Dear Friends in Christ,
It was here at Grace Church that I first encountered what I think is the best definition of stewardship out there: “Stewardship is all that I do with all that I have after I say I believe.”
Churches tend to talk about “stewardship season,” referring to the common pledge campaigns of October and November. That’s a misleading habit. First, there is no season for stewardship. It is not a choice for a few weeks or a month but rather a way of life. There’s not a single day that we are not making decisions about what to do with the resources God has given us.
Second, assuming that stewardship is no more than the pledge campaign is sadly diminishing. Don’t get me wrong—I am in favor of pledging, both because it supports our church and because it strengthens our souls. Please pledge! But don’t let your stewardship stop with money.
This weekend at Grace Church lets us think about stewardship in all its dimensions.
Our adult forum on Sunday morning will be led by our treasurer, the indefatigable Evan Robinson, who will share our 2023 budget. This document is a spiritual one, in that shows where our priorities are and gives insight into the choices we are making with our collective resources.
And—on Sunday we will also share the slate of candidates standing for election to the vestry. These individuals are offering other kinds of resources—time, insight, open-heartedness. These are gifts from God meant to be used for the good of the community, and I am grateful to these individuals for their willingness to share.
Our annual report will be published. That document summarizes what we have been up to, collectively, over the past year. We have been given so many resources—financial, emotional, organizational, spiritual. Have we done with them what God has wanted? What more might God hope for from us?
Each of us is here because, in one way or another, we have said, “I believe.” There is a lot we have done because of that—and so much more that we can still do.
Yours in Christ,
Anne+
Image Credit: Photo by Vardan Papikyan on Unsplash