FROM OUR STEWARDSHIP CHAIR,
Jay Luther:
A month or so ago, the Diocese held a Stewardship
Conference. Some of the discussion was of the
simple “this worked at my church” variety. Others
lamented that some people, especially newcomers to
the church, have no idea what this “stewardship”
stuff is all about, let alone what an appropriate
pledge might be. Still other thoughts went to the
heart of stewardship: Stewardship is more than an
annual donation to a worthy cause; it is a way of life
that deliberately seeks daily to preserve and
encourage what is most important to us. Our
children. Our families. Our church. Our Earth. And
it does this by consciously offering our hands and
our treasure to God to permit an exercise of grace. It
is a profoundly religious experience that can change
one’s life.
But it can be hard to get to this understanding. One
of the items discussed was attitude differences
between generations. Obviously, individuals vary
greatly, but studies indicate that different
generations tend to regard the concept of the
“pledge” differently. The stereotypes run something
like this: the “Silent Generation,” those born before
or during World War II, tend to regard pledging as a
duty. They may be the most significant donors to the
church in dollar amounts, but some have difficulty
connecting spirituality and money. The “Boomer”
generation, born during the remainder of the 1940s
and 1950s, accepts the pledge as a practical means of
keeping the church doors open and as a necessary
foundation for the budgetary process, but also may
find it difficult to find anything spiritual in the
raising and spending of money.
“Generation X,” of the 60's and 70's, has been
hammered with fundraising demands, particularly in
the cost of its children’s education. This group has
tended to regard pledge requests as one more
fundraiser, and would generally rather deal with
church support through gifts to the plate. Members
of “Gen X” often come to church as part of their
children’s educational/moral process, but wonder
about their own spiritual path.
And then there is the generation of the 80's and 90's.
The story is told of a “Gen Y” member who was
asked by his stewardship chair whether he pledged.
He said “no.” The stewardship chair then proceeded
to point out how the church needed a steady monthly
income, that the Bishop’s Committee couldn’t
engage in sound planning without pledges, etc., etc.
After listening to all this, the “Gen Y” member
finally said to the chair, “Yes, that seems important.
How much should I add to my tithe?”
Making a pledge to the annual fund drive is not all
that stewardship entails, but it is always a
contribution to a worthy cause. It keeps the lights on,
the music playing, and the vicar preaching. It gives
us a place where we can assemble to find God and
teach our children. It is an act of generosity, and
generosity is surely one of the acts most favored by
God. It is good in itself, as well as being greatly
appreciated by our church and the community. But if
it is done thoughtfully and prayerfully, recognizing
that God has given us our bounty to redistribute for
God’s own purposes, then it is the beginning of a
much greater journey.
Commitment Sunday is November 19. Please pledge
generously.
************************
What’s Happening in November:
Awakening Love: Redeemer International
Film Festival Begins!
“Awakening Our Love” is an occasional offering of
films that we find to be of deep importance for what-
ever reason. We do not have a set schedule, but
organize showings as important films occur. Our
first film was An Inconvenient Truth. Join us on
December 1st or December 3rd for a showing of
Milarepa: Magician, Murderer, Saint, a film by
Neten Chokling, a principal actor in Khyentse
Norbu’s ‘The Cup’ and assisted in his latest produc-
tion ‘Travellers and Magicians.’ This is an extra-
ordinary exploration of spiritual life, vengeance,
ingratitude and the power of love. It is a Tibetan
Buddhist story with interesting parallels to both
Moses and Harry Potter. We will have 2 showings:
Friday Night, December 1 @ 7 p.m.
Sunday Evening, December 3 @ 5 p.m.
Coming Next: Jesus Camp
 |
 |
 |