Grow

The focus of Stewardship in your parish community when it is only about the money:

The church gives the impression that see its members only as a "source of income" to help pay for the coming years expenses.
Members tend to measure the value of their giving to the value of the church's services given to them.
The church focuses on the practical needs of maintaining programs and "keeping the lights on", rather than helping members focus on the importance of becoming joyful givers" to help them on their journey to build a stronger relationship with God.

The focus of Stewardship in your parish should be all about relationships; your relationship with God, your relationship with your parish community, and your relationship with yourself.

You help others do this by:

Understanding their own spiritual needs
Understanding their relationship with God, themselves, and their parish community.
Understanding their own spiritual gifts , and the value of these to the parish community
Creating an environment within the parish community that protects and supports them as they grow in their relationship with God and with others in the parish community.

As chief pastor, the Rector of the parish should be leading and directing the Stewardship Education in adult forums, sermons, discussions with small groups within the parish groups or anywhere else their might be a platform to discuss our spiritual relationships.

Successful Stewardship programs should target the connection from the "brain to the wallet". That is where the the decision will be made on the amount of commitment to the church will be made.(adapted from The Rev. Dr. Mark Anschutz)

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