01Feb 2017 by Marcia Shetler No Comments
ESC NEWS February 2017

ESC NEWS February 2017

General
Register today for Generosity NOW       April 25-27, 2017 Calvary Baptist Church Washington, DC Generosity NOW: Stewardship Fusion 2 takes place April 25-27, 2017 in Washington, DC. Generosity NOW--formerly the North American Conference on Christian Philanthropy--has been a premiere Ecumenical Stewardship Center event for decades. Laypersons, pastors, and judicatory and denominational staff who attend Generosity NOW increase their knowledge about spiritual principles and best practices relating to faithful stewardship and generous giving through plenary sessions, workshops, and worship. This year's Generosity NOW plenary speakers reside in Washington, DC and are from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership at Wesley Theological Seminary, and the Faith and Money Network. Along with these excellent plenary sessions, attendees will choose from 18 different workshops from three tracks: Faithful Stewardship, Leadership, and Generous Giving. Registration for…
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01Feb 2017 by Marcia Shetler No Comments

Love and Faithfulness

General
The most valuable thing that we as human beings possess is trust or faithfulness between persons. This is also our most fragile possession. The NIV rendering of 1 Corinthians 4:2 is “Those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” We might define faithfulness as “love that lasts,” that can survive tests and difficulties. We talk more about love than about faithfulness, but what is love without faithfulness? What is God’s love for us without faithfulness? What is our love of one another without faithfulness? What is our love of God without faithfulness? We are surrounded by instances of apparent human failures to be trustworthy: broken contracts, unpaid bills, failed marriages, broken political promises. Sometimes we have promised too soon or too easily. Sometimes unforeseen circumstances—illness, job loss, a…
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