Eloise Frye, a member of our Stewardship Committee, spoke in our Stewardship Minute on June 8, 2014, Pentecost. Here’s what she shared:
Stewardship is a tradition of giving gifts to God and to the church that comes from the Bible, and it is practiced here at St. Martin-in-the-Fields.
Right now, your Stewardship Committee is busy at work building a model for parish members to better understand our roles and responsibilities in supporting our church’s ministries.
The leaders of The Episcopal Church see stewardship as more than simply contributing money to the church. Stewardship is also about contributing our time and talents; volunteering for various ministries, and building relationships in the church.
As in our Gospel today (John 20:19-23), we see Jesus reaching out to his disciples, relieving them of their fears by giving them the gift of the Holy Spirit, which gave them an abundance of joy – this action did not cost any money. This is one example of the gift of caring.
The Rev. Laurel Johnston, Program Officer for Stewardship for The Episcopal Church, shares: “We can no longer afford to leave people guessing or in the dark about what it means to be a member of a faith community, especially when it comes to intentional giving.”
After reflecting on the Gospel today and the comments from The Rev. Johnson, I came away with a refined definition of stewardship.
Listen, as I read it to you: “Stewardship refers to a person who is thankful and a responsible manager of gifts received from God.”
Repeat that with me: “Stewardship refers to a person who is thankful and a responsible manager of gifts received from God.”
I leave you with one question to examine this week: Are you practicing that kind of stewardship here at St. Martin?