More than Money: Nathan Meador & Heath R. Curtis on Stewardship for the Care of Souls (Ep 134)

“Stewardship is pastoral care, and the task of pastoral care is theological in nature. It’s not enough that a stewardship program works.”

August 13, 2026

by Karl Vaters

Have you noticed your annual tithing sermon doesn’t have the same punch it used to have?

You’re not alone. In this conversation with Nathan Meador and Heath R. Curtis, we talk about how to take a more Bible-based and holistic approach to stewardship in the church. It’s not a plea for finances, it’s a basis for a healthy church, life, and ministry.

Based on their book, Stewardship: For the Care of Souls, this conversation focuses on tending well to everything God has entrusted to our care. Especially as pastors, this includes the congregation we’ve been entrusted to serve, and all the responsibilities, challenges and joys that go with this calling.

Our conversation includes several penetrating insights, including:

How to change the culture so that stewardship focuses on more than the survival of the institution
How stewardship and the care of souls are related to each other
How repentance plays a key role in stewardship
How a pragmatic theology of stewardship is not stewardship at all

BONUS CONTENT

How to Preach on Stewardship, with Heath R. Curtis and Nathan Meador

In our subscribers-only YouTube Bonus Material, I talked with the co-authors of the book, Stewardship: For the Care of Souls about their three main approaches to preaching/teaching about stewardship in a fast-changing culture, where the annual tithing sermon just isn’t cutting it anymore.

Together, we discuss the approaches of:

The lectionary
The sermon series
Lectio continua

Bonus Content for this and other episodes is available on our YouTube channel for financial partners and newsletter subscribers. Click either button to get started.

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Credits

Producer: Veronica Beaver

Editor: Phil Vaters

Music: Composed and performed by Jack Wilkins

Logo: by Solomon Joy

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Author

Karl Vaters

Karl Vaters produces resources for Helping Small Churches Thrive at KarlVaters.com.He's the author of five books on church leadership, including his newest, De-Sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What's Next. His other books include The Grasshopper Myth and Small Church Essentials.

Karl also hosts a bi-weekly podcast, The Church Lobby: Conversations on Faith & Ministry, featuring in-depth interviews about topics that concern pastors, especially those who minister in a small church context. He has served in small-church ministry for over 40 years, so he speaks and writes from decades of hands-on pastoral experience.

You can follow Karl on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, and LinkedIn, or Contact Karl to inquire about speaking, writing, and consultation.

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