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Stewardship Is Total Accountability |
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Ministries -
Stewardship
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Written by ALC Stewardship
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Friday, 20 March 2009 21:14 |
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Ask, and it shall be given you;
seek, and ye shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
Matt. 7:7
Just think of all that we have been given! Most of us did not even ask to live in Norway, but here we are. We live in peace and in prosperity, with the fantastic natural beauty of this country all around us. And think of our church, where we come to find comfort and friendship, to hear God’s word being taught, and take in the music and the warm fellowship which we all experience Sunday after Sunday. The door is opened wide to all, when we knock.
How thankful we are to be a part of this congregation and to have the privilege of worshiping in a building constructed 50 years ago by the hard labor of others, most we never knew, and kept up and maintained by our brothers and sisters in Christ through hard work, prayer, and continued giving as God has called us to give. What more reason do we need to give our part, so that not only we, but future generations will also take part in this wonderful gift which has been first given to us.
How do we decide how much to give? Paul gives the Corinthian church several principles to follow:
1. Each person should follow through on previous promises (2 Corin. 8:10, 11; 9:3).
2. Each person should give as much as he or she is able (8:12; 9:6).
3. Each person must make up his or her own mind how much to give (9:7).
4. Each person should give in proportion to what God has given him or her (9:10).
God gives to us so that we can give others. Paul says that we should give of what we have, not what we don’t have. Sacrificial giving must be responsible. Paul wants us believers to give generously, but not to extent that those who depend on the giver (their families, for example) must go without having their basic needs met. “Give until it hurts”, but don’t give so that it hurts your family and /or relatives who need your financial support. Let us continue to follow Paul’s instructions, and to let our church and its ministries to continue to flourish and be a refuge of strength to all who ask, seek, and knock.
Blessings to you as you give from your hearts, abilities, and calling. You have truly blessed others in doing so!
We can talk about stewardship in three ways:
Individual - what we decide to give from our earnings, our personal time, and the talents God has given us.
Congregational- all activity we perform in the congregation, which generates funds to support the congregations mission. Often congregations become a place to generate funds/donations that fall outside the congregations mission, sometimes causing the congregation’s own budget to suffer. We have experienced this in our congregation when we are asked to give a separate offering for a good cause. People respond differently. The same people who first gave their offering for the congregation have responded more to humanitarian causes than to the support of their own congregation’s mission. Is the humanitarian cause Greater than the Congregational need? Do we organize concerts and fund raisers at our own church’s cost?
Societal/organization- some organizations may support our congregation but may reduce such support and we are bound to absorb the deficit. The aid that comes from the Norwegian government is minimal, about 357 NOK per registered member. That amounts to about $50.00 for the year per registered member. We have been forced to find other means of generating funding through renters.
Alexander Lal
Stewardship Chair
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Last Updated on Friday, 11 September 2009 12:51 |
