In the first place stewardship is about our relationship with God. During the past five weeks we have talked in worship about growing as disciples of Jesus. Reflecting on our money and the claim it has on our lives is a further way that we grow as disciples. If we live with a jealous, ungenerous, selfish attitude toward our money, it restricts our capacity to grow in faith and life. I heard recently that if you place a young shark into a small aquarium it will continue to grow older, but it will remain the same size. It restricts its growth to its environment. A possessive attitude toward money can do the same thing to our faith life, restricting growth because we hinder it with barriers. Stewardship challenges our attitudes toward money and causes us to think whether it is God or our money and possessions that have first claim on our lives.
Secondly, stewardship is about the ministry of God’s church. Stewardship is about how we minister within our congregation and how we minister to those who are not yet part of our congregation. The Church exists so that people can more easily respond to God’s gifts, God’s goodness, and God’s amazing creativity. Our congregation exists for people, and it is the people that make our church.
A congregation is people. So our offerings are used to build ourselves up in faith and love, to equip us to do the work of ministry and to facilitate our outreach to our neighbours nearby and far. Some of the ministry of the church takes place in our buildings, using equipment. Our giving maintains these assets and allows us have the resources that enable ministry.
At the beginning of this season I want to thank each one of you for the generous way that you contribute financially to the ministry of Emmanuel Uniting. 85% of our income comes through our tithes and offerings. The rest is from contributions from church groups (including a very large contribution from Tiny Town), donations, bank interest and rent on the house.
Over the coming weeks please give prayerful consideration to your growth in Christ and your participation in the ministry of this congregation. We do this by giving an extra Thanksgiving Offering on Sunday 11 September. This offering reflects our gratitude to God to his faithfulness and goodness in all circumstances. Also, consider your pledge for the ongoing work of God for the coming year, and whether you will use direct debit or envelopes to facilitate your regular giving. In the foyer there is a letter that explains in greater detail our stewardship process for this year, please make sure you receive your letter.
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