“‘I hate stewardship, in terms of being the up-front guy, but I like the results.’ Most pastors don’t like talking about money. They don’t like preaching about money, most aren’t good at handling it, and many people — even Christians — think that’s all (the church) is interested in: their money.

Yet, money is what makes ministries possible and pastors feel the tension between God and money.” — Christianity Today Library.com, October 2002

“The question is not how to get money. Rather, the question is about our relationship with money.” — Henri J.M. Nouwen

ICE is answering the challenge of the relationship between clergy and money through peer groups who design their own learning plan, study together over time and hold one another accountable for their learnings. Their study is built around:

Personal Finances: How do we help religious leaders become comfortable, intentional and realistic in dealing with money and possessions? This personal view encompasses ideas and preconceptions about money that influence one’s personal use of funds within his or her household.

Church — The Congregation’s Money: How do we transform congregations, frayed with anxiety and guilt when it comes to money matters, into cultures of joyous generosity? In this area of the project the emphasis is upon how the congregation uses those funds that are entrusted to it. This has much to say about the integrity of the congregation’s message.

Population — Their Money: How do we nurture and inspire generous giving? How do we help people move from being merely transactional in their giving to becoming passionate and transformative in their giving? The concern in this part of the project is on the potential for giving that is resident in each household. There are several different perspectives to consider here. Principal among these is the development of an understanding in each believer that it is essential to give: regardless of whether one agrees with the budget or whether one likes the preacher’s preaching, etc. Do we give God the first fruits (reflective of our personal commitment) or do we give God the left-overs? The implications and obligations for sound and clear teaching in this area — to be able to give up control — are very important.

One prospective member of a Faith and Money group told this story: Sandra Lackore, the General Secretary of the General Council on Finance and Administration for the United Methodist Church, is an adjunct professor to the Doctorate of Ministry program at Wesley Theological Seminary. On one of her visits to Wesley to talk about the most effective ways to handle stewardship campaigns in a local church some of the students were chiding her group over their "boring" topic, money. Sandra spoke up, "All ministry is stewardship, all living is stewardship and all discipleship is stewardship. You can't be a disciple of Jesus Christ without being a steward."