Every year we take one Sunday (and only one Sunday out of the whole year), to talk about giving to our local church. We talk about money regularly, because Jesus did. But we only talk about giving to this church once a year, we call it Stewardship Sunday. And it is all about remembering and renewing our stewardship of this parish.
We choose to celebrate Stewardship Sunday every year on the Feast of Christ the King. Our parishioners financial support is essential to fund and staff our programs and pay the bills. But that’s not a very compelling reason to give. The reason to give is to make an invest in the movement of the kingdom of God in our community in our generation (in our parish).
This is a very exciting time for our parish. Every single week we have people from all over the country showing up here just to see what is going on, what kind of church we are. Two weeks ago we hosted a first ever-church conference bringing together 600 pastors and parish leaders from hundreds of different parishes, 24 states, and Canada. We have become a teaching church, assisting and influencing other churches across the country, and elsewhere in the world.
God is pouring forth his grace and blessings on this church in the opportunities he’s giving us and especially the people, parishioners, ministry leaders and staff.
The stewardship commitment of our parishioners is an investment in the work God is doing.
Because of our investment:
- 450 children in Le Braune Haiti are able to go to school each day and receive a nutritious lunch
- Another village on the other side of the planet in Nigeria enjoys a fresh clean water supply, and a dramatically improved quality of life
- kids in our own city of Baltimore are getting a better education and more opportunities
- people trapped in human trafficking are finding freedom, people suffering with HIV/AIDS are getting support, homeless people are being fed
- men and women in our city who desperately need a helping hand and a fresh start are getting it.
Because of our investment
- hundreds of kids and students in our parish aren’t just receiving a religious education they’re being introduced into a life long loving relationship with their savior
- 4,000 people each week and hundreds more online are joining in transforming worship, hundreds more are growing in faith and fellowship in small groups and developing a more mature and effective disciples through mission and ministry.
And because of that…
– marriages are being saved
– fears overcome
– sadness and loss met with hope
– relationships renewed
– hearts healed
– lives changed.
Our Stewardship of our parish is an investment in the movement of God’s kingdom, which is nothing less than the movement of love.
