“Be Good Stewards”
Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down and shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. Luke 6:38
On March 7 All Saints will begin a six week stewardship campaign with the primary focus on giving – giving to the functions associated with being a church and giving towards the construction of Malivuk Hall. The successful completion of this campaign will have a lasting impact on our ability to continue to fulfill our mission to proclaim Jesus Christ to the community.
I have been to several stewardship workshops, and have heard a number of different definitions of stewardship. We can talk about the proper use of the resources that God has given us, and we can talk about tithing. But to me it is much simpler than all of that, and at the same time much more complex. The definition that struck me the most I first heard in 2004 – Stewardship is everything you do after you say “I BELIEVE.” Pretty simple, huh? Yet all-encompassing at the same time. Everything you do, not just at church, but at work, at home, and at play. That about covers it. If everything we have is really God’s, and we are just custodians (stewards), then we need to care for it properly (be good stewards). By doing so, we are making a grateful response to God’s grace and to His goodness. When we give to God we are simply taking our hands off what already belongs to Him.
The evangelist Billy Graham once described a checkbook as a theological document because it will tell you who or what you worship. As you consider your response to this year’s stewardship program, please take a look at your checkbook to see if it could be “balanced” differently. And also keep in mind that there are many opportunities at All Saints for you to give of your time and talents, as well as your treasures.
Here’s another definition – Stewardship is the act of organizing your life so God can spend you.
Martin Luther wrote: “I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all. But whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.”
