Stewardship

When you think of Fall you probably think of back to school, pumpkins, and cooler weather. At Zion, Fall means Stewardship. So, what does Stewardship mean? If you Google Stewardship and Steward you find many definitions. It can be *One who manages another’s property, finances or other affairs. *The careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care. *A steward is a person who is the manager, or in charge of someone else’s property. *There are shop stewards, wine stewards and flight attendants (formerly known as stewardesses). We are Christian Stewards. Christian Stewardship is the grateful and responsible use of God’s gifts. It is not raising money to meet the budget. All the budget does is indicate how our gifts will be distributed. We are giving back to God a portion of the abundance he has given us. We are grateful to God for it all, and responsible to God for how we use it. It is our duty and delight to give, or at least it should be. We are doing what we ought to do as responsible church members, and making cheerful sacrifices out of love for God. It is a way of life. The ELCA’s signature phrase is “God’s work. Our hands.” When we give, our hands can do more of God’s work. During the month of October you will be hearing more from the Stewardship Committee about how your gifts can impact the role Zion can take in being a good steward of God’s gifts to us. Commitment Sunday will be October 27, Reformation Sunday. Our goal this year is simple. In celebration of our 300th anniversary, we are asking everyone to increase their giving by $300. With this simple gift, we can meet our ministry needs. We can reclaim our support for mission and property, explore staffing in the area of Christian Education, and establish a digital platform (social media presence). In faith, we can make this happen and step boldly into our next 300 years.