Stewardship

Malachi            ‘Test me in this matter to see if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until there is no room for it all'.

St, Paul (second letter to the Church in Corinth)     ‘Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver'

Luther E Lovejoy (1864 - 1936) wrote the following about Stewardship:-

"We must regard our own bodies, then, as a sacred stewardship with which God has entrusted us. They are a part of the capital he has placed in our hands for investment. He expects us to make the most of them, to protect, preserve, develop, and use them, producing returns on this capital for the benefit of ourselves, our fellow men, and our divine master. Our bodies are not our own, to use as we please; to pamper, indulge, mistreat, neglect, overwork, destroy; they belong to God as a wise part of his creation, and are held by us in trust for his wise purposes."

There is a common perception that Christian stewardship is about balancing the books, keeping the show on the road and paying for the building and the parish share. However, in reality, stewardship is a fundamental aspect of Christian discipleship and needs to be seen in the light of God's mission in creation.

• What is Christian stewardship?
  
  
• It's inclusive not exclusive - ie it's not just about money.
  
  
• The whole Church life - it's about discipleship, learning to follow Christ.
  
  
• It's about using and managing our God-given resources appropriately and responsibly.

From a letter from the PCC to Parishioners : -

"As a church we are trying to practice what we preach by donating 10% of what you have told us you plan to give to St. Laurence's to international, national and local good causes. This is overseen by our Outward Concern Group, chaired by Claire Wilcox. We estimate that, this year, the 253 people on the electoral roll will through their generosity give a total of over £46,000 (our ‘planned giving'). We are very grateful for this generosity. The Government will add over £9,000 in Gift Aid. This means that, in accordance with the agreed policy, we are able to give away nearly £6,000 to deserving causes.

This is a first call on our resources; but it is of course not the only fixed expense which we face. We contribute both our Parish Share to the Diocese and our membership fees to the Ludlow Team Ministry. Our payment of Parish Share represents our share of the salary, pension costs and living expenses of the clergy who serve St. Laurence's . There seems to be a common misconception in the Church of England that salaries and pensions are somehow paid out of some central ‘pot of gold'. Although it is true that what we pay in Parish Share does not yet meet the full cost of paying and housing the clergy who serve our parish, the Church no longer has such a pot, nor would having one remove our corporate responsibility for providing the resources needed out of our own pockets. Our payment to the Ludlow Team Ministry covers the parish's share of the cost of administering the team. Together these amount to £79,000 this year.

The recommendation which came to the PCC at its meeting in September us that, in accordance with both biblical principle and Church of England policy, we should expect to cover both the church's external giving and Parish Share from within the donations of the members of the congregation. This mirrors standard practice in nonconformist churches, which generally pay the whole of their ministers' salaries and ministry costs directly."

Rector's Sermon on 23 October 2011 on Chrstian Stewardship

The full letter from the PCC to Parishioners

A letter from the Bishop of Hereford

Link to a "Stewardship Toolkit" on the Hereford Diocese website