Stewardship

FOUR FUNDAMENTALS OF CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP

Christians are called by God to the role of the steward. Our stewardship "vocation" is therefore something which we accept and grow into, as we continue to grow in our relationship with God. Growth in stewardship means growth in our ability to see the whole of life as a sacred trust. Growth in stewardship is our developing response as whole persons to the creative activity of God as it is encountered in personal experience, in the church, and in the world. This manual emphasizes the teaching of four fundamental principles of Christian stewardship. They include:

I. PRAYING TO GOD WITH GRATEFUL HEARTS

The decision to enter more fully into a life of prayer is a deeper commitment than people realize. However, in order to be good stewards of our relationship with the Lord, we must commit our time, which should include setting aside periods for prayer, for the reading of scripture, and for full participation in the celebration of the Eucharist and other sacraments.

2. NURTURING OUR FAMILY WITH TIME AND LOVE

Families have stewardship responsibilities of great importance in the domestic church, the home. Within the family, relationships must be nurtured, forgiveness and reconciliation must be presumed, and Christian values must be shared, especially in the face of pressures to conform to a sometimes hostile, secularized society.

3. SHARING OUR GIFTEDNESS WITH THE PARISH COMMUNION

As Christians we recognize that our gifts of talents and skills are meant to be cultivated and shared with others, beginning with our family and friends, with those whom we gather to share the Eucharist and with the world. The gift of ourselves blesses the particular community of Christians we are involved with and blesses those whom our parish hopes to touch.

4. GIVING BACK TO GOD THE FIRST FRUITS OF OUR LABORS

The Christian steward acknowledges with gratitude that even our material wealth and financial resources come from God. Sacrificial giving is how we as Christians describe returning the first portion of our material wealth, our financial resources, our money back to God.

St. Christorphers Church, Marysville, MI.
 Revised: August 1, 2006 .