A Message About Stewardship

A MESSAGE ABOUT STEWARDSHIP

One definition of Stewardship is “taking responsibility for caring for something so that it may be passed on, intact or enhanced, to the next generation”.
We often think of stewardship as referring to money and fundraising – and that is part of it – but we are stewards in all kinds of ways that ask us to give of ourselves by caring for something or someone else. We are stewards of our families and our homes, of our communities and
of the earth - creation itself. It is up to us to care for these things so they may be passed on to future generations.

We are also stewards of values like charity, truth, freedom and justice; we are stewards of history – the stories both sacred and secular that shape us into who we are; and we are stewards of our faith, a living faith, freshened and deepened by each generation. In Deuteronomy chapter 6 it says:

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

This responsibility for the stewardship of so many things is full of challenges and joys! At times it is overwhelming. How easy it would have been for generations long past to have given up when faced with challenges. But they did not. They understood their responsibility - and today we enjoy the fruits of their labors.

If our congregations are to be here for the next generation, and the one after that, and the one after that, we all must exercise our stewardship responsibility to the extent we are able, sharing our time, our talents, and our treasure.

As we approach our Church Annual Meeting and the approval of the budget for the year ahead, we look back to the visioning we did a few months ago and the hopes we expressed for the mission and ministry of our church. We have very exciting things happening! The church is growing and vibrant – a warm and welcoming place for members, friends and visitors of all ages and persuasions. This is because of YOU! Your love, faithfulness and caring support are what give LIFE to this old white church on the common!
Over the past few weeks and in the weeks ahead, our focus in worship has been (and will be) about belonging: belonging to the church as members, belonging to the earth, belonging to friendships, belonging to families, belonging to the world community and belonging as children of God in all our diverse beauty. Belonging leads us to make promises, or covenants, to care… to behave in certain ways… to make commitments. Belonging is one of our deepest human needs and desires… it is also a choice. Good choices are made when we are informed and free.

In the latter part of May and early June the leadership of the church will be providing information about By-Law revisions, budget proposals, openings on boards and committees, and how these relate to the hopes and goals we have expressed. These will equip us with the information to make good choices. May we find ourselves freely committing our time, talents and treasures as today’s stewards for God’s children of tomorrow. What an awesome and joyful challenge!