Course SL-02 - Holistic Stewardship

by Sandy Lindahl

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This class illuminates the reach of stewardship practices far into our personal and societal lives.  "Holistic Stewardship" involves recognizing our choices and making decisions that contribute to the wholeness of our lives and those of others, even of all Creation.  Moving beyond the traditional questions of using our "time, talent and treasure" this content raises questions about cultural assumptions, compares economic models, and considers the global implications of personal and communal decisions.

"The nature of enough" alludes to the difficult questions about determining sufficiency for all of life to be in balance.  The typical tug-of-war between the contrasting lenses of abundance and scarcity is an important factor as people determine what is "enough" in any given situation.  Class participants in Holistic Stewardship will read various writers' ideas on how people can seek sufficiency in their everyday routines and the influence they may have in broader spheres such as the current economic system and collaborations among distinctly different societies.

As Christians, our faith compels us to love one another and to look after all living beings and this planet we share. This is our role as stewards. For each of us, our very lives are the first gifts we receive. It matters how we conduct ourselves in this life, in this mystery of mysteries. In this class, participants will envision "God's economy" for sustaining life. There are great imbalances today in wealth and privilege such that the very Earth is suffering as well as its people, plants and creatures. Understanding that this imbalanced system is a choice that can be altered is a desired outcome of this class.

There are five 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 "The Soul of Money: Reclaiming the Wealth of Our Inner Resources" by Lynne Twist and "Money and Faith: The Search for Enough" by Michael Schut.

The fifth session also includes completing a class project.

Registration is open now and late registration will close at 6 p.m. CDT, May 8, 2017

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

• May 1 at 6:00 p.m. Central time
• May 8 at 6:00 p.m. Central time
• May 15 at 6:00 p.m. Central time
• May 22 at 6:00 p.m. Central time

See the Course Syllabus for details.

Special Low Price To Make The Holistic Stewardship Course Accessible

We have made a special pricing of the fully-interactive version of this course 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.

Five Self-Paced On-Demand Lectures, Readings and Four Live Conference Calls

The course is composed of five online audio-graphic lectures delivered as high-quality video-on-demand lectures PLUS four one-hour live conference calls. Each lesson also contains required and recommended reading.

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 fit best 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 fit best 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: Sandy Lindahl

Ms. Sandy Lindahl is authorized as a Commissioned Minister for Holistic Stewardship by the United Church of Christ. The Principal of Lindahl Consultants, Sandy guides church and non-profit leaders through capital campaigns, annual giving, planned giving, endowment, and major gifts initiatives. She is an inspirational coach, successful fundraiser and a popular speaker and author on fundraising and spiritual connections with money and possessions.

Sandy has worked with lay and ministerial leaders in various faith traditions and several countries including the US, Canada, Ghana, and Germany. Her previous employers include the College of Wooster, The Ohio State University, The Trust for Public Land, Ackley Consulting Group, United Church Funds, and the United Church of Christ.

A lifelong church member and leader, Sandy is a founding member at Amistad Chapel UCC in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. She earned a BA in English and Economics from the State University of New York College at Geneseo, completed courses at Andover Newton Theological School and is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

One of the Series "Steward Leaders Engaging God’s Mission"

Brought to you by Ecumenical Stewardship Center and TransformingTheChurch.org, “SL-02 - Holistic Stewardship” is the fourth 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