"Now you are the body of Christ, and individually members of it" (1 Corinthians 12:27)
To be a member of the Church is not the same as being a member of a club or civic group. The church is the "Body of Christ" (1 Corinthians 12). Therefore, to be a member of the Church is to be a part of the living body of Christ.
Just as every member has a different function in the human body, so do we each have a specific function or calling in His Church. God did not create each of us to do the same thing.
Stewardship
Stewardship is our response to God's grace and moves us from grace to gratitude. Just as we love because God first loved us (I John 4:14), we give question of the Psalmist "What shall I give to the Lord in return for all His benefits towards me?" (Ps 116:2), is answered in every liturgy when the celebrant calls us to offer ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.
Evaluate Your Life
Are you a contributing member of the body of Christ? Are you actively serving God and sharing Him with others? Are you contributing to peace and unity within His body? Do you worship regularly? Take a moment to evaluate your life in light of these prinicples.
We are called to apply our gifts, training, abilities, education and skills to the tasks that God places before us. If we do this humbly and prayerfully, the body of Christ will function to its full potential.
The New Testament's motivation for giving is grace; giving is an act of worship in response to the generosityu of God. You are to give, Paul says, "as God has prospered yuo." II Corinthians 8 and 9 teaches clearly, "He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. God blesses those who give with generosity."
Giving is a way to thank God for His grace and generosity. The question is not, "How much do I give to stay in the club?" or "What are the dues?" but "How can I thank God for my many blessings?"
What is the Purpose of the St. Anna Stewardship Program?
The purpose of the St. Anna Stewardship program is to help our faithful understand the need for their commitment of time, talents, and treasures to the Church. All that happens in our Church happens by the Grace of God and your support. Our financial goal this year is to fulfill the operating budget for our Church through the contributions of our parishioners.
Why is Stewardship Extra Important for our Parish?
Because we are building our future…our Church. It is through the committed contributions of
parishioners that our Parish is able to thrive. Without your strong stewardship
commitment and fulfillment, we would be unable to consistently plan and therefore
provide the services that make our community an Orthodox Christian Church.
With stewardship support let’s COME AND SEE what we can do together.
We should not have to depend on fundraising to meet our budget – for this is our personal responsibility. Stewardship makes us – the parishioners – accountable. Since we are the recipients of God’s gifts, we should actively participate in spreading Christ’s work of salvation.
YOUR PLEDGE
Approximately 100 steward families are responsible for the 2011 operating budget, which can be fully met with an average pledge of $2,000 per steward family. However, werecognize that some families may not be able to afford this pledge while many others can afford much more. Those who can give more help those who can’t. Why is this so important? The closer the
average pledge is to $2,000, the sooner we can afford a fulltime Priest and build our
Church.
Why?
Because, if we can fully cover our operating expenses through stewardship, all the fundraising efforts can be directed toward our building fund. It’s a win-win
for all of us.
Stewardship: A Way of Life
As Orthodox Christians, we are called to a new way of seeing things - a new way of life. Our stewardship is obedience to the greatest commandment to "love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength." We are called to bring others to commit their lives to Jesus Christ in such a way that leads to the joy of knowing Him personally and profoundly.
As Orthodox Christians, we see the world as God's gift, as a sacrament of God's presence and a means of communion with Him. And so we are able to offer the world back to God in thanksgiving as we say in every Divine Liturgy "Thine own of Thine own we offer to thee..."
It is right to praise the, to give thanks unto thee and worship thee in every place of thy dominion; for thou art God inconceivable, invisible, incomprehensible, ever existing and eternally the same. For all these things we give thanks unto thee, and to thine Only begotten Son, and thy Holy Spirit; for all things of which we know, and of which we know not, and for all the benefits bestowed upon us both seen and unseen."
From the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysosom
