Igniting a Life of Generosity, by Chris McDaniel, is a devotional for those who desire to better understand the wonderful experiences the Bible offers when we grow in the grace of giving. 
 Not just another devotional it will help you develop your practical and personal theology for generous giving. You will be transformed on your own stewardship journey. 
 This resource serves as a great tool for churches and ministries to distribute to their constituents, helping each individual learn basic principles and concepts about biblical giving. 
 "During these tough economic times, it s important for Christian leaders to continue to convey God s powerful message about giving, ECFA President Dan Busby said. Generosity is a theme seen throughout the Scriptures. We are excited about releasing this resource that emphasizes how generosity correlates to a more transforming journey with Christ." 
 Igniting a Life of Generosity is an insightful devotional that will help readers develop a practical and personal theology for generous giving. Readers will be challenged to become more cheerful givers. The devotional is divided into three sections: What does God want you to know?, What does He want you to do? and Ignite the Fire. Each day contains anecdotes and stories from popular Christian leaders and authors that explore the heart of giving. Corresponding Scripture references anchor each day s main thought, and insightful questions help readers to more deeply consider the material.
To order bulk quantities or imprinted copies, please contact ECFA at 800-323-9473.

Igniting a Life of Generosity

Chris McDaniel

ECFAPress

The purpose of this book is to provide momentum to a movement aimed at the heart of every person who is involved in the process of raising money or giving money for the work of God s Kingdom. You may be a full-time development officer, an executive director, a pastor, a president, a board member, a volunteer or a faithful giver. You may have decades of experience in fund development, or this may be the first exposure to this topic. If you care about giving or raising money for God s work, this book is for you.
This movement is a realignment of priorities that places changed hearts above changed bank balances. It is a new order that seeks to develop faithful stewards whose hearts are rich toward God. It redefines development work as ministry in the Kingdom of God. And it replaces manipulative techniques and closing strategies with a dependence on prayer and relationship building as the essential tools for success.
All that sowers can do is sow faithfully and wait and hope and believe. Sowers cannot play God and cause the seeds to grow. All they can do, and must do, is sow faithfully and regularly and trust God for the increase.

The Sower: Redefining the Ministry of Raising Kingdom Resources

Literature & Fiction

R. Scott Rodin

Gary G. Hoag

Essays & Correspondence

Transitions are often some of the most important events in our individual lives and the lives of the organizations we serve. When a transition takes place there is greater risk of something radically going wrong than is the case in our normal daily routines. In my professional career, I have observed many such disasters that can affect organizations negatively for years, if not decades. 
 It appears that our culture is now heading into a time of significant transition and some would even say we are headed straight into a perfect storm that will radically affect Christ-centered organizations' ability to function. In a culture moving further and further from values grounded in biblical truth and morality, the "greatest" generation is moving off the scene; the massive baby boomer group (made up of many current CEOs and board members) is rapidly sliding into retirement; and a smaller pool of younger prospective leaders (often with different values) are coming up the ranks to take their place. Smooth and successful CEO selection, transition and development are key elements in relation to these changes. 
 For more than 30 years ECFA has been committed to helping Christ-centered organizations earn the public's trust by developing and maintaining standards of accountability that convey God-honoring ethical practices. As an accreditation agency dedicated to encouraging Christian ministries to earn the public's trust, ECFA has established standards that encompass financial accountability, fundraising, and board governance. One of the core elements of ECFA's ministry is providing ongoing capacity building for Christ-centered organizations in these three areas. 
 As the distance between the secular models of leadership and a Christian worldview increases, the need for successful transitions and training from a Christ-centered perspective intensifies. The secular perspectives are plentiful. However, little is available that pulls together professional excellence and spiritual discernment based on a biblical worldview. What is considered "Christian" is often a two-tiered view of leadership in which the Christian faith is simply overlaid on a secular premise. We believe that a Christ-centered ministry's ability to successfully manage the CEO selection, transition and development will strengthen the cause of Christ and significantly improve both the efficiency and effectiveness of many organizations. 
 If an executive officer is poorly selected, poorly trained and operating ineffectively, the weakness can derail an otherwise powerful force for the Kingdom of God. To meet these challenges, it is essential to increase organizational capacity at Christ-centered ministries by providing their CEOs and board members with the practical skills to lead in tumultuous times. 
 Because board governance and CEO training are so vital to the future health of Christ-centered organizations, I am delighted for ECFA to offer this book that draws on the rich experience, knowledge and spiritual insight of my friend, David McKenna. Over a period of more than 50 years, he served as president of three Christian institutions of higher education, chair of the board of two Christian universities, was founding chair of Christian College Consortium, board member of a wide range of Christ-centered organizations, and consultant for presidential searches, assessment and board development with a wide range of organizations. 
 My prayer is that God will use this book mightily as a tool to strengthen Christ-centered organizations in their efforts to fulfill the Great Commission. 
 Dan Busby President ECFA

Stewards of a Sacred Trust: CEO Selection, Transition and Development for Boards of Christ-centered Organizations

David L. McKenna

The Guide to Charitable Giving for Churches and Ministries will be your one-stop resource covering the legal, tax, accounting, and integrity issues related to charitable giving. In this easy-to-understand guide, you will learn about issues such as ministry communications and gift acknowledgments, giver-restricted gifts, and contributions to support missionaries.

The Guide to Charitable Giving for Churches and Ministries

Dan Busby

John Van Drunen

Michael, Martin

This book addresses what may be the most important and yet most unexamined presupposition related to ministry today defining success. Secular values beckon us to adopt the world's way of thinking linked to most everything we do, and often we conform to cultural norms without even knowing it. There is the continual push for higher and greater results. When we idolize results that we think please Him, we actually fail to exhibit the obedience He asks of us. 
So what should ministry look like? Jesus instructs us to follow Him. When we do we find ten characteristics from Christ¹s earthly ministry that are also evident in the early church. We call this the kingdom path. This book points the way and invites each and every reader to make the choice to take it. 
If this sounds oversimplified to you, candidly, we think we are the ones who have complicated things. Remember, Jesus recruited ordinary, mostly uneducated people and gave them basic instructions. He used words like "follow," "trust," and "obey." Are we following His clear instructions? When we pursue the kingdom path, then fruitfulness, or kingdom outcomes, are the by-product. The kingdom path is the only path that leads to kingdom outcomes. 
For bulk orders, please call ECFA at 540-535-0103.

The Choice: The Christ-Centered Pursuit of Kingdom Outcomes

Wesley K. Willmer

We live in a society that lacks trust. People are naturally skeptical. Never in history has trust been so attacked on a daily basis. That is why those who lead and serve Christ-centered ministries, the target audience for this book, need to be intentional about building and maintaining trust. When Jesus radically changes us, our trust factor goes way up. And radically changed people are serious about fundamental ministry issues like governance, financial management, and raising resources. Anything less than a full-trust environment creates a distraction from the mind-blowing good news of the Gospel, giving some the justification they seek to disbelieve the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When we are trusted, we not only please Him, but we enhance His reputation and give others the right impression of Christ. The power of trust, trust that a ministry is reliable, good, and honest, based on the truth of God s Word is undeniable. Christ-centered ministries impact the lives of millions of people every day in a positive way. As these ministries experience high trust, their impact grows exponentially. Trust changes everything. Do you want to enhance trust in the ministry you serve? This book is for you! For bulk orders, please call ECFA at 540-535-0103.

TRUST: The Firm Foundation for Kingdom Fruitfulness

As Christ-centered ministries go through changing times, the leadership role of the board chair rises in significance. As manager of the board, the chair joins the CEO in responsibility for advancing the mission, partnering with the vision, governing by policy, and setting the tone for the morale of the ministry. Such leadership requires a chair who is appointed by God, gifted with integrity, trust and humility, and anointed by the Holy Spirit. With deft strokes written out of learning from professional practice, understanding from spiritual discipline, and insight from personal experience, David McKenna leaves no doubt. Unless chosen by God, the chair will fail; unless gifted with integrity, trust and humility, the board will fail; and unless obedient to the Spirit, the ministry will fail. Loud and clear, the message is sent to every Christ-centered ministry: The call of the chair is the call of God.

Call of the Chair

This book is based on the wisdom and experience of two seasoned veterans in the Christ-centered nonprofit arena. Written in an engaging, easy-to-read and understand style, the authors provide 40 short lessons for inspiring your board in God-honoring governance. The lessons are ideal for use in board training. The lesson title will draw you into important topics. Here are just a few of those titles:
<ul>
 <li>Ask the Gold Standard Question</li>
 <li>Break Bread, Not Relationships</li>
 <li>Do Unwritten Board Policies Really Exist</li>
 <li>Prioritize Prayer Over Problems</li>
 <li>Date Board Prospects Before You Propose Marriage</li>
 <li>Back Off the Ledge of Dysfunctional Mayhem</li>
 <li>Spotting, Catching, or Exiting a Falling CEO</li>
 <li>Loose Lips Sink the Boardroom Ship</li>
</ul>

Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom

John, Pearson

Lessons From the Church Boardroom will feel like it's describing many of your own church board meetings. Disarming yet authoritative, enjoyable yet challenging, it quickly pinpoints an issue and then offers a better way to handle it. The bite-size chapters are certain to help anyone walk away with practical ideas that you can start using at your next board meeting. Dan Busby and John Pearson deeply love the church and share a passion for Christ-honoring ministry at the board level. They've served on boards good and bad, they've heard tales from others, and they've immersed themselves in the literature of what makes boards work well. Their lessons are both tested for theory and tried by first-hand experience. In Lessons From the Church Boardroom, we refer to the church governing board or simply the board. We are acutely aware that some churches have multiple boards, and that boards vary from church to church in both function and title. We honor these differences. We believe the 40 lessons that we share will have meaning across denominational lines and within various governance structures. We are prayerful that this book will serve as a catalyst for your church board to catch the vision for exceptional governance. We are hopeful that you'll help foster a ripple effect of enriching boardroom experiences that honor God. Like many, we believe that as the board goes, so goes the church.

Lessons From the Church Boardroom

What does the Bible say about board governance? This often-asked question has puzzled board members for decades. The Council answers this question by starting with the Scriptures and ending with the Scriptures. 
 Thanks to the deep dive that Hoag, Henson, and Willmer have taken into the Scriptures, the question has now been more fully answered than ever before. That is a strong statement, but I am convinced it is true. The authors take the reader on a journey back through the pages of time, stepping right into the biblical record of four key councils which now stand as enduring examples to us in some cases giving us a model to emulate, and in others offering a lesson in pitfalls to avoid. The second half of the book pulls the biblical texts together into practical, actionable applications to refine our thinking and define our steps.

The Council

Gregory J. Henson

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