An effective way for the church to teach about stewardship is to have put it as part of the leadership structure. A church stewardship committee communicates the serious desire to put the principle to action.
Should Churches prioritize the development of a stewardship committee? YES!
A stewardship committee encourages every member to learn and practice biblical stewardship in personal, family, work, and community life.
Getting it right and serious
Nothing communicates stewardship better than the pastor leading the way. He knows what God requires the church to do, he takes this as his firm mandate and thus pursue stewardship education, training & mentorship, management and finally leadership.
The rewards for the church who stewards God’s resources His ways are bountiful. Let me list a few good reasons why it is wise to begin today:
- Stewardship encompasses all of life, it is wholistically beneficial to the steward
- Every believer needs help in their stewardship journey.
- The stewardship committee can plan an integrated teaching on stewardship for the church.
- The stewardship committee can assist the church on how to live out a richer and fuller life of biblical stewardship.
- The giving and generosity of the church will increase.
Setting the goal… church-wide
The pastor and the church leadership can create the stewardship team who will be responsible for planning and implementing the stewardship plan for the church. This can include research on what the Bible teaches about stewardship as well as other literature. The pastor can be either the leader of the stewardship committee or act as an ex officio member.
The stewardship team or committee, in coordination with the pastor, can plan the church’s stewardship goals and objectives. Its mission is to raise obedient stewards who are rich towards God.
In TRUE stewardship, Christian stewards are disciples of Christ who understand that their life is not their own and that everything is a gift from God.
Such understanding will have tremendous impact in the way they live their lives, relate to God, people and creation, and all the other resources entrusted to them.
Laying the ground work
The stewardship committee can lead the church in creating programs that will enhance the stewardship journey of the church people. For example, if you have members who need help in handling money, the committee can produce seminar workshops on budgeting, investing and wise spending. It can include retreats on giving and generosity.
One area of stewardship that is lacking in churches is care for creation. The stewardship committee can sponsor teaching seminars on the role of the Christian in environmental care and conservation. Our modern society consumes a lot of non-renewable energy and we leave the greatest carbon footprint in the history of humankind. It is said that we will need one planet and a half to contain our trash if we do not change the way we manage solid waste. This is a global problem, but we can act local and do our share, starting in our own household. We can recycle and reuse and refuse to patronize products that create non-biodegradable materials and packaging. For instance, buy products in plastics that can be recycled instead of those using Styrofoam, foils and other packaging that create non-recyclable wastes.
Another area of stewardship that needs attention is public engagement. Western societies are very individualistic, Christians however, can model what it is like to live in communities and show concern for other people. The stewardship committee can help promote radical Christianity—that is to live out lives radically different from the world.
Learn more about stewardship, see related posts by clicking here.
We can guide you in building a church stewardship committee, click here to inquire.
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