Holy Currencies: Six Blessings for Sustainable Missional Ministries

by Eric H.F. Law

Called a "must read for Christians paralyzed in survival mode," Holy Currencies teaches you how your ministry can become sustainable, grow, and thrive. Money is not the only currency your ministry needs. Author Eric H. F. Law shows us how the six blessings of time and place, gracious leadership, relationship, truth, wellness, and money flow through successful missional ministries. And they can flow through your ministry too! Learn how to use these gifts to rejuvenate, recirculate, regenerate, and expand your ministry through Law's insightful stories, instruction, processes, exercises, and activities. Tools in the book help evaluate how your church uses each gift and enables church members to measure and value the six blessings. Holy Currencies will push you to think beyond your church's current boundaries and create rich, sustainable missional ministries.

Genres: Nonfiction, Church, Christian, Religion

184 pages, Paperback

First published March 28, 2013

Reviews

[Charlotte Toyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like 4.5. Very practical and I love the model it presents. Little dry in some spots but overall feeling very glad to have read

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good book to read and implement whether you are leading churches or non-profits. This I think works particularly well with older established congregations.

[Sandy H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second Eric Law book I've read, and I have a third on my shelf that I'll be reading soon. I found this one particularly useful in terms of thinking of things in new ways. Many religious institutions (congregations, denominational bodies, etc.)--indeed, not-for-profits in general--struggle with finances. Many go into "survival mode" and start making decisions based on a perceived lack rather than exploring their abundances. This book addresses that issue, and many others, in very effective language. It's not so much that there are new ideas in this book--at least, not to me, as I've done a lot of reading on these topics. But his way of presenting the ideas is different and got me thinking deeply about the organization I serve. This would be an excellent group study for congregational or denominational leaders, or staff at not-for-profits. I'd also say that, although the language is that of traditional Christian settings, it seems to me that the basic concepts would be applicable regardless of your faith background or whether you're even a faith-based institution. But I may not be able to judge that accurately since I'm personally enmeshed in that language anyway--perhaps others would find it a more "foreign" language and less relatable.

[Melinda Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent look at congregational resources and how to develop the six currencies of money, time and place, leadership, relationship, truth, and wellness. Often churches focus only on the first two or three. Concrete examples are shared and there are worksheets in the appendixes to help get started in the conversation.

However, I think there is an assumption from the author on the flexibility and adaptive strengths of church leadership that I have yet to find, or be able to build, and perhaps reading this during Covid has made me a bit more cynical than I would be otherwise. Still, I have learned a lot and will return to it. I've done some of the trainings with the Kaleidoscope institute and know they do good work. I've yet to be able to bring this to leadership with a willingness to learn together.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful for thinking with others about stewardship in the life of human beings following Jesus. No new information, but an accessible writing style, scriptural references and an overarching, lifetime approach. Helps guide meaningful conversations with teams or committees. Reading the book was helpful for me personally too, helped me to realign my thought away from a manipulative approach to stewardship, toward a more direct approach.

[M Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eric Law's books always bless me. Although I'm only now reading the published version of this one, I'd read parts of it pre-publication and heard more of the stories from Fr. Law in workshops over the years. The concept of Holy Currencies is especially important for small churches who have become convinced that they are too "poor" to make a difference in their communities. As Fr. Law points out, all congregations are rich in assets we often forget to count. A must read for pastors, church staff, and lay leaders in these uncertain times.

[John Adams · Rating 2 out of 5]

As with all things Law, he's creating a new vocabulary and system around old ideas of Christian ministry; if you buy into his way of repackaging, great, but if not it offers little.

[Rise]

Excellent. I was given a review copy of this book for the Anglican Theological Review. My review is in the Fall 2016 issue I believe.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

The theme is all about sustaining missional ministry by keeping certain things flowing (currency should flow like a current of water) as God intends (Psalm 24:1-2). Divided into currency of "time and place," "gracious leadership," "relationship," truth," "wellness," and "money." I like what I'd call the "sidebars" -- shadowed sections of the text -- which offer practical exercises in a workbook-like way.

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy Currencies is a book I have returned to often when trying to help church council understand stewardship as it relates to all aspects of life. It is a simple, helpful approach and oriented toward outreach and mission. We will probably read it as a council and invite the congregation to join us reading it after that.

[David Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommend this. Read it as a study book with my reading partner, Kerry Bart. Heard Eric Law speak twice, most recently at the Pen-Del Annual Conference. His book is practical and engaging - and a challenge to think of how to keep things flowing in the ministry of my church and my own personal life. I hope to lead a study of this in the future.

[Sherilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A MUST read for all members of society. Need not be church affiliated.

I aspire and pray for the ability to use this book as tool for empowerment and inspiration in leading and guiding myself and others.

[John Hahn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, not a quick read because of stopping and thinking about what is said. Good book for church leaders, volunteers, and pastors to read.