Planned Giving and the biblical principles of stewardship and discipleship

Principles of Stewardship

What is Stewardship?

Stewardship is a way of life, a way that begins with acknowledging God as the creator and giver of all and responding with generosity and the responsible management of our resources. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we choose to be caretakers of all God has given to us. Gratitude for these gifts and blessings is expressed in prayer, worship, offering and sharing our gifts out of love for God and one another.

Stewardship is a path to holiness. It makes us more like Christ who came not to be served, but to serve. It is the humble awareness that all we have and all we are has been given to us freely from God. When we offer our lives back to God in love, He blesses that generosity a hundredfold.

Stewardship in the Bible

The message of stewardship has been part of the salvation history of the Church. From the Old Testament, we learn that Adam and Eve were asked to tend and care for the gifts of creation. From the New Testament, Saint Andrew brings the little boy forward and his simple gifts of two fish and five barley loaves and places those gifts in the hands of Jesus resulting in a wonderful demonstration of God’s abundance in the feeding of the 5,000.

Stewardship is not just a program or a method of fundraising as it is based on the spiritual principles of the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus. It is a way of thanking God for all His blessings by returning a portion of the time, talent, and treasure we have each received.