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Christian Stewardship
Service and Generosity
"You shall know me, says the Lord,
in service to my people."
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus sums up the reason his Father sent him into the world:
The Son of Man has come, not to be served, but to serve,
to give his life in ransom for the many."
Service and generosity is the way of Jesus.
We invite you to grow spiritually in the way of Jesus by sharing some of your time and gifts and talents in service
of others. This is known as Christian Stewardship. Stewardship is a way of life and a way of viewing the world
that leads to spiritual growth, personal and familial happiness, and the type of world that God dreams about. It is
based on five fundamental convictions:
| I. |
Everything we have and all that we are is a gift that has been given to us by a good and gracious God.
When we realize that all is gift, often a sense of awe and reverence coupled with a deep feeling of gratitude arises
within us and we feel impelled towards acts of generosity. |
| II. |
Everything we have and all that we are has been given to us as a sacred trust.
When God created the world and saw that it was good, he created a garden and entrusted it to human beings
"to cultivate and care for it." The Gospels tell us that God is the head of a household Who has left his
stewards in charge to manage well his affairs until He returns. We own nothing; all is on loan to us from
God. God needs us to collaborate with Him in the restoration of creation and the human family. |
| III. |
It is God's desire that we cultivate, develop, and increase what has been entrusted to us.
God has entrusted to us four great resources: our natural and acquired abilities and talents, our time, our
material resources, and our faith. What each person has been given is different. God needs us to develop what
he has given us so that we can play well our unique role in His unfolding plan for creation and the human family. |
| IV. |
It is God's desire that we use what we have not only for our own personal benefit but also for the benefit
of others, the larger community, and the entire planet.
It is our sacred responsibility to use well all that has been given to us so that not only each of us, and our
families but also the people of our community, nation, and world, both the present generation and future
generations, and our planet can be and live well. |
| V. |
The more that we give, the more that we receive in return.
People who live a spirituality of stewardship find that the more they use their gifts and talents, the more
they grown and mature; the more they consciously use their time in service of God and others, the more precious
every day becomes; the more material resources they give away, the greater spiritual peace and freedom they feel;
and, the more faith they sahre with others, the more Christlike they become. |
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