| Stewardship |
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Please continue to pray about your giving to St. Peter's - if you have not turned in your Pledge Card - Please consider doing so soon. Stewardship is lived out in: -living and telling the Good News; This definition comes from the Standing Rules of the Ecumenical Stewardship Center. The Episcopal Church is a founding member of this group and remains active in its continuing work. Please use the table below to help guide you in an appropriate amount of giving. Stewardship is everything we do after we say, "We believe..."
Stewardship teaches that all that we have and all that we are is a gift from God. We are, therefore, stewards of God's gifts during our lifetime. Discerning and carrying out God's purpose is the primary purpose of our lives. The gifts we have been given, time, talent, and money, are to be used for that purpose. The primary role of the church is to guide individuals in discernment of the mission for their lives and use of their resources in accomplishing it. Key Elements The primary objective of the organization (church) is to bring people into a closer relationship with God. Strengthening relationships with individuals is an important part of this but the goal is always to create an environment in which the relationship with God is strengthened. The key strategy is to encourage individuals to discern the gifts God has given them and the work God is calling them to do. God is the source of the mission and the money. Both are gifts over which the giver exercises faithful stewardship. Giving is taught as a significant spiritual practice. The Church encourages giving by providing a variety of opportunities to give. Giving is also seen as a joyful response to God's generosity to us. Recognition is seen as a means of witness. The goal of recognition programs is to provide givers with an opportunity to express their faith and encourage others.
THE THREE FACES OF STEWARDSHIP In gathering money for ministry there are several programs used to generate resources. These tend to happen developmentally and in sequence. They include:
In the stewardship language of the church, we talk about these activities in the context of three faces (or aspects) of stewardship. These are: Ordinary Stewardship Ordinary Stewardship is the regular practice of returning to God a portion of all that God has given us. It involves teaching ourselves how to create a life built upon the notion that all that we have is a gift from God. This includes teaching the holy habits of keeping Sabbath and tithing and the concept that giving regularly of our time, talent, and money to God¡¦s work on this earth is as much a spiritual practice as prayer and worship. Extraordinary Stewardship involves the special occasions that arise in the life of Christian communities that call us to give beyond our ordinary habit. They involve increased risk and encourage us to experiment with sacrificial giving in order to help the community realize an especially important goal. The best example of extraordinary stewardship is the capital campaign. Legacy Stewardship is the way in which we address the matter of disposing of the accumulations of our lifetime. Who will use your "stuff¨ when you no longer need it? It is the opportunity to leave a planned gift that constitutes both a legacy to generations yet unborn and a final witness to those whom we hold most dear.
A time for a little levity - top 10 reasons why people pledge: 10. I’m a little short this week; I’ll make it up next week
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