Stewardship is one of the most talked about topics in the life of the church. In order for any congregation to be a success it must be a topic that is continuously discussed and continuously promoted.
When we don't talk about stewardship and what we as followers of the Way can give, we sometimes choose not to give or to not give nearly as much as we are able. This is just how human nature is. When we aren't continuously reminded of something we tend to think of whatever it is as unimportant and we don't particularly prioritize whatever such thing happens to be.
On the contrary, a lot of people are fully aware of how important stewardship is, but are hesitant to give because they are unaware of what their offering will be used for or are unhappy with the way something in the life of the church is playing out. I'm sure some of you have had this experience of someone's unhappiness leading to the withholding of someone's gifts to the church.
When we stuff our checks, or our cash, or our spare change, into those offering envelopes and place them into the offering plates on Sunday morning, or when we take the time our of our day to volunteer, or when we use our talents to create something for the church, we are not investing in a person, or a building, or even a congregation, we are investing in the Church. By the "Church" I mean the Church of Jesus Christ. We are not investing in buildings or people as much as it may seem that we are.
Although our offerings may physically go toward a pastor's salary, or building upkeep, or whatever else it is that your church is supporting whether that be global ministries, mission work, community outreach, etc, they are all just small pieces to one giant puzzle, and that puzzle is the continuation of the ministry of Christ.
When we invest in our local church or congregation by the offering of our financial resources or our talents we are committing ourselves to the continuation and development of the ministry of Christ. We are silently, yet boldly stating that we believe in what we are doing and we are committed to continuously spreading the gospel message of love to all who are willing to listen and take part.
We are not investing in material objects or in people, we are investing in our future as the church, and the ministry of Christ. I encourage you to think about what it is that you can give to your church . Keep in mind that although stewardship may seem as though it regards only financial gifts that time and talent offered to the church are just as important if not more important that monetary offerings.
Not everyone can write a check every week, but anyone willing to announce to the world that they are in fact a Christian can find the time or generosity to invest in the Church on a regular basis. If you can't afford a financial offering, volunteer at an event. If you cannot afford an offering or find time to offer, talk about your faith. Invest by advertising your beliefs or by welcoming another into the life of the church. There are millions of things that can be done as offerings instead of financial gifts.
Contrary to popular belief among churchgoers, you don't have to be financially well off to fully invest in and be supportive of the ministry your church is participating in.
Anyone is welcome in the church of Christ and anyone is welcome to show their solidarity and support for the ministry by contributing in whatever ways they can.
