Recent Stewardship Gleanings that will Preach or Teach…

by Pastor Darrel Peterson, Assistant to the Bishop, Stewardship Specialist

Pastor Gary Langness tells about a time he was speaking about stewardship at a congregational leadership dinner. After his talk an elderly woman came up and said, “I’m from the Netherlands, and we have a saying there, ‘We give from the hand of God.’”

All we have are gifts given to us by an abundant and generous creator. God has big hands and generosity flows from those hands. They run over with abundant gifts for all people—no holding back, no sense of scarcity, no fear of giving too much. So when we give we do it with great joy and generosity because there is always more where it came from. It all comes from the hand of God.

Cheryl Chatman, at the recent Rethinking Stewardship conference in Minnesota, used some stewardship illustrations: “Would you mind participating in a quick exercise with me that I think provides a clear response in helping others see the value of stewardship? Please indulge me for just a few moments by following my brief instructions: Ok, please inhale for me. Breathe in. Continue to breathe in. Now hold it, hold it—ok, you can now breathe out. So the point I want to make is that stewardship is like breathing. If you continue to take things in (breathe in), and never give back (breathing out), you won’t live or survive.”

Gifts and Hands:
“A basketball in my hands is worth about $25. In LaBron James’ hands, it is worth millions. It depends on whose hands it is in.”
“A rod in my hands will keep away an angry dog. A rod in Moses’ hands will part the mighty sea. It depends on whose hands it is in.”
“A slingshot in my hands is a kid’s toy. A slingshot in David’s hands is a mighty weapon. It depends on whose hands it is in.”

In Giving Magazine, Rodger Nishioka has written an article entitled “Generation Next”. In the article, he says, “A consistent theme among young adults is their willingness to give time and money when they are sure it makes a difference.” He goes on to say that young adults have often been betrayed by institutions and are skeptical of traditional giving appeals. The key is communication. The reason for giving must be stated clearly and specifically. They request transparency and accountability. Some researchers say they may end up being more generous than their parents and even their grandparents.

Find out more at http://www.stewardshipresources.org/, an Ecumenical Stewardship Center.