This workbook was created as an outgrowth of discussion in the Evangelism Committee at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church on how best to acquaint members of the church with their spiritual gifts. There are a number of gift assessment inventories available to help people discover their spiritual gifts, but it was difficult to find material that would assist in understanding and developing the gift once it was revealed. The end product attempts to assist the reader to fully grasp the meaning of the gift, how it might be known, where it may be exercised, and ways in which it can be developed. There is also some “for reflection” narrative provided to aid the gift-bearer in the contemplation process. Included in this contribution is a PDF combining all files in to one PDF. Also, included are .ZIP files of of individual images .PDF, .RTF and .DOC files.

These ideas for Alternative Christmas Giving were developed by Messiah Lutheran Church, Fargo, a few years ago.

This file is in Worship Service Format. We are accustomed to gifts arriving in packages neatly wrapped and ready to use when we open them. We generally use them and then discard them when done or put them on the shelf if not particularly useful or just use them for special occasions - whatever the case may be. This is not the case when we receive gifts that come from God. They come in all sizes, all kinds of wrappings and are intended for use over and over again, all the time.

Included inside are variations from four churches! Please assist the church by completing a "Time and Talent Survey" for each member in your household grade eight and above. Return it to the church at your earliest convenience. Thank you! As skills or volunteers are needed, categories or activities will be retrieved. Perhaps some of the items you mark will never be called forth; should this be the case, please know that your willingness is still greatly appreciated. You never know when the church may be in need of one of the items you checked!

Women of the ELCA in the Chequamegon Conference of the NW Synod of Wisconsin created a coin box for their personal use to help raise funds for the Synod Resource Center. The Resource Center has been selected by the SWO Board to be an on-going project because of the world-wide importance of the Resource Center.

Having sat on a shelf with other things from childhood days, I decided to give the piggy bank a place of prominence in our home. Knowing that again this year our synod assembly would be receiving quarters for world hunger, it seemed a good and right thing to use the bank for quarters through the Lenten season and up to assembly time.

The globe (a plexiglass fishbowl with the globe pattern already etched in) has been a part of worship since the first year Pastor Sue came. She bought it to help teach kids about giving.

his is a new program just getting started in our church. It was an idea that originated at Prince of Prince Lutheran Church in LaCrescent, Minnesota. Our daughter is a member there and I saw some of their projects when we attended services last summer. We used their idea with some modifications. They gave us permission to use their "Plant a Seed" clip art.

Top 10 ways to involve kids in Stewardship using Bible Verses related to Stewardship and the Stewardship Prayer.