Misconception 1: “Stewardship is all about money”
While we often talk about "financial Stewardship," money is only one of many things that God has entrusted to us to steward, CRCNA Canada Diaconal ministries has a course and many resources for a holistic view on Stewardship at: https://diaconalministries.com/stewardship/
Misconception 2: “Stewardship” is a fancy word for giving money away
Stewardship is not only about how much money we give away. It also covers how we use, keep and grow the money we’ve been entrusted with. Stewardship in personal finances is important and we believe that denominations, churches, missionaries, and nonprofit organizations should also act with integrity and with a mind toward stewardship.
In Matthew 25:14-30 we read the Parable of the Talents. What does that have to tell us about stewardship?
Misconception 3: We shouldn't talk about money in church
Your church might be like a lot of other churches. Not talking about money until the end of the year - when our giving is short of the annual church budget. We might discuss it when a missionary comes to town, or a community program in our area needs help.
Heather Day, in her book Money and Spirit, writes:
“You see, for reasons I can't quite comprehend, the word "money" is often treated as profanity within the church. We'll talk about how Jesus saves us from hatred, gossip, lies and betrayal. I mean, we'll even talk about overcoming booze, babes, binges, and bongs. But money? No way! That topic crosses the line.”
She goes on to write:
“…money is not profanity in God's Kingdom, and it is certainly not beyond the scope of where He wants to be involved in your life.
Before you can get on the path toward healing, however, you must first wrestle with this most important question.
Are you ready to surrender to God's will for your money, or are you still determined to go your own way?”
What do you think?
Just some thoughts about stewardship. If you've got a better definition of stewardship, I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below
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