by Margaret Marcuson
ISBN 978-0-97643566-4-5
Published by the Marcuson Leadership Circle
Reviewed by Clint Walker
In the last couple of years I have read several books on church stewardship and finances. Since there was very little education about such matters in my ministerial preparation and theological education, I have had to learn as I go on such matters. Margaret Marcuson is a writer I am acquainted with, She is a member of my denomination, and works in a part of the country that I was born in and would love to return to. She is a strong and gentle soul. I have learned to trust her wisdom.
Much of her work has been about helping ministers be more effective in their work by helping people be more aware of how the church functions as a social system and a family network of sorts, and this continues her work in that vein. Specifically, this book addresses how churches, leadership boards, and pastors function around the issue of money. True to form, Marcuson encourages churches and church leaders to come to know themselves and their history(s), learn what deeper meaning financial issues have for your faith community, and know where God is leading you and your church, and to adopt some basic principles and practices that will help you in your journey toward a healthy approach toward church finances in the future, Ms. Marcuson's wisdom will not help your congregation get rich quick, but it might help your church deal with habits, challenges, and opportunities in church financial management with discernment, unity, and intentional wisdom that you may not have approached such matters with before.
Each chapter, in addition to having good insight, has a checklist that will help its readers implement the principles in the ministry of the reader's church. I thought this was very helpful. Not heavy handed at all.
I recommend this book to church leaders of all sorts of backgrounds. It has a lot of helpful words, and some thoughtful guidance on a challenging issue for most churches.
