A Lifelong Process - Guest Blog
It seems that people often associate stewardship with feelings of dread, awkwardness, and anxiety, when in fact the goal of a stewardship campaign is to generate excitement and energy about the achievements our church has experienced, and share the hopes and dreams for the future. We as a community in Christ need to have intentional discussions about the financial standing of our church. How can we know what the needs of the church are, without having these crucial conversations? This year let’s try not to view stewardship as a time we have to “get through”, but instead embrace stewardship as a way of life; living each day knowing that all we have is a gift from God, and we are responsible to use what we have been given to the glory of God.
I believe we at St. Margaret’s are witnessing first hand how stewardship results in helping not only the members of our congregation, but also those in our community and beyond. New programs are being developed, we’ve seen new initiatives launched, and the buildings and grounds we are blessed with are being maintained and improved. None of this would be possible without your stewardship. Your pledges and generous contributions are facilitating growth and change within and outside our church.
In doing some research for this blog post I came upon the following quote:
“Have you ever heard anyone say, ‘My church is always asking for money. I wish I could belong to a church that never needed any money.’ Surely they don’t mean that. Any church that is alive needs money. Only dead churches do not call on their members for support. If anyone should accuse your church of always needing and calling for money, regard it as a compliment. Invite this person to rejoice with you that you both belong to something that is living and productive for Jesus Christ rather than a dead, stagnant organization from which glory of Christ has departed.”[1]
For me, these words were really eye opening; they made me grateful to be part of a church that is “alive,” and full of God’s love.
Please prayerfully consider your pledge for this year; your continued financial support of St. Margaret’s will propel us to do the amazing things God has planned for us, and keep us flourishing in faith!
