Theology of Stewardship The reason the Lord bids you and me to make an offering of our money is for one reason alone - so that we can fall in love with the Lord. It has to do with where our treasure is, and where we want our hearts to be. Stewardship is the belief that all that we have, and the entire creation in which we live is truly "on loan" to us and that, eventually, we will be called to give an accounting of whether we have used God's gifts for God's purposes. Inherent in this is the belief that such giving is "thanks giving": Giving can only proceed from our sense of gratitude for all that God has done and is doing for us and for all people. This is not a giving out of obligation but to organize everything around the principle of Thanks-living. Every one of us needs ways to say thanks to the God who is the source of all that we are and all that we have. Money and its use is central to this process. The question for us is not "how much of my money does God demand?" but "how much of all God has given to me do I have any right to keep for myself?"   The Episcopal Church teaching on stewardship The General Convention of The Episcopal Church meeting in Detroit in 1988, adopted the following statement. Stewardship is the Main Work of the Church by the Rev. C. W. Taylor, D. Min. The Book of Common Prayer teaches US that "The Mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ" and that "the Church carries out its mission through the ministry of all its members." The unstated but dear implication of this teaching is that the main work of the Church is involving people in using all that is entrusted to them in carrying out the mission. Said simply, stewardship is the main work of the Church. Thus, stewardship is more than church support; it is the use of "the gifts given to us to carry on Christ's work of reconciliation in the world." Therefore, the way we use or do not use resources to further unity and reconciliation in our homes. our communities, and our occupations is our stewardship. Yet stewardship is not less than church support. Our worshipping working, praying. and giving within the Church provide the support that we and others need to engage in the often difficult and lonely tasks of proclaiming the good news, loving our neighbors, and striving for justice and peace. Stewardship is more than a duty: it is a thankful response to God's graciousness to us. As such, it is an opportunity to praise God with our lives in thanksgiving: for the blessings of creation; for the birth, life, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and our redemption; for the gift of the Spirit for the word, sacraments, and fellowship that sustain and transform us as the Church. Stewardship is an adventure, an expedition into the kingdom where we find our lives through losing them for the sake of the gospel. It is an invitation to offer our gifts for the purpose for which we were created - the only purpose that will fulfill us. It is a challenge to refocus our lives by designing our budgets around tithing. It offers us away to begin breaking the bonds of consumption that involve us, often unwittingly, in perpetuating injustice and oppression. All of God's people, within and without the Church, can learn that to be held accountable for our lives as stewards of God's gifts is to discover our own true great worth before God. We believe that discovery, too, is a gift, a gift that brings unspeakable joy. The main work of the Church is to bring its people, and through them all people, to this joyful knowledge, which will "restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ." Affirming the importance of Stewardship at each General Convention, at the 2000 General Convention, the following resolution was passed: Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That this 73rd General Convention of the Episcopal Church adopts the following Stewardship Statement of the Standing Commission on Stewardship and Development to be its own: STEWARDSHIP STATEMENT We believe: We are the children of God, and we need to give. In every aspect of our lives, we are entrusted to be stewards of God's creation. God invites us to give freely and to exercise joyfully our gifts through mission and ministry. We commit ourselves: To boldly claim God's abundant provision in our lives; to offer extravagantly our time, talent, and money to do God's work; and to practice tithing as a minimum standard of giving. We challenge members of the Episcopal Church: To confront our fears of scarcity; to embrace a new vision of stewardship through a joyful response to God's extravagant gifts; and to empower the mission of Christ through generous giving. We invite: Leadership groups in dioceses and congregations to develop their own stewardship statements in order to promote response to the gospel; and be it further Resolved, That we, the Deputies and Bishops of this convention, give thanks to God for those who embrace tithing as a faithful individual response to the grace of God.   Biblical understanding of stewardship The Church's understanding of stewardship has too often been relegated to paying the parish bills and maintaining the church property. However, the Church (Church universal as well as individual congregations) will never be successful in its calling as the Church unless it understands the biblical concept of the "steward." The root meaning of "steward" is house keeper. Stewardship is a vocation and notes a position of power - to have oversight on behalf of another person. The steward has authority and power but not ownership. We are the "house keepers" accountable for God's creation and responsible for the work God has given us to do. Biblically, the steward becomes a metaphor for humanity, and the Bible is an account of humanity's successes failure as a steward of God. The Bible contains over 1400 references to "servant" or "steward". As stewards, we are co-creators with God to bring about God's kingdom. Clearly, the Bible references the concept of tithing and defines tithing as 10%. However, Jesus clearly talks about 100%. Christ was the chief steward. We are to consider all that we have as a gift of God and to be instruments for bringing about God's kingdom. We are invited into stewardship with God through the grace of Christ and we enter into a shared stewardship community. However, we have allowed stewardship to be privatized so that giving is independent of our relationship with God and with fellow Christians.   -Top of Page-   Stewardship is more than a duty The Catechism of the Book of Common Prayer tells us that the duty of all Christians is to "follow Christ; to come together week by week for corporate worship; and to work, pray, and give for the spread of the kingdom of God. However, stewardship is much more than duty. Stewardship it is a thankful response to God's graciousness to us. As such, it is an opportunity to praise God with our lives in thanksgiving: for the blessings of creation; for the birth, life, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and our redemption; for the gift of the Spirit for the word, sacraments, and fellowship that sustain and transform us as the Church. Stewardship is an adventure, an expedition into the kingdom where we find our lives through losing them for the sake of the gospel. It is an invitation to offer our gifts for the purpose for which we were created - the only purpose that will fulfill us. It is a challenge to refocus our lives by designing our budgets around tithing. It offers us away to begin breaking the bonds of consumption that involve us, often unwittingly, in perpetuating injustice and oppression. All of God's people, within and without the Church, can learn that to be held accountable for our lives as stewards of God's gifts is to discover our own true great worth before God. We believe that discovery, too, is a gift, a gift that brings unspeakable joy. The main work of the Church is to bring its people, and through them all people, to this joyful knowledge, which will "restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ." The business of being a steward involves every aspect of each person's life - twenty-four hours a day; seven days a week. And the same is true of the life of every local church as well. How we think about and how we deal with the things that God has given us says everything about whose we think we are. If we see ourselves as independent, autonomous beings without any relationship or obligations to the One who created us then there's no need to even talk about stewardship. Individuals may decide on their own to "support the church" but that's not stewardship. Stewardship can only proceed from a conviction that we belong to God. The One who made us has given into our hands a wonderful challenge. To work with God as co-creators who can decide how best to utilize this world's resources to achieve the purposes that we and God are seeking. What are those purposes? Our Bible and prayer book tell us about reconciliation, healing, unifying, and celebrating. We are given a picture of a God who wills and works to bring all people and all things together; to put an end to walls, war, and want. If we are God's own people then we, like Jesus, must "be about the Father's business." So, no matter what aspect of life you want to talk about - how you spend your money, what kind of a job you do for your employer, the raising of kids, recycling trash, deciding how to vote, or how much time you volunteer for others - it is precisely in these ordinary, everyday things of life that we signal our allegiance either to God or to our own personal comfort and convenience. "You can't serve both God and mammon", scripture tells us. "No one can serve two masters" is the simple truth. Stewardship encompasses and embraces everything we do and say. It's not just a once-a-year fund drive to support your local church. The scope of stewardship is infinity; an issue with literally eternal dimensions, both here on earth and forever in God's Kingdom. Unless we're clear about that reality, our view of stewardship will always be too small. No amount of "good works" will ever earn God's acceptance and love. That's a free gift - just for the asking. But our disciplined effort to live worthy of God's love is our only way of showing our appreciation and, incidentally, of leading others to know the truth that we have discovered.   Stewardship Principles The following principles should guide any parish stewardship process: I am responsible for all that God has given me, and all that I am or have is from God. I am motivated to be a good steward by my faith in Jesus Christ. I will seek a place that is doing God's work to make my offerings The tithe is the norm for personal stewardship I must make my own stewardship decisions, and I must allow others to make their own decisions.   Proportional Giving Christian Stewardship is the sacramental and sacrificial offering of a portion of our time, talent, and treasure in gratitude for God's bounty toward us. It is sacramental because it is an outward and visible sign of the commitment of our whole being to God. Our whole life all week is an offering. Our pledge is a symbol that should be presented in-person at the altar during public worship each Sunday. It is sacrificial because our offerings to God must represent a real sacrifice of our time, talent, and material well-being, otherwise, it is not representative of our devotion of our new self to God. It should vary with one's income or material resources in accordance with some standard. Each Christian is personally responsible for deciding that standard, adopted after prayer. The standard set forth in the Holy Bible and established by the General Convention of the Episcopal Church is the tithe, or 10% of one's income. If one does not offer a tithe, either because of a decision based on inability or preference, then proportional giving is offered as an alternative. Proportional giving means that we give a portion of our time, talent, and income for the work of the Church in thanksgiving for what God has given to us. It means to have a definite percentage in mind, not just a careless tip or token. It means deciding on a disciplined approach to giving. Each person's standard of giving is always a matter between the individual Christian and God. If we feel that God has given us little, then our response will be small. If we feel that we owe our very lives to God - then our response will reflect that belief. You will know when it seems right and good - a joyous and generous participation in the full life and ministry of the People of God. For most of us the act of writing down a pledge is a vital reinforcement of the commitment in our own minds and hearts. It helps encourage other members of the Christian community to do the same. The pledge is the essential link between the individual Christian and the community of the Church so that we can safely plan how best to use the peoples' offerings for God's purposes. The pledge is not necessarily fixed for a year. It should be proportional to one's income and, therefore, can be revised up or down as circumstances change. Proportional giving IS An integral element in a covenant relationship with God - offer received and accepted The means by which we acknowledge that God is the source of all that we have and all that we are The means by which we put ourselves in the right relationship with God. God is God we are not. Nothing else (especially culture, possessions, or money) is God in our lives. Nothing else takes precedence. God gives. We receive. God is Lord. We are beloved child and servant in God's household. An outward and visible sign of our faithfulness and obedience A sound foundation for managing money The means by which we combat the temptations of a culture which would have us believe that we are what we own and dependent on ourselves alone for our own welfare A practice that makes the world a much less lonely place possible FUN! The means by which we CELEBRATE with God! A Holy Habit which God has designed for our health and well being.   Vestry Covenant As leaders of our parish, the Church of the Resurrection Vestry passes the following resolution each year to affirm the importance of stewardship for the parish and to make their personal commitment to stewardship: We, the Clergy, Wardens and Vestry of the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection recognize that everything we have and all that we are is a gift from God - a gift that we are given to use in ways that contribute to God's own purposes. We are determined to seek and serve God's call to us in all aspects of our individual and corporate life: in our work, our family life, this community, and Church. In addition to the dedication of our time and talent, we recognize that how we spend and share our money says a lot about our real values and priorities. Some of us are well off, others are not, but the amount given is less important than the joy of sharing as a thankful response to whatever God has given. Therefore, we commit ourselves to maintaining a discipline of regular, planned giving, by pledging a definite proportion of our personal and family income to be set aside weekly for the support of the Church's work on behalf of Christ's Kingdom. We urge, through our own example, that the same standard and challenge be accepted by every member of this congregation.   Stewardship Prayer Most gracious God, we give you thanks for every good gift we have received through the bounty of your love. Guide us along the path of giving that binds us together and connects us with you, the Great Giver. Creator and Sustainer of the world, accept our stewardship of time, talent and treasury for the work of your Church, so that in every act of mercy and justice we are acting as conduits of your love. Everything we are, and everything we have comes as a gift from your gracious hand - a gift which continues to renew us. Teach us again and again that our sharing of that divine gift does not diminish our life in terms of possessions, but instead enhances our life in terms of blessings and grace. Send your Holy Spirit to fill us with a sense of holy generosity, that we, as your Body of Christ, may bring the light of your eternal love in the darkness of a broken world. In thanksgiving for our life and for the life of the Church of the Resurrection, we give glory to You, Lord God, the Source of all being, to Jesus Christ, Eternal Word, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever. AMEN. -Top of Page-