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About Course - SJ-01 - Theological Principles of Stewardship

by Scott Jacob

This section will provide public information about this course.

For complete information about the Theological Principles of Stewardship course, be sure to read all of the pages in this section as shown in the sidebar on the right.

This course will focus on developing or defining the student’s understanding of the theological principles of their stewardship practices.  In the stewardship ministries or programs of our congregations, we use various biblical passages and references that speak to our need to be good, intentional stewards. Some of those biblical references are universal, others may be more unique to specific denominations, regions of the country, or particular congregational histories.

In our personal congregations and in many denominations we are noticing a variety of “shifts” in the way in which we experience church and life today. Some see a variety of trends that have changed in the way that people participate in the life of our churches.  We will wrestle with some of those “shifts” in light of the basic principles and tenets that guide and direct our stewardship ministries.  We will seek to wrestle with how our cultural experiences, and the shifts that have taken place over time, influence our stewardship practices.  And we will seek to name the theological principles that undergird our work as steward leaders in our congregations.

As we walk through this journey together, we will learn from one another, challenge one another and provoke one another to become clearer about the theological principles that influence our stewardship practices. We seek to grow personally and corporately, in our language and our leadership, so that they are consistent with the theological principles that undergird our discipleship and faith practices.

There are four video sessions in this course. Students are expected to watch each video and post comments and respond to the questions posed for each session. In addition, it is suggested that class participants purchase and read "Scriptural Stewardshifts" by Bob Sitze (there is an Amazon link in the SJ-01 Virtual Classroom.)

There are three class-wide live conference calls in this course:

  • First live class-wide conference call: November 1, 2016, 6-7pm Central Time.
  • Second live class-wide conference call: November 15, 2016, 6-7pm Central Time.
  • Third live class-wide conference call: November 22, 2016, 6-7pm Central Time.

Sixth of the "Steward Leaders Engaging God’s Mission" Series

“Theological Principles of Stewardship” is the sixth in the Steward Leaders Engaging God’s Mission online course series that will be offered by the Ecumenical Stewardship Center and TransformingTheChurch.org. Students enrolled in Steward Leaders Engaging God’s Mission courses will learn principles and practices relating to stewardship and leadership through studying Scripture, exploring holistic perspectives, critiquing culture, developing healthy relationships, and achieving financial health.

The Reverend Scott A. Jacob has served as pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) for thirty-four years. He has been called to congregations in Florida and Minnesota. He also has served as an Assistant to the Bishop in Northeastern Minnesota and during that time also served as a Stewardship Specialist and Director for Evangelical Mission. In his work, Pastor Jacob has developed a passion for working with congregations growing in Discipleship Practices, Faith Development, Visioning and Stewardship. He serves as Pastor of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Two Harbors, MN. He also is the Instructor for “Journey to Generosity”, a program of the Ecumenical Stewardship Center designed to help congregations grow in their stewardship ministry by gathering with a cohort of 5-8 congregations, learning together in four workshops over a year. He currently is a member of the Design Team for the Center’s “Generosity Next” annual event.  Pastor Jacob is also a Program Director with The James Company, consulting with congregations in Capital Campaigns and Stewardship Ministry.

Ecumenical Stewardship Center Individual and Congregational Partners receive registration discounts for online courses. For more information on individual partnerships, visit the ESC website at https://stewardshipresources.org/content/individual-partnership, and for congregational partnership, visit the ESC website at https://stewardshipresources.org/congregational-partnership.

As a Network for Growing Stewards, the Ecumenical Stewardship Center provides resources that encourage the development of generous giving and faithful stewardship as transformational spiritual practices for faith communities and their leaders. Twenty denominations and several stewardship-related organizations in the US and Canada are partners in ESC's mission and ministry. You can find them on the ESC website at www.stewardshipresources.org.