Course SJ-01 - Theological Principles of Stewardship

by Scott Jacob

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This course will focus on developing or defining the student’s understanding of the theological principles of their stewardship practices.  In the stewardship ministries or programs of our congregations, we use various biblical passages and references that speak to our need to be good, intentional stewards. Some of those biblical references are universal, others may be more unique to specific denominations, regions of the country, or particular congregational histories.

In our personal congregations and in many denominations we are noticing a variety of “shifts” in the way in which we experience church and life today. Some see a variety of trends that have changed in the way that people participate in the life of our churches.  We will wrestle with some of those “shifts” in light of the basic principles and tenets that guide and direct our stewardship ministries.  We will seek to wrestle with how our cultural experiences, and the shifts that have taken place over time, influence our stewardship practices.  And we will seek to name the theological principles that undergird our work as steward leaders in our congregations.

As we walk through this journey together, we will learn from one another, challenge one another and provoke one another to become clearer about the theological principles that influence our stewardship practices. We seek to grow personally and corporately, in our language and our leadership, so that they are consistent with the theological principles that undergird our discipleship and faith practices.

There are four video sessions in this course. Students are expected to watch each video and post comments and respond to the questions posed for each session. In addition, it is suggested that class participants purchase and read "Scriptural Stewardshifts" by Bob Sitze (there is an Amazon link in the SJ-01 Virtual Classroom.)

There are three class-wide live conference calls in this course:

• First live class-wide conference call: November 1, 2016, 6-7pm Central Time.
• Second live class-wide conference call: November 15, 2016, 6-7pm Central Time.
• Third live class-wide conference call: November 22, 2016, 6-7pm Central Time.

A Low Price To Make The Course Accessible

We have made a special pricing of the fully-interactive version of this course in order to make this course available to individual people or groups of clergy, lay leaders, and congregants of churches in small study groups. We have endeavored to make this course as RELEVANT and as ACCESSIBLE to as many people as possible. Our goal is to foster a broad understanding of stewardship as a basis for creating the capacity for generosity. We offer this course to the Church and Her Servants with hopes that you can participate. Group discounts are also available for study groups of three or more.

An Ideal Course for Both Individuals and Small Groups

This course is designed for both individuals and small groups who wish to learn more about stewardship. The course makes an excellent small-group study or a church-wide study. The material is condensed enough so each Lesson can also be used in a workshop format and still allow plenty of time for group discussions. The price of the course is purposely low enough to allow each member of the group to purchase their own access to the course materials to study individually either before or after a group meeting.

Online Distance Learning

This a distance-learning course that can be completed online without the need for travel; either across town or to another city. The course can be taken from home, office or even a coffee shop. All you need is a web browser and a broadband Internet connection. The course can be successfully used by people with only the most basic of computer skills.

CEU Credit

We're happy to announce that “Holistic Stewardship” students can earn 0.8 continuing-education-unit credits (CEUs) for their participation in this course. CEUs will be administered by the Ecumenical Stewardship Center through the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership. The Academy facilitates CEUs for the Church of the Brethren and other organizations. 

Use any Device From Anywhere

Access this course from anywhere; at home, at the office or when out on the run. You can access our course videos 24x7 from anywhere you choose; you are in complete control. We fully support desktop devices as well as mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. The responsive design of all of our web pages and video players will automatically size our materials and rearrange page regions to best fit the particular device you choose to use. Included in this support is our Adaptive Streaming technology that will automatically and dynamically adjust our streaming speed to best fit your particular broadband connection. Go as slow as a 3G wireless connection or as fast as a fiber-to-the-home connection allows. Rest assured that for any type of device or connection speed you elect to use, we will support it to the best possible quality the device allows.

Additional Information About This Stewardship Course

In the sidebar on the right side of the page, there is additional information about this course. Please explore these pages for more information.

Course Instructor: Rev. Scott A. Jacob

The Reverend Scott A. Jacob has served as pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) for thirty-four years. He has been called to congregations in Florida and Minnesota. He also has served as an Assistant to the Bishop in Northeastern Minnesota and during that time also served as a Stewardship Specialist and Director for Evangelical Mission. In his work, Pastor Jacob has developed a passion for working with congregations growing in Discipleship Practices, Faith Development, Visioning and Stewardship. He serves as Pastor of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Two Harbors, MN. He also is the Instructor for “Journey to Generosity”, a program of the Ecumenical Stewardship Center designed to help congregations grow in their stewardship ministry by gathering with a cohort of 5-8 congregations, learning together in four workshops over a year. He currently is a member of the Design Team for the Center’s “Generosity Next” annual event.  Pastor Jacob is also a Program Director with The James Company, consulting with congregations in Capital Campaigns and Stewardship Ministry.

Sixth In the Series "Steward Leaders Engaging God’s Mission"

Brought to you by Ecumenical Stewardship Center and TransformingTheChurch.org, “Theological Principles of Stewardship” is the sixth in a series titled "Steward Leaders Engaging God’s Mission" consisting of a total of six courses. Students enrolled in the series will learn principles and practices relating to stewardship and leadership through studying Scripture, exploring holistic perspectives, critiquing culture, developing healthy relationships, and achieving financial health.

About the Ecumenical Stewardship Center

As a Network for Growing Stewards, the Ecumenical Stewardship Center provides resources that encourage the development of generous giving and faithful stewardship as transformational spiritual practices for faith communities and their leaders. Twenty denominations and several stewardship-related organizations in the US and Canada are partners in ESC's mission and ministry. You can find them on the ESC website at www.stewardshipresources.org.

About TransformingTheChurch.org

TransformingTheChurch.org is a state-of-the-art online resource that provides high-quality distance education for churches and congregations; both clergy and laity. For additional information about TransformingTheChurch.org, see: https://www.transformingthechurch.org/who-we-are