The Steward In Us All

October 14, 2018 by Lisa Longo

The best definition I have heard of stewardship is:

“Stewardship is everything I do after I say I believe.” — Douglas John Hall, theologian

We spend all our time being stewards! Stewardship involves everything I do, say, eat – everything. And most of my faith questions and struggles have to do with stewardship – as a parent, as a Samaritan, as a fellow Christian, as an employee, as an inhabitant of this earth, as a donor. How do I steward or manage or take care of my kids, the environment, my time, my assets, my community, myself?

Stewardship is a big responsibility, but it is also a lot of small responsibilities. I cannot avoid it. Each action we take and each decision we make whether big or small will have an impact on us and on others. Through our decisions we demonstrate our commitment to living as faithful disciples of Christ. We owe it to ourselves, to those we are traveling with through this life, and to future generations to make good decisions and to embrace the role of steward.

“Stewardship is everything I do after I say I believe.”

You believe, now what…?

As you contemplate your pledge for 2019 to your church, including the tremendous gifts of your time and talents, I hope that you will consider your commitment to your church to be a statement about your beliefs. Where you spend your hard-earned income, your time and your energy is the place where you keep your heart.

Would someone look at where you spend your time and share your expertise and know that your faith and your church matters to you? If they looked at your finances, would they see a significant commitment to God? What would your children or grandchildren say about what matters to you?

These are good questions to contemplate in the midst of fall, which is typically stewardship season in many congregations.

Your Ministry Relations Officers are here to help you. I serve the Midwest, including Indiana,  Illinois, Missouri, Kansas and Kentucky, working with churches that need support and with individuals who want to be generous to causes they love, including their church. Please reach out to me if I can help you. You can reach me at lisa.longo@presbyterianfoundation.org, or you can find the Ministry Relations Officer that serves your region here.