This book is a guide for motivating, training and equipping church and Christian leaders in how to develop a culture of biblical stewardship and generosity to those people within their sphere of influence. It is directed primarily to pastors and church leaders, since that is where stewardship and generosity should be taught. However, the principles and "process" taught here can certainly be applied within the context of a Christian school or business environment. You may be a school leader that wants to help your staff, students and donors grow in their application of biblical stewardship and generosity. Or, you may be a Christian business person who wants to help your staff and employees benefit personally from this teaching. We know that stress from financial problems affects motivation and productivity in the work place. You would surely agree that our young people certainly need to learn these important principles before they enter into the challenges of adult life. The big question is how does a Christian leader organize and implement a strategy, or "process" in his or her organizational environment? How does he/she effectively utilize the multiple resources for teaching stewardship, money management and generosity to those people within his/her sphere of influence, whether it be a church congregation, school, or business? Because the church is where this important teaching should start, the major focus of this book is to help pastors and church leaders learn ways to empower and motivate their congregations toward a greater generosity and intimacy with God. Even if you are a Christian business or school leader, chances are you are also a church leader in some capacity. Chances are, along with your pastor, you want to be able to resource the God-given vision for your church. Although my primary goal is to see pastors and church leaders equipped in training others to become more generous givers and faithful managers of God's resources, many of the principles and resources mentioned in this book can be utilized within the environment of a business or school. So, take and apply those principles and truths contained in this book that work for your particular church or organization. You'll find out what works for you. And don't hesitate to seek help from the resources mentioned later in the book. Chances are you will need it and want it in order to succeed. I've designed the book to help the reader understand the "what", "why", and "how" to accomplish this goal. Because of the magnitude of this goal, and the space limitations within a single book, the focus will be on the "what" and "why", with some general instructions, principles, and resources provided in the "how". In Chapter Six, Appendix One and Two, I direct you to additional resources and help beyond the scope of this book, some of it free. By the time you finish reading and digesting the truths contained in this book, assuming that you are serious about the subject, you should be motivated and encouraged to move ahead in helping your church, school, or business entity develop a culture of biblical stewardship, money management and generosity. And regarding the image of the water faucet on the cover, you will learn its meaning in Chapter One. Our contributors to this book have many years of combined experience in some aspect of stewardship and generosity ministry leadership and training. You will be hearing from the best. BUT, be prepared to possibly go through a paradigm shift! We won't be talking about just another stewardship campaign, fund-raising effort, bible study, or seminar. You may be surprised!
