“The Church needs to be challenged in
heroic giving. No timidity is allowed in
proclaiming the Good News and healing
of the Gospel. The world’s needs are so
great, and the Church’s role in the
transformation of the person and of the
world so pivotal and essential, that any
timidity on the subject is an insult to
God.”
George Regas
Toward Creating a
Theology of Christian
Stewardship
A priest’s responsibility to her or
his people center’s very much on
enabling them to form their own
theologies.
“Now Mark, take all of this to your
secret place and weigh it carefully.”
“Five Pounds of Peanuts in a Three Pound Bag:”
Our Agenda!
1.
2.
3.
4.
Pray
Review our direction this morning.
The History of Giving in the Episcopal Church.
Theology: What is it? How do we do it? Why is it
important?
5. What has the entire Old Testament say about
Stewardship?
6. What has the entire New Testament have to say about
Stewardship?
7. Toward creating a theology of stewardship.
The History of Giving: The primary
ways in which the Episcopal Church has
been financially supported
• Colonial Period
• Revolutionary War to the early 19th
Century
• The 19th and early 20th Century
• The Post 1920 Period
• The Period after 1968 to the present
The Alabama Plan works
because:
•It asks for and receives leadership from
the top.
•It requires hard work on the part of all
those involved.
•It rests upon strong reflection on the
Old and New Testaments, with
particular focus on the mind of Jesus
Christ.
How Anglicans
Theologize
What is Theology?
SCRIPTURE
Issue
Tradition
Reason
What does the Old Testament
say about Stewardship?
Primarily:
• Nothing belongs to us. It all belongs to
God and we are God’s stewards in the
course of our earthly life.
• We are called to be a grateful people for
all that God has entrusted to us.
• We are to live under the law and give
accordingly.
What does the New
Testament say about
Stewardship?
What it doesn’t say…
• Money is important!
• That we are to live strictly
under the law. (see St. Paul!)
• Much about the tithe. (see
Jesus!)
What Our Lord says is this:
God must be central! NOT:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Job
Money
Power
Place
Sex
Booze/drugs
The state
The religious law
“Old Number One!”
Look at the Story:
• The Widow
• The Samaritan
• The Prodigal (or the Parable of the Loving
Father!)
• The Talents
• Zacheus
• Judas
• The saddest of all!!!
The Widow and Her Mite
The Good Samaritan
• “No one would have remembered
the Good Samaritan if all he had
were good intentions. He had money
as well.” Margaret Thatcher
The Prodigal
“And he came to his
senses.”
The Parable of the
Talents
• Chremodephobia! The fear of money.
Chremodephobia:
The fear of money!
Zacheus
“Come Down from that tree ….
• What went on at dinner? One
way or another, Our Lord healed
Zack of “Mammon Illness.”
(That which makes money central, disfigures
relationships, dulls self and makes God
secondary.)
Judas and his silver
• Mixed motives, like us!
The Rich Young Man
• He defines tragedy.
Cultivating a Theology of
Stewardship: Why is it
important?
Many Good Reasons:
• It quiets us, freeing and liberating something
deep within us.
• It helps control some of our fears.
• It inspires us to do more for others.
• It allows us to concentrate on other aspects of
the Christian faith: worship, study, pastoral
care, missions, etc.
• It aids aids us in putting Christ in the center of
our lives.
Cultivating A Deeper Theology of Stewardship:
Why do you give?
• It is the law!
• To maintain order in the greater society (“My
taxes pay for an orderly society.” Oliver
Wendell Holmes)
• ……… CONVERSION ZONE …………
• Being a part of the love story which is Jesus
Christ.
• Choosing to live a Grace-filled life.
What kind of givers are there?
What kind of giver will you be?
• George: the non-pledger
What kind of giver will you be?
• George: the non-pledger
• Pendleton: the tipper
What kind of giver will you be?
• George: the non-pledger
• Pendleton: the tipper
• Warren: the control giver
What kind of giver will you be?
• George: the non-pledger
• Pendleton: the tipper
• Warren: the control giver
• Sky: the casual giver
Wesley K. Wilmer’s Research on
Giving in the United States
• 70% is impulsive
• 20% is out of habit
• 7% is somewhat thoughtful
• 3% is very careful and
intentional
What kind of giver will you be?
• George: the non pledger
• Pendleton: the tipper
• Warren: the control giver
• Sky: the casual giver
• James: the angry giver
What kind of giver will you be?
•
•
•
•
•
•
George: the non-pledger
Pendleton: the tipper
Warren: the control giver
Sky: the careless giver
James: the angry giver
Herb: the M.I.T. giver
What kind of giver will you be?
•
•
•
•
•
•
George: the non-pledger
Pendleton: the tipper
Warren: the control giver
Sky: the careless giver
Herb: the M.I.T. giver
Sally: the grace-filled giver
What is Grace for the Christian?
Grace has many manifestations
• Grace is my dying Quaker neighbour living
each moment with a sense of gratitude.
• Grace is giving our children the ability to err or
to fail.
• Grace is always welcoming our children
home….
• Grace is reaching out to someone in need with
no desire or expectation for reward.
• Grace is the courage to say I am sorry.
• Grace is loving and caring for someone half
way around the world who we will never see
or know, save to know they are starving or ill.
• Grace is to love another shamelessly,
vigorously, despite their evident flaws.
• Grace is knowing that God always loves and
accepts us.
God has bestowed upon us all that we
have and all that we are, freely, with no
“small print.” In turn, we consciously seek
to live life in the same way, …. living an
ever more loving, dignified, sacrificial,
compassionate, and forgiving life that
models that models Jesus Christ who gave
himself freely for us.
My Story: A Final Thought
on GRACE and JOY (Not
“Happiness”)!
Go to your “secret place”
and weigh your theology of
stewardship.
Grace is …..
• Ann German and her boys preparing the
Easter flowers for everyone’s enjoyment.
• Hillary Greene bringing her lovely ladies to
church each Sunday.
• The way Connie Sullivan answers the phone at
St. Mary’s.
• John, Tom and Isabelle freely giving coins from
their Easter flower sale for Haitian relief.
For your consideration:
• I. What stands out in your own life journey as
the most important relationship or teaching or
event that helped shape your understanding
of Christian Stewardship?
• II. What does your parish as a community
need to gain a deeper level of understanding
and practice?
Questions for those responsible for parish
stewardship
• Is there a class on stewardship?
• Are persons clear about what the word “tithe”
means?
• Does the Rector tithe?
• Is there a commitment on the part of
leadership to tithe?
• Is there a children’s program on stewardship?
• How is the follow-up handled?
• Is there confidentiality around pledges?
• Is there good bookkeeping of pledges
received?
• Is provision made for credit cards, stock
transfers, direct deposits?
• What liturgical customs surround
stewardship?
• Is there a “step-up” scale made available?
• Has next year’s stewardship chair been
chosen?
• Every member canvas?
• Why do people come to Church?
• Are pledge cards and materials available
throughout the year?
• Who prays for the stewardship ministry?
• Are stewardship materials personalized?
• Are thank you letters immediate?
• What precedes Stewardship Sunday?
• Do lay persons preach on stewardship?
• What is the size of the stewardship
committee?
• Does the parish tithe received income?
• Is there a stewardship prayer for the parish?
• Are there pledge cards and envelopes? Are
they available in the pews year-round?
Grace takes many forms
• The athlete
• The seemingly sophisticated - elegance, class,
appearance, certain kinds of possession ….
Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound that saved a
wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, was
blind but now I see. Twas Grace that taught my heart
to fear and Grace my fears relieved; How gracious did
that Grace appear the hour I first believed. Through
many dangers, toils and snares I have already come, tis
Grace hath brought me safe thus far and Grace will
bring me home. The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures; He will my shield and
portion be as long as life endures. Yea when this flesh
and heart shall fail, and mortal life shall cease, I shall
possess, within the veil, a life of joy and peace.
John Newton
Questions:
• Positively and or negatively, how was stewardship,
giving approached in your family of origin?
• What single person most inspired you to give
generously to the church?
• What Biblical story most strongly informs your
giving? Why?
• What few truths would you like to impart to your
children, grandchildren or Godchildren about
stewardship?