Commitment Sunday
Sunday, Nov. 10 is the distribution of 2014 pledge cards. A better word is commitment card.
- Commit to help us reduce hunger in this area,
- Commit to us to bring hope to Peumansend jail,
- Commit to help us bring comfort to those suffering in sickness or loneliness,
- Commit to help us in Christian education and encourage fellowship.
- Commit so we can make a difference.
God calls us to share in God’s mission of caring for the world, using all the gifts God has given us.
Pledge cards are due next week – Nov. 17
Here is the Stewardship letter that accompanied the Pledge card.
Stewardship IS..
Stewardship is … Everything I do after I say, “I believe.”
ALL that we do, with ALL that we have, ALL the time.
God calls us to share in God’s mission of caring for the world, using all the gifts God has given us. We are stewards, caretakers of God’s gifts. Everything we have was a gift from God, and God asks us to use it all for God’s purposes. Generosity flows naturally out of our gratitude for the gift of love, family, and life itself.
Stewards promote the Shalom of the Kingdom: blessings of life, health, growth,
harmony, justice, abundance, fulfillment, joy, praise of God
In the church, we are stewards of the good news of God’s love for us in Jesus Christ.We are called to share that good news with new generations. But we live in a world where sharing that news is becoming ever more challenging. In order to share the good news, we need financial and other resources.
Our worries about stewardship tend to focus on money. But stewardship is all about mission. It’s those gifts which help St. Peter’s ministries thrive – food distribution and meals in our community, outreach to those in need, Christian education and fellowship for all.
Convince people that the church is doing God’s mission and that it will truly transform our lives and our communities … and each of us is an integral part of that mission … heart, mind and body … and the money will follow.
Stewardship isn’t …
+ Fundraising.
+ Paying the light bills or maintaining a building.
+ Paying a decent staff.
+ Meeting the budget.
+ Keeping the church alive.
+ Paying our fair share of the dues.
+ Passing on a legacy to our children.
Stewardship is …
+ Sharing in God’s mission with a glad, generous and grateful heart.
+ Transforming lives in our community.
+ Prayerfully responding to God’s call.
+ A deeply spiritual matter.
+ Something that blesses the giver more than the receiver.
Stewardship is discipleship; it is a complete reorientation of our lives toward God, who calls us through Jesus Christ.
Stewardship is… Everything I do after I say, “I believe.”
Living into Stewardship. How are we doing ? (full size gallery)