The Values of Stewardship
Each year we come to the time when we are asked to assess our faithful involvement with the mission and ministry of God's church at St. Peter's Cathedral. In doing so, we often routinely fill out our pledge card, finding comfort in the knowledge that the bills of the church will be met. While this, of course, is very important, we seldom allow ourselves to live beyond the financial act of giving in order to embrace what God seeks primarily from the giver. We don't give because the church or God needs the money. We give because as faithful followers of Christ, in order to live fully into that identity, we need to embrace the call of discipleship. We give as an act of faith. We give as an act of gratitude. We give as an act of becoming what God desires for each one of us.
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Below you will find a list of the values of a faithful giver. In them lives the path to joy.
FIRST
A Steward of God gives first to God by deciding to not give God our "leftovers" but will place God first in their life.
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INTENTIONAL
INTENTIONAL - A Steward of God is intentional in their gifts to the church. A pledge card shows our intention of giving for the year. It is part of a life plan. To be intentional you must make up your mind, develop a plan for your giving, and then turn that plan into action.
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GENEROUS
Generous giving is the basic stewardship value. Our giving is based on God’s generous Grace to us. Jesus says in Luke 12:34, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” He asks us to respond to our blessings with a heart filled with gratitude, recognizing the privilege we have been given to be part of God's mission.
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REGULAR
A Steward of God is generous in his/her gifts to the church. This means you establish a pattern for your life in your giving. Each act of giving becomes a prayer of gratitude to God and a commitment to God’s mission in the world.
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PROPORTIONAL
A Steward of God is proportional in his/her gifts to the church. Giving should be in proportion to the blessings that we have received. The tithe, or ten percent, is the best example of the bible’s teaching of proportional giving. While not all of us are at that point in our giving, we can all strive to set a proportional standard for our lives and then over time work with intention to reach the goal that we set for ourselves. There is no gift too small…for some a $5.00 pledge is a great amount in proportion to income.
CHEERFUL
A Steward of God is cheerful. Joy is their standard. God’s mission is in their hearts. The key to cheerful giving lies in embracing the other five stewardship values. Through committing to regularly placing God first in our budget, and are generous, proportional, and intentional in your gifts, you will find the joy of being a faithful steward within God’s church within God’s world.
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KNOW GOD, FIND LIFE, SERVE IN THE WORLD!
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