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Stewardship
If
you played word association and heard Stewardship, the first word that would
probably come to mind would be money. Well,
this year we want to change that view because Stewardship is not a program, it
is a process involving our personal relationship with God and how we live our
lives. Stewardship is really a
way of life. Consider thinking
about Stewardship in terms of Belief, Belong and Being.
Belief
- If Jesus asked you, “who do you say I am,” what would be your answer?
The foundation of Stewardship is our own personal belief in Jesus and
his importance in our lives. That
is the essence of what Stewardship is for each and every one of us.
That belief brings an attitude of thankfulness in
which we acknowledge that all that we are and all we have are the gifts
of a loving God. As we respond to
God’s infinite grace by making offerings, we are drawn closer to God, our
spiritual lives are enriched and we grow in faith.
This belief is embodied in our Stewardship prayer, Lord,
with all that I am and all that I have, I honor you.
Belong
- We belong to St. Andrew’s because it serves our needs for spiritual
commitment and involvement. Through
our support of St. Andrew’s with our gifts, we are empowering the church for
ministry and mission. At St.
Andrew’s, we celebrate the sacraments and develop our relationship with God.
Through our support, the church is able to serve the variety of needs
and interests of the parish family such as Christian education, lay ministry
or music. Our support also
enables St. Andrew’s to extend its ministry to the local community, by
helping the elderly, the needy and the youth.
Serving at the Soup Kitchen, singing at Carlyle House and hospital
visits are just a few examples of St. Andrew’s ministry.
You belong to a church that is actively helping other human beings,
making a difference in their lives. And
that’s worth supporting.
Being
- You are part of the faith community of St. Andrew’s, a part of something
important where you are loved and appreciated.
Your faith community is a group of people who know God is present in
their lives in many different ways. It
is a group who accept one another wherever they are on their journey and help
one another along the way. It is
a group of people who dance with you when you are joyful, cry with you when
you are sad, and hold each other in times of trouble.
It is a place where you can ask for support when you need it and give
support to others when they need it. In
today’s hectic and sometimes impersonal society where we may not even know
our neighbors, being a part of this loving faith community is special and
needs to be supported.
All
of this is Stewardship and that broader view is the basis for our stewardship
theme this year, Stewardship:
it’s about all of life. Over
the course of the year, the many ways in which Stewardship
at St. Andrew’s touches the lives of
our members and the neighboring community will be highlighted.
Remember, Stewardship is a way of life.
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