Vibrant institutions are attentive to economic strategies and practices that enable their sustenance and growth. How can Christian leaders deploy sound business principles and be true to the call to sacrifice and serve others in the gospel?

Our resources, while not exhaustive, will allow you to explore this topic more fully. The foundational resources are important for the development of transformative leaders. The formational resources are of a different sort. These are meant to spark your imagination by introducing you to stories and ideas that have surprising insight into the practice of Christian leadership.

Foundational Resources

• Behind the Stained Glass Windows by John & Sylvia Ronsvalle – A study of mainline and evangelical churches, their giving patterns and their attitudes concerning money
• Center on Philanthropy at IUPUI (Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis) – This website provides programs for non-profits to understand the dynamics of philanthropy. Especially consider the Lake Institute on Faith and Giving
• Empty Tomb – This website offers research on church giving year by year
• Financing American Religion edited by Mark Chaves – Brings together several scholars to explore current research and thinking on money and religion. (For further reflection, see F&L content by Mark Chaves.)
• Giving USA – This website offers a set of ethical standards and best practices for financial counsel to non-profits as well as an annual report of philanthropy
• God & Mammon by Jouette Bassler – A study on the role of asking for money in the New Testament
• In Pursuit of the Almighty's Dollar by James Hudnut-Beumler – A broad look at the history of the way the church in America has interacted with money
• Passing the Plate by Christian Smith, Michael Emerson, and Patricia Snell – The authors look at giving in American churches illuminated by several surveys
• Rethinking Materialism by Robert Wuthnow – A theological and social science reflection upon our culture’s obsession with material goods. Also consider God And Mammon In America
• The Use of Money by John Wesley – This website offers Wesley’s extensive writings on the use of money and its dangers. Also consider On Riches, The Danger of Riches and The Danger of Increasing Riches

Formational Resources

• The Choir by Joanna Trollope – A contemporary novel about what happens when money concerns overtake ministry in an English cathedral town
• Cluny by Edwin Mullins – The history of a medieval monastery’s rise and decline in influence and money
• The Fear of Beggars by Kelly Johnson – An interdisciplinary critique of historical and current attitudes about stewardship and money
• On Wealth and Poverty by Saint John Chrysostom – Six sermons on money by an early church father, Christian pastor and thinker