A Challenge
This short piece is challenging in two ways. First, it's been hard for me to write. I've started, stopped, re-worked, postponed, and started from scratch again (several times!). Second, it might be hard for some people to read - not necessarily because of the style, but because of the topics. So why bother? Because it is a vital part of our call to stewardship.
The topics that I want to touch on are two of the most uncomfortable for us: death and money. In some ways, it's a little easier for Christians to discuss the former than the latter at least in the abstract. We believe "in the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and in the life everlasting." Our sense of loss, our sadness at a death is tempered by our Faith. Rather than mourning the dead, we gather to celebrate their life. But how does this tie into stewardship and where does the money come in?
If stewardship is the handling of our life, our talents, and all that God has given us, then it is certainly handling our death as well. Death is a part of our life - an emotional part of our experience (when some one close to us dies) as well as an actual, transitional part of our existence (when we pass through death ourselves). How would a good steward address his/her own death? How can we, as good stewards, use our death to the greater glory of God?
Preparation is part of stewardship. Are we prepared for our death? Have we provided for the needs of our family and loved ones? Have we given them the guidance (in written instructions) that will help them move through this difficult time? Is our financial house in order? Do we have a legal will that specifies the distribution of our earthly property, protecting the rights and interests of our heirs? Is it current? Since a will is, essentially, our "last chance to tithe" in support of the establishment of God's kingdom on earth, have we remembered to address the financial needs of our Church family?
Through prayerful and careful preparation, a good steward can turn the potentially traumatic, disruptive effects of an earthly death into a positive affirmation of life. We can provide for the needs of the living and the on-going life of the Church. Are you prepared?
Rob Simas, Sr. Warden
Stewardship: A Focus on Gen NeXt
"Virtual Faith, Spiritual Hunger and the Church" was the subtitle for a national conference recently (Feb. 9-12) held in Baltimore and co-sponsored by the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Maryland. I was both challenged and encouraged by the presentations and the many people I met at this event. The challenge is one we face together as a parish: how do we reach out to meet the needs of the new generation of Christians. Hearing what other parishes have done, both liturgically within their worship services and programmatically as part of their outreach and evangelism activities, validated some of the steps that have already been taken at St. Mary's (e.g., parallel liturgies).
The Gen Xers or, as one presenter labeled them, the "Busters", are those born between the years 1965-1976. They stand between the prior two generations - the "Builders" (born prior to 1945) and the "Boomers" (1946 to 1964) - and the two newest generations - the "Bridgers" (1977-1994) and the "Y2Kers" (1995 and later). The problem? The percentage of churched Christians has decreased by half in each succeeding generation: 65% for "Builders", 35% for "Boomers", 15% for "Gen Xers/Busters" and 4% for "Bridgers". If the mission of the Church is to make disciples of all people, we're in serious need for some re-evaluation of our methods! Perhaps we should focus our missionary efforts right in our own backyard (for that matter, we dare not ignore the front yard and inside the house as well).
How does this affect our parish? How does this jibe with our role as stewards of God's Word? In his book, Revolutionizing Christian Stewardship for the 21st Century: Lessons from Copernicus (Discipleship Resources, Nashville TN, 1997), Dan R. Dick characterizes stewardship within the Church as "the process by which we manage the flow of our core process." He describes this process (i.e., disciple making) as fourfold:
In the case of the Gen Xers/Busters, our stewardship probably can improve along at least two dimensions. We can make more of an effort to reach out to them specifically, presenting the Good News in ways relevant to their experience. We can also join with them in developing ways within our corporate worship and fellowship in which we can all be strengthened and nurtured in our relationship to God and each other. Of course, not everyone has the time and talents required to be a youth minister. But we all have some time and some talent that can be put into service. And for those who are timed/talented out, we can at least have the openness of mind and generosity of spirit to welcome and join our younger brothers and sisters as they take their place in our faith community and carry forward the mission of the Church.
Faithfully, Rob Simas
How do our talents fit in with our call to be stewards? Stewardship is using the gifts God has given us to do the work He has set for us to do. It's about resource management. The first step is to determine exactly what resources are available. Once that's done, we can determine the best way to use them to achieve our goal.
God has given each of us different gifts, both worldly and spiritual. As active members of our faith community, we are called upon to identify the unique gifts (talents) God has given each of us and to encourage each other in fostering and using these gifts. Sometimes this identification process is done through a "discernment" class or workshop. Other times it may be through private prayer, study, and reflection or through discussion with a friend. The sign of a vital and growing faith community is the ability to discern, develop, and use the collective talents God has given us.
What are the special gifts/talents that God has given you? What do you enjoy doing or are truly "passionate" about? Discovering your unique talents (the things you are good at) and passions (the things you enjoy doing) are the first steps in your journey in Christian stewardship. The next step is to put these talents to good use. Where and how will you use these gifts to the greater glory of God, to spread the Good News, to further God's kingdom? How can you use your talents to meet the needs of our Church and community? Can you use your talents in the framework of an existing Parish lay ministry? Or might you be the one to start a new ministry to meet needs not currently addressed?
We are all well aware that the year 2000 is a federal census year. This is a time during which we, as a nation, take stock of our national resources -- our citizens. Taking this as a cue, we should use this opportunity to participate in a "faith census year," that is, to carry out a personal census of our own natural (God-given) resources. Once our personal, spiritual census is done, we can join together to coordinate the use of these resources in carrying out our personal and collective call to be stewards in God's kingdom.
Faithfully, Rob Simas