Stewardship

"Using the gifts God has given us to do the work God is calling us to do." Year Round Stewardship Stewardship, as we’ve often heard, isn’t just about those figures we write on the November pledge cards. Or about the checks or cash we place in the alms basin as it circulates through the pews on Sunday. Stewardship is about use of our time, our God-given abilities – about how we live our lives, really.  This year, with the creative gifts of Anna Graham, help from the Internet and discussion with parishioners, we have been featuring different aspects of stewardship in its widest sense. March was the beginning – sharing our abundance with those whose abundance right now doesn’t include sufficient food and clothing. In April we joined the rest of the nation in celebrating Earth Day with opportunities to help St. Andrew’s and the wider community. In May we focused on keeping cool and solvent during the summer. We want to show our appreciation for those who give of their gifts – time, talent and treasure. We want to make certain that all of us who wish can participate.    Our Guiding Definition of Stewardship Christian stewardship is grateful and responsible use of God's universe in the light of God's purpose as revealed in Jesus Christ. Christian stewards, empowered by the Holy Spirit, commit themselves to conscious, purposeful decisions. Stewardship is lived out in: living and telling the Good News; sharing with God in seeking justice, peace, and the integrity of creation in an interdependent universe; wisely employing God-given human resources, abilities, and relationships; sharing the material resources we hold and giving them in service, justice, and compassion; providing for future generations; sharing in the life, worship, and responsible stewardship of the Church and of its mission. Both for the individual and for the community, stewardship is a joyful act for the sake of God's world. 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. You can find out more about ESC at their website, www.stewardshipresources.org.