May 2023
Stewardship: Generosity as an expression of faith.
In response to God’s grace, we have a personal commitment to be generous to the lord with our time, talents, knowledge & resources, in order to sustain and grow our congregation.
As Lutheran’s, we often see our response to God’s grace as generosity toward one another and as an expression of our own faith. A faith born from our own story; our own experiences that God instilled in each of us. We’re each unique, like a fingerprint, in how the lord loved and protected us; saved and taught us; guided and molded us; challenged us; and gifted us with his grace throughout our lives. Thus, making us into who we are today. Every day we should be thinking of ways to return what we have been given.
Generosity is a virtue of giving good things often freely. Things can be given as gifts or money or it can be given of oneself, through hospitality, emotional support, or volunteer services. Most importantly, generosity must be taught, learned, and practiced – recognizing it’s in our own self-interest, and very rewarding.
As I said, generosity comes in many ways. Shaped by our own past and current experiences. Experiences influenced by community such as our parents, family members, friends, neighbors, and our faith community (church); well-being such as health and finances which we all struggle with; habits and making ourselves available and helping others; and by beliefs, the putting of faith and trust in God. I learned that 89% of Christians are grateful for God’s grace.
In moving ahead, we must depend on each other, we can’t do Generosity or life alone, or left to only a few people. To sustain and grow we must collaborate (many hands make work easy, and success come quickly); we must cultivate our generosity through opportunities to give, learning from the actions of others, volunteering, and listening to develop knowledge and best practices. We should acknowledge and lift each other up by sharing our stories with each other and/or neighbors and provide support and teach through example.
In closing I want to share my father’s favorite verse (and now mine) – Micah 6:8. “He has showed you, O Man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” God has entrusted this Holy Church to us! How are we going to handle it?
Peace Be With You – Roger Lehrer
Feb 2023
STEWARDSHIP: A PERSONAL RESPONSE TO GOD’S GRACE
My fellow Lutheran’s, I can already see the pained look on your faces when you read the word “Stewardship.” Oh no, not another request for money, pledge cards, or how we need to budget better in order to give financially to the church. For years, as I’ve moved from one congregation to another, the annual language seemed to be the same, it was about the need of the congregation to receive, rather than the need of the giver to give.
Recently, I was asked to join in a “stewardship committee” in the hopes of developing an All Saints Lutheran Church Stewardship Plan. Our vision statement is: In response to God’s grace, we have a personal commitment to be generous to the lord with our time, talents, knowledge & resources in order to sustain and grow our congregation. By this statement, we recognize that stewardship encompasses so much more than money. It is a way of life and calls for the integration between our faith and the way that we live our lives – we are a congregation, a faith, that is energized by lively engagement in our faith and life. Stewardship is a mindset (personal with God), a culture and a discipline that can never be contained in an annual three-week financial response. According to Clarence Stoughton, former president of Wittenberg University, stewardship is everything we do after we say, “I believe.” It is a way in which we use all the resources that God has entrusted to our care so that we can love God and our neighbor. Stewardship is about LOVE.
I’d like to end with a quote from Kathy Fiscus, Central Lutheran Church, MN. She nails it by saying, “Stewardship is a matter of the heart. My stewardship practices are a response to the boundless love God first showed me. It means that I am grateful for all that God has generously entrusted to me. As a faithful steward and child of God, I understand that the decisions I make, in all aspects of my life, reveal my priorities. It is a privilege to share time, talents and finances, to care for God’s earth and to serve my neighbors. Being a good steward has brought me great joy and has helped me grow spiritually. I am blessed to be a blessing.”
In the weeks and months ahead, our committee will share more of our plan with you. We hope that you will humbly join us as we invite your ideas and input.
Most respectfully – Peace Be With You, Roger Lehrer