Few subjects are more vital to the life of a congregation and to the individuals within it than the matter of Christian stewardship. It is crucial to bridge between the will of God and the heart of a Christian in regard to the concept of a giving life.
Each year the Center for Baptist Heritage & Studies offers a convocation on a chosen theme of current interest to Baptists. Stewardship is always a current concern. And this year we have chosen to provide an opportunity to share ideas on developing a giving life – our own life, those in our churches and our churches as congregations.
Who should attend:
We are inviting pastors and lay leaders in the area of stewardship education or church finance to participate.
Convocation Leader
The keynote speaker and facilitator for the convocation is Dr. Stephen B. McSwain, vice-president of Cargill Associates (a leading fundraising firm for churches and charities). Steve has just written The Giving Myths, a new publication of Smyth & Helwys.
Endowment Workshop
We also are offering at the same time a separate workshop on establishing an endowment fund for your church. If your church might be interested in beginning an endowment, someone needs to attend the workshop. If your church is among the few known to already have an endowment, again someone may want to attend so as to learn and share about the value of such an instrument of stewardship. The endowment workshop will be led by Carl Johnson, chairman of the First Baptist Church of Richmond Endowment Fund, which is one of the oldest and largest Baptist church endowments in Virginia.
Convocation Information
The convocation begins at 2 p.m., Tuesday, May 20 at Bon Air Baptist Church in Richmond. It will be followed by dinner at 6 p.m. which is included in the convocation fee. Please contact the Center at 804-289-8434 to register for this event. (Registration fee for the convocation/workshop is $40 each and includes dinner and a copy of The Giving Myths.)