What does “Stewardship” mean to you?
It’s pretty common to hear the word “stewardship” in the fall, when Faith, along with many other churches, conducts its annual pledge drive for the upcoming year. For many, stewardship is just another word for tithing, or giving money to the church. But you know, it’s really so much more!
The Earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it.
Psalm 24:1 (NRSV)
Stewardship is recognizing that God has given us many blessings in our lives. God created a beautiful world for us to inhabit. God has given us gifts as a humankind; the ability to praise God and to discern what is good. God has given individually gifts and talents that we can develop, enjoy, and enrich those around us. God has given us treasures that we can use for our own well being, and also to share with those around us in need. Stewardship is the careful shepherding of these gifts, for us and our world today and tomorrow
Our annual stewardship season gives us a convenient time to reflect about what stewardship means to us. It’s a time to consider how we can use our resources in our community and our congregation at Faith Presbyterian
Stewardship is how we live out our calling as followers of Christ. Stewardship is what we do after we say that we believe
The Presbyterian Foundation
How can I help?
- Give where you can – Time & talent, not just money. Volunteers fill many needs.
- Help others to find our church – Tell your friends what you like about us.
- Spread the word on our facilities – We rent out our rooms and fellowship hall?
- Donate your cleaned CRV Bottles & Cans to the Deacons. We have a collection box in the kitchen and the money goes to aid their ministry and services.
- Contribute your per capita. Per Capita is an amount we pay to the Presbytery of San Diego for each of our members. It’s like a tax from the Presbytery that helps pay for their needs and to turn around and support the other Presbyterian churches in the Presbytery. For instance, we have received help from them in several ways:
- Outreach grants for the College Ministry for SDSU
- COVID-19 grants to help with unexpected expenses during this time
- Helped to nationally promote our pastoral search that led to finding Pastor Sam
When you pledge, please also make a separate donation to cover for each of the members in your family. It’s $40 per member. Remember that as a Church we pay our full Per Capita allotments every year. If individual members don’t pay their share, then the difference is made up from our general fund. This means less resources are available to fund other important needs.
- Pledge during the pledge drive- This way we can build budgets that we can support. It’s not how much, it’s the knowing! (And remember your separate per capita $40!)
Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.
1 Peter 4:10 (NRSV)
How does Faith Presbyterian use the gifts it receives?
Faith has many different ways in which its members support the Church and gives to the community. Some of these are through direct involvement; others are through financial contributions that, when bundled with those of others, magnifies the impact.
Please visit our Ministries page and our Missions page for more information.
Giving of our Time & Talents
Stewardship in the Church is more than just our pledges. It’s also the giving of ourselves to support the Church through donations of our time and talents, like the folks in the slideshow above.
Prayerfully consider where you can help in the Church’s missions.
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) Special Offerings
Our denomination collects four special offerings throughout the calendar years. Individuals and congregations collect on these designated Sundays. In two of the offerings, all of the contributions are sent to the denomination. For the other two, part of the contributions are kept at home for Faith to distribute in the community.
For the offerings in which Faith Presbyterian shares in the distribution, we gave to:
- Pentecost Offering: Reality Changers
- Peace and Global Witness: Tariq Kamisa Foundation and Restorative justice Mediation Program.
How does the Pledge Drive work?
This year, Faith Presbyterian’s 2021 Pledge Drive (for the 2022 fiscal year) runs from October 4th, World Communion Sunday, through November 148th. This is our opportunity as a congregation to respond to God’s gifts to us by pledging back a portion of what we have been given in terms of financial resources to support the continuing work of the Church.
Over this month Stewardship Committee will provide lessons on the meaning of Stewardship through short videos, sermons, information in the October and November Newsletter, and in our annual Stewardship Pledge letter and form.
We would ask all members to prayerfully consider what the can do to support our church and help us in continuing to serve God’s mission in our community. The information provided by the submission of the pledges by the 8th of November allows Session to develop our budget for the next Fiscal Year, helping us to define the missions we can support and grow.
Please mail in your pledge forms to the Church as soon as you can.
