44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. -Acts 2:44-47
When we think about stewardship, especially in the context of the church our minds will often go quickly to finances. How much money can I give to the church? How much money does the church have and how is it spent? Does the church have enough money to continue its current ministries, to pay its staff, to maintain its building and grounds? How much money would it take to complete a building renovation or launch a new ministry?
These are all good and worthwhile questions and the discussion of financial stewardship is an important one, but the topic of stewardship goes well beyond finances. Mirriam Webster defines stewardship as, the conducting, supervising, or managing of something, especially: the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care.
Our stewardship extends to all the items, resources, spaces that we (individuals, families, or churches) have at our disposal. For the church that means our building and grounds and all the items in it are worthy of good stewardship. We practice stewardship of our building when we use it wisely for the various ministries and missions to which God has called us. This includes first and foremost worship of God, study of Scripture and our faith, ministries of care and compassion for those in the congregation and the wider community, and for the fellowship of people. We also practice stewardship of our space when we share it with others, like AA, P.E.O., and the Girl Scouts. We are currently in discussion with our sister congregation, Spirit of Joy Lutheran, regarding their rental and use of our building for their own worship and ministry. This conversation is a further opportunity for us to practice stewardship of our space.
But stewardship doesn’t stop with stuff like money, buildings, and physical items, our stewardship continues with our own and others energy, time, and activities. That is, we should practice good stewardship of the people in our midst. Stewardship of people looks like providing for the safety, training, rest, and well being of the volunteers, staff, and participants of our ministries, regardless of their age. Caring for one another is the most important form of stewardship the church can practice, because the church is the people.
One way we practice this kind of stewardship is by having and following various policies. The current policies of BPC are a Child and Youth Protection Policy, a Sexual Misconduct Policy, an Employee Policy Manual, a Building Use Policy, and a Memorial Gifts Policy. These policies have been created by the Session and are regularly reviewed and revised by the elders. We will have an opportunity during CCC later in October to learn about these policies and reflect on how they help us practice good stewardship that creates a culture of safety within our congregation. Good stewardship of the people in our congregation is important because of the value each of us carries as human beings and children of God. In baptism we are entrusted into the care of one another, when the congregation vows to love, support, and nurture the person baptized we are committing ourselves to their safety, well being, and growth as Christians, we are committing ourselves to practice good stewardship.
Caring for one another and using the resources God has gifted us with is a regular way that we practice our faith and show gratitude to God for all we’ve been blessed with.
Blessings,
Pastor Brian
Comments