Money

Listening to people and investing in them as an act of radical service

Married pastors have transformed a vacant strip mall into a community development hub and base for needed services in a St. Louis suburb.

By Valerie Schremp Hahn Journalist

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The visionary and the implementer: Partners combine strengths to launch a housing development for formerly homeless older adults

When San Antonio’s Catholic Worker house grew from offering a feeding ministry to building affordable housing, its leader got help from a surprising source: a former administrator in the city department that had tried to shut it down.

By Robyn Ross Journalist

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You’ve decided to build affordable housing on your church property. What’s next?

The “predevelopment” phase is crucial in faith-based efforts to develop church property. An expert in urban planning helps demystify the process.

By Nadia A. Mian Senior program director, Ralph W. Voorhees Center for Civic Engagement

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Church income isn’t keeping pace with inflation — but here’s how faith leaders can encourage giving and growth

As a recent report sheds light on the postpandemic state of faith and finances, experts offer suggestions for increasing church income by prioritizing ease of giving and financial literacy.

By Leslie Quander Wooldridge Journalist

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Five tips for churches considering property development

Churches are learning how to get started well with adaptive reuse and property development, writes the co-founder of a nonprofit that has worked with hundreds of churches.

By Mark Elsdon Social entrepreneur, strategic executive and author

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‘White Poverty: How Exposing Myths About Race and Class Can Reconstruct American Democracy’

In the closing chapter of a recent book, the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II writes about the hope he sees when poor people come together to advocate for better working conditions and better policies.

By William J. Barber II Activist and pastor

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Navigating financial dependency: Does your ministry have a sponsor, and what does that mean?

Maintaining a successful relationship with a significant funder requires being clear about intentions and understanding how to negotiate priorities, writes the executive director of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity.

By David L. Odom Executive director, Leadership Education at Duke Divinity

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Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove: Mobilizing the poor can help fix America

Believing myths related to poverty and whom it affects has prevented Americans from constructing a society that works for everyone, authors of a recent book say.

Breathing Space: One church’s experiment with guaranteed minimum income

A church offered a “guaranteed gift” of $500 per month for a year to two neighbor-partners as a way to respect recipients’ dignity and give them more agency.

By Rhonda Mawhood Lee Priest, spiritual director and writer

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A church offers training in faith and finance

Kingdom Fellowship AME Church helps its members thrive through financial literacy classes that help build economic stability and faithful generosity.

By Leslie Quander Wooldridge Journalist

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My ancestor was an enslaver. Here’s how I’m making reparations.

A graduate of Harvard Divinity School writes about her family’s history — which includes an ancestor active in the enslavement of Black people — and how she is taking reparative action.

By Morgan Curtis Facilitator and money coach

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