Stewardship, 2014

Here is our stewardship letter for 2014

What is Walking the Way ?

Early Christians were known as the People of The Way. They were recognized for their love of their neighbor, fellowship in the breaking of bread, and their commitment to follow the life and practice of Jesus. The Apostle Paul confessed to worship God according to The Way (Acts 24:14). Jesus shows us that the way to life abundant is through the practices of prayer, forgiveness, giving, and unconditional positive regard and respect to all, especially to those who live on the margins of society. Jesus shows us The Way into the heart of God.

 The Commitment

Sunday, Nov. 2 is the distribution of 2015 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 with the Port Royal tutoring program,
• 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. Over 80% of the funds used to support and plan for ministry in a year come from pledges.  

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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.”