How Can I Be a Good Steward?
John Wesley frequently spoke about money and its relationship to our lives as followers of Christ. Regarding money, his most famous words to early Methodists were to gain, save, and give all they could. Methodists seem quite content to follow two-thirds of his advice – many like to gain and save, but few like to truly give us as much as they could. In many congregations, talking about money is taboo. Many do not want to hear talk about “their” money.
The Bible talks about money in three categories. First, money is a blessing from God. Through-out the Old Testament, Israel is promised material blessings as it follows God. The blessing is never an end in itself, but is meant to reveal the power of God. God’s people are always blessed in order to be a blessing to others.
The second important way that money is discussed is those who have been blessed by God are expected to care for those in need. Giving is not an option for God’s people. II Corinthians says, “Everyone should give whatever they have decided in their heart. They shouldn’t give with hesitation or because of pressure. God loves a cheerful giver.”
Finally, money is understood as a potential idol and a force of disruption against a person’s ability to love God and neighbor. The text that says this the best is Matthew 6:24: “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be loyal to the one and have contempt for the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”
Not every church has a Stewardship Committee and this simply means that the Finance Committee has to assume this responsibility. It’s a new year, and it’s time to start your Stewardship Program. Every church needs a Stewardship Moment on a regular basis during worship. If I was looking for a Stewardship speaker, I’d ask my Financial Secretary to give me a list of the top givers and I’d start by asking them to speak. I’d set these three to five minute talks up on a regular basis – monthly or bi-monthly. I’d ask the speaker to explain how they got to where they are in their giving.
Stewardship and Stewardship Planning are something you do all year long. How many of you had a Stewardship Campaign last year? Now is the time to start! Stewardship campaigns cannot be started in October and expected to be successful. Dates need to be established now! Teams need to be put into place and budgets need to be done early so a Stewardship Program has goals to work towards.
Be watching our newsletters in the future. I will be sharing ideas for Stewardship Programs and where to order materials.