West Ohio Foundation Offers Virtual Education
Clergy and laity across the East and West Ohio Conferences are invited to participate in two Academies presented by the United Methodist Foundation of West Ohio in 2026: The Church Stewardship Academy and the Church Investment and Legacy Academy. Each academy is an opportunity to equip leaders involved in stewardship, investments, and legacy giving. Each academy has four virtual sessions. Registration is required and currently open.
Church Stewardship Academy
This four-part series is intended for church leaders involved in stewardship activities in the local church. Improve your understanding of stewardship basics and take your efforts to the next level with these engaging educational opportunities. Sessions will be held quarterly via Zoom at noon on January 14, April 8, July 8, and October 14. Sessions will be recorded, and registered participants will receive a link to the recordings.
What’s Your Number? The UMFWO Stewardship Standards, with Susan Black, CFRE, CAP® 1/14/26
Every church can improve its stewardship efforts! In this session, we will review the UMFWO Stewardship Standards Assessment covering the five key areas for stewardship success: leadership, education, mission giving, budgeting, and accounting. Join UMFWO Executive Director Susan Black as she uncovers the numerous ways your church can incrementally improve its giving by implementing simple changes over time.
Sharing Your Impact: Telling the Story of Mission Giving, Connectional Giving and Apportionments, with Susan Black and Rev. Karen Cook 4/8/26
What does it mean to be a Connectional church? Why should we pay apportionments? And where did we go so wrong? Join Susan Black and Rev. Karen Cook as they reveal the critical relationship between mission giving, connectional giving, and apportionments and why it matters to every UM church today.
Pastoral Leadership in Generosity, with Rev. Lynn Kilbourne 7/8/26
Talking to your congregation about giving can be one of the most intimidating responsibilities of a pastor. It’s so intimidating, many of us only preach on it once a year – when we’re putting together the church’s annual budget! We don’t like to talk about giving because we don’t feel comfortable asking for money from people. Many times, we view generosity as something God asks of us, but it's actually a blessing that God wishes for us to experience and appreciate. Join Rev. Lynn Kilbourne of the Arkansas Methodist Foundation as she shares how talking to your congregation about giving can feel more like an invitation into a deeper relationship with God, in short, more like pastoring.
Stewardship as a Spiritual Discipline, with Rev. Dr. David Abbott 10/14/26
Join Rev. David Abbott of the UMF of New England for a workshop that explores how stewardship is a way to engage and experience one’s relationship with Christ. Knowing one’s “why” and building out from there not only works to create a passion and Spirit-driven approach to stewardship, but also is a model used for successful church ministry.
To register for this academy, click here. One registration provides a registrant with access to all four sessions. Registration opens December 1.
Church Investment and Legacy Academy
This four-part series is intended for church leaders involved in investment and legacy giving activities in the local church. Improve your understanding of planned giving basics and take your investment knowledge to the next level with these engaging educational opportunities. Sessions will be held quarterly via Zoom at noon on February 25, May 20, August 19, and November 18. Sessions will be recorded, and registered participants will receive a link to the recordings.
Best Practices for Church Investing, with Susan Black, CFRE, CAP® 2/25/26
Many churches own assets held in a variety of investment vehicles and with a variety of vendors, but understanding and implementing best practices for guiding and stewarding your church investments requires more than a quarterly review. Join Susan Black as she highlights the most important things every church needs to know about managing their investment funds.
Developing Your Church Investment Strategy, with Karen Manczko of Wespath Institutional Investments 5/20/26
Help your church build a thoughtful and sustainable investment strategy aligned with your mission and values. Participants will explore key principles of responsible investing, risk management, and long-term financial planning tailored to the unique needs of faith-based organizations. Leave with actionable steps to steward church resources wisely and support ministry growth for generations to come.
Legacy Giving in the Local Church, with Susan Black, CFRE, CAP® 8/19/26
If you’ve ever wanted to start a legacy giving program in your church, but don’t know where to start, this session is for you. Learn the building blocks of success for church legacy giving programs and start tapping into the potential that legacy giving has for your church.
Life on the Receiving End - What Pastors and Local Church Leaders Need to Know About Accepting Gifts, with Rev. Brian Sheetz 11/18/26
Churches are good at receiving checks in the offering plate, but this is just the tip of the giving iceberg. A church that can effectively, carefully, and professionally receive gifts such as stocks, vehicles, and even real estate opens up incredible opportunities for its supporters to be generous. In this session, attendees will develop an understanding of the principles of gift reception and receive important step-by-step instructions for working with the types of donations your church may be likely to receive, and even some that are less likely. Expect a lively session from the Methodist Foundation of Ohio Executive Director, Rev. Brian Sheetz.
To register for this academy, click here. One registration provides a registrant with access to all four sessions. Registration opens December 1.