 10 years make! Earlier in the year, the Catholic Foundation of Eastern PA declared more than $903,000 in distributions and a total of $3.1M in the past eight years. This shows the funds are working to provide our Catholic parishes, schools, cemeteries and ministries with much needed income to support their programs. #ForeverFriday #investinforever