Stewardship
Stewardship 2021
What Is Stewardship?
Congregational Leadership, Discipleship & Generosity, Preaching Resources, Stewardship Formation
God calls us to share in God’s mission of caring for the world, using all the gifts God has given us. We are stewards, caretakers of God’s gifts. Everything we have was a gift from God, and God asks us to use it all for God’s purposes. Generosity flows naturally out of our gratitude for the gift of love, family, and life itself.
In the church, we are stewards of the good news of God’s love for us in Jesus Christ. We are called to share that good news with new generations. But we live in a world where sharing that news is becoming ever more challenging. In order to share the good news, we need financial and other resources.
Our worries about stewardship tend to focus on money. But stewardship is all about mission. Convince people that the church is doing God’s mission and that it will truly transform our lives and our communities … and each of us is an integral part of that mission … heart, mind and body … and the money will follow.
Stewardship isn’t …
- Fundraising.
- Paying the light bills or maintaining a building.
- Paying a decent staff.
- Meeting the budget.
- Keeping the church alive.
- Paying our fair share of the dues.
- Passing on a legacy to our children.
Stewardship is …
- Sharing in God’s mission with a glad, generous and grateful heart.
- Transforming lives in our community.
- Prayerfully responding to God’s call.
- A deeply spiritual matter.
- Something that blesses the giver more than the receiver.
Stewardship is discipleship; it is a complete reorientation of our lives toward God, who calls us through Jesus Christ.
Stewardship is … Everything I do after I say, “I believe.”
Why We Pledge to Church of the Mediator
by Susan Collins
Mediatorite, September 11, 2020 edition
In the past when stewardship was discussed, my mind automatically thought of money. As I grew as a Christian and my faith developed, I began to understand that God wanted me to be a good steward of everything He had given me, my time, talents, possessions and resources.
Some of the ways I now choose to be a good steward is by volunteering at the local elementary school, being on the board of Bridgman Public Library, being a Home Eucharistic Visitor, taking food to neighbors or having friends over to eat, singing in the choir, serving on our church vestry and committing to a monthly pledge.
We are all a part of the body of Christ. Please pray and consider how you can be a good steward of all that God has given you.
Why We Pledge to Church of the Mediator
by Kathleen Hogan-Garrett
Mediatorite, August 9, 2020 edition
This is my testimonial regarding stewardship, on behalf of the Hogan & Garrett family, as we begin the season in our church when we pledge our money and ourselves to another year of walking the Jesus Way…being his hands and feet at work for one another, comforted and motivated by the Holy Spirit, and being God’s love in the world.
Why I Pledge to Church of the Mediator
by Linda Anderson
Mediatorite, September 6, 2020 edition
In the last year I have been involved in the outreach programs of the Mediator. This involves working with Feeding America and the Mobile Food Pantries of Berrien County and in particular Chikaming Township. Feeding America works mainly with established organizations, churches, companies or nonprofits. The Mediator is known as a leader in the county because of our skilled and caring members who step up to help the community.
In the life of the church, as in the life of every person, the question of how we can live within our budget comes up quite often. In fact, Jesus spoke so often on the topic of money, that it is a regular theme. The importance of Jesus’ teachings about money, however, rest on the use of that income to make the lives of oneself and others better. He wanted his audiences to grasp that money was an easy to recognize symbol of things of this earth, of things we can want, and get, and trade for. But the bottom line is that money must be put to the best use, or it becomes the focus of one’s whole life.
Open, O Lord, the eyes of all people to behold thy gracious hand in all thy works, that, rejoicing in thy whole creation, they may honor thee with their substance, and be faithful stewards of thy bounty.
In chapter 22 of Matthew, Jesus divides the tributes to be paid into what is Caesar’s and what is owed to God, based on whose likeness is shown. The coins are fine for Caesar, while the person, made in the image of God, the whole person, and all that one is, belongs to God. So, we may genuinely ask what we can give of ourselves, in addition to our annual pledge, that will be an offering of the parts of ourselves that were made in the image of God. In what ways do we reflect the treasures that God has given each of us that we can bring to the world around us, in His name, to serve our community?
Supporting Our Church
Through Giving
Mail a donation to us:
Church of the Mediator
P.O. Box 223
Harbert, Michigan 49115
OR
Through Prayer
Support Church of the Mediator through prayer:
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
– Mark 11:24
Through Service
Support Church of the Mediator through service. Please speak with a Vestry member or other members of the church to match your skills and interests to the needs of the Church as well as the Harbor Country community.
Through Endowment Planning
When you or a family member wish to make a specific gift to Church of the Mediator, restricted or unrestricted, please contact the Senior Warden to discuss your wishes.
Through Estate Planning
When you or a family member wish to discuss how to include Church of the Mediator in your estate planning, please contact the Senior Warden to make your wishes known and how you wish to express those wishes in the Church’s future.
Come Visit Us!
We are part of a unique Lake Michigan community just a short drive from New Buffalo, MI on Red Arrow Highway. We are also conveniently close to another lakeshore community, Saint Joseph.