Pastors and church leaders shape the direction of their congregations, guiding their people through both visible actions and behind-the-scenes decisions. True leadership is evident when the community’s values and vision are reflected—not just in words, but in every prayer, budget line, and act of generosity. Within each spreadsheet, there’s a story, an opportunity to put ministry into action.

The “For the Love of God, Let’s Talk” Stewardship and Generosity series invites clergy, church leaders, and members to move beyond numbers, diving into everyday practices that transform resources into lasting impact.

In the third webinar, the conversation centered on questions such as: Why does stewardship matter? How do we faithfully steward God’s gifts—not just keeping the lights on, but shining Christ’s light into every corner of church life?

Stewardship as Caretaking

Jim Ducker, Director of Finance and Administration for the Dakotas Annual Conference, and Sheri Meister, President of the Dakotas and Minnesota Methodist Foundations, welcomed church leaders and congregants to the session, focused on the practical “nuts and bolts” of stewardship.

Jim put it simply: “We're just simply caretakers of what God's entrusted us with. If you shift that mentality ... your resources are here to not only serve yourself, but serve others and reflect discipleship. The holistic responsibility of everything that God's entrusted to you—it’s an expression of faith.”

Sheri explained the spiritual integration of stewardship, referencing Henri Nouwen’s writing: “Nouwen helps us understand that spiritual life piece. Stewardship is not separate from our spiritual life. It's not two different components, it's integrated.”

The Power of Narrative Budget

Jim and Sheri highlighted the narrative budget as a practical, transformative tool. “It moves beyond the numbers,” explained Jim. “It really talks about the stories of transforming lives, deepening faith, and sharing God's love in our community and beyond. It also links the vision and values in ministry with the financial priorities.”

Rather than a list of expenditures, a narrative budget tells the stories behind the dollars—showing how gifts empower worship, outreach, and ministry impact. Jim emphasized that ministry should drive the budget, not the other way around, encouraging churches to focus on their "why" to guide financial decisions.

Sheri shared that narrative budgets invite generosity by connecting donors to real ministry stories, shifting conversations away from spending justifications and toward celebrating impact. “When you do a line-item budget, it puts it in there,” she said. “It doesn't connect all the pieces together. A narrative budget does that. It focuses on the why. And then the money follows and supports the why.”

“Translating dollars into ministry stories—that's really our tagline in the Foundation,” she said. “The Foundation turns money into ministry. We look at the ministry first and then ask, 'Does the money support it?'”

QUESTION:                           How much money do we have? What can we do with it?
BETTER QUESTION:       This is our mission; how do we support it?

Roles & Responsibilities

Jim delved into the roles and responsibilities of finance committees, ensuring transparency and policies, treasurers handling expenditures with proper controls and bonding, and financial administrators managing contributions and records.

The Board of Trustees' broader role emerged as guardians not only of church property but also of insurance adequacy, facility maintenance, and accessibility audits.

Internal Controls & Building Trust

A significant focus was on internal controls such as systems of checks and balances designed to prevent fraud, detect errors, and ensure smooth operations. With Jim's background as an auditor, he stressed that controls protect volunteers and staff from false accusations and uphold the congregation's trust.

“So even in Paul's day,” Jim said, “they wanted to make sure that there were checks and balances in place.” He referenced 2 Corinthians 8:20–21:

We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift, for we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of man.

This is a glimpse into the depth and energy of this particular webinar. Go to the Foundations website or the Dakotas Conference website to experience the full conversation, catch up on previous webinars, and register for the fourth, “Ways to Give,” on December 11.

You are also invited to connect in person at one of our upcoming interactive symposiums, where all four key areas are explored in a single, engaging session. Each event is designed to equip and encourage you, whether you’re seeking focused insight or a comprehensive overview.

• Thursday, November 20 — 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Sioux Falls First UMC, Sioux Falls, SD
• Saturday, November 22 — 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Canyon Lake UMC, Rapid City, SD
• Thursday, January 29 — 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Fargo Faith, Fargo, ND
• Saturday, January 31 — 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., McCabe UMC, Bismarck, ND

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, LET’S TALK WEBINARS

Stewardship & Generosity Series with Jim Ducker and Sheri Meister

#3 CHURCH FINANCE: NUTS & BOLTS

YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/@DakMinnMethodistFoundations

Apple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/for-the-love-of-god-lets-talk/id1841402100

Spotify audio: https://open.spotify.com/show/208KgXp81QtFcdgiI44cnm?si=e8543fd5e42c4e8c

Dakotas | Minnesota Foundation: https://www.dkmnmf.org/For-The-Love-of-God

Dakotas Conference Stewardship Resources: https://www.dakotasumc.org/administration/church-committees/finance/stewardship-generosity 

Topics with Timecode links

4:29          Why Stewardship?
6:51          Narrative Budget
22:03       Roles & Responsibilities
41:17       Church Insurance
47:00        Internal Controls
1:24:37   Undesignated Designated a7 Restrictive Assets
1:34:06    Gift Acceptance Policy
1:38:45     Resources Available
1:41:11     Prayer