More Than Money: Portraits of Transformative Stewardship

Praise for the Book

“More than Money is a wondrous journey to 11 congregations across the United States that have been transformed by living out stewardship that is more than fundraising. Important factors emerge from the lively descriptions and records of dialogue between McNamara and the pastors and lay leaders he visited: The pastor's leadership is a linchpin of stewardship endeavor; they are willing to talk directly with their members about money. The churches take seriously a biblical and theological vision of their mission and are willing to be countercultural in reaching toward that vision. In these churches, membership is viewed as carrying a high level of meaning and responsibility. Readers will find More than Money to be a treasure trove of ideas and inspiration.” —Rev. Dr. Ronald E. Vallet

“Patrick McNamara has written an excellent resource for clergy (and laity!) who are dissatisfied with the current paradigms in stewardship. The 11 churches he highlights in this book have been willing to push past the unfortunate and spiritually destructive attitude that stewardship is just a fancy word for fund-raising. At the same time, these congregations are willing to face head-on the challenge of confronting the scarcity models of beloved of the world, models that lead us to hoard rather than to share the abundance we have received. This is not an easy book; it will not provide simple solutions to complex issues and long-accepted practices. What it will do is encourage and inspire strongly motivated congregations and pastors to preach and practice the Gospel mandate of 'stewardship of the world,' as one church puts it. For those who are willing to pay the price of changing radically—'at the root'—More than Money offers a vision for the journey toward a true commonwealth of God.” —The Rev. Andrea La Sonde Anastos