What is Stewardship?
In the 24th Psalm we hear the psalmist singing, “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world and all that dwell therein.” This is at the heart of what we’re talking about when we speak of Christian stewardship. It is the recognition and acceptance that God truly is the creator of all things, and that all things – our lives, our resources, and even the earth itself – belong to God. And so as created beings, who are made in the image and likeness of God, we are charged with caring for God’s creation responsibly. In legal terms you might say that all we have, we hold in trust for God. So what is stewardship in the context of our pledge campaign for this coming year? It is, first and foremost, about giving as an act of worship as we graciously respond to God’s love, grace and mercy and are given the opportunity to put our faith and trust in God into action. We often speak of stewardship as having three components: time, talent, and treasure. Each of these are necessary for balanced and healthy growth. In response to our baptismal promises we are expected to share our time with each other by gathering together to worship; to share our talent with others as we seek ways to serve; and to share the first fruits of our treasure to help care for the temporal needs of the church. We do not do any of this out of a legalistic obligation, but rather as an act of worship. Healthy stewardship requires the offering of all three: time, talent and treasure. If we neglect any one, we are neglecting the whole of the big picture. Please pray about what God is asking you to commit to. It’s not about equal amounts, but equal sacrifice, recognizing that $5,000 for one may not be a sacrifice at all, while $5 from another may be a significant sacrifice. As you can see from the data below, over the past six years our pledging has continued to decrease with only a very slight increase last year, and this is commensurate our non-pledge giving as well. Unfortunately our expenses have not gone down. The deficit budget we passed last year was as bare as we could get without eliminating staff. The unexpected benefit to COVID-19 has been that we have been able to keep expenses down, primarily because we have not hired a new Director of Music, but we cannot count on that being the case this coming year. St. John’s can only sustain our current giving and spending rates for a maximum of three years. After that our reserves will have been depleted. I know that this may sound dire, but it really isn’t. It is being honest, though. Our theology as a people of the resurrection is one of hope and trust in God’s abundance. I encourage you to pray, and then to take a step of faith this year and consider if God might be asking you to increase your pledge, or if you have never pledged before, to begin this year. I am confident that you will find your life blessed in unexpected ways when you faithfully give back to God a portion of what God has given to you with a generous heart! Historical Stewardship Data
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Stewardship Resources |