Stewardship Questions and Answers |
Q |
What does stewardship mean? Who are stewards? |
A |
Stewardship is all that I do, with all that I have, after I say “I believe.” Christian stewardship is a transformational way of living, based on an understanding that God is the source of all life and that as human beings we are entrusted as “stewards” of God's world. Stewardship rests on a belief that an abundant and generous God provides us with all that we truly need. As stewards, we use God's charge to respect others and the world around us as the guide for making decisions. |
Q |
What stewardship is not. |
A |
Stewardship is not fundraising, charity, or philanthropy. While all of those have useful purposes in society, they assume that donors “own” the goods and services they donate. Stewardship recognizes that all of our gifts (both physical and personal talents) stem from God, and that Christians are simply “giving back” some of what has been bestowed upon them by God. |
Q |
What do you mean by “time, talent and treasure”? |
A |
Christians traditionally talk about being stewards in terms of “time, talent, and treasure.” We are asked to give back to God through all of those aspects of our life. For some, giving financially is easy, and their challenge is to give of their personal abilities and precious time. For most of us, making monetary gifts to support God's ministry in the world involves intentional sacrifice and priority. Choosing environmentally friendly “green” strategies for living requires extra thought and time for most of us. Being a steward means learning to balance all three of these areas in God's service. While it can be challenging, it is both rewarding and emotionally freeing. |
Q |
What is a tithe? |
A |
The Biblical word ‘tithe” means one-tenth. Scripture holds up an expectation that we will give back one-tenth of our worldly goods to God's service. We seek to meet or surpass the tithe as our goal. If they are not already tithing, most people approach this goal by increasing their giving proportionately over time. A good step is to try to increase your giving by one or more percent each year. |
Q |
What is a pledge? |
A |
A pledge is a written commitment (completing an annual pledge card) to support the mission and ministry of St. Paul's Church. It serves as a promise to make giving to God part of your plan for living. You may fulfill your pledge weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually – whatever is most convenient. You can make a pledge at any time of year, and you can adjust that pledge at any time by notifying the stewardship director, Katherine Murphy, ext 21. |
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