Giving

Recently when I mentioned our annual stewardship campaign to someone not a churchgoer, he asked – why do churches need to raise money? Won’t God take care of you? I replied by telling him that indeed, God does take care of us – and that we are God’s eyes and hands on this earth. There is the generous work of God that we all carry out every day – such as praying for those in need, meditating on our lot in life, which don’t normally need funding. But in this real world, one needs funds in order to carry out God’s work. We here at St. George’s engage ourselves and the larger community in many ways. With God’s help we have created a community we all love and want to be part of, and hold in God’s light. This is what brought me, a lonely widow completely unchurched, to St. George’s 15 years ago, and what keeps me here: our community that does God’s wonderful works.

In the 16th century, Saint Teresa of Avila said, “Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion is to look out to the world. Yours are the feet with which Christ is to go about doing good.” –Anne Beals, St. George’s Senior Warden

God has entrusted each of us with some bit of His creation—some set of abilities, skills, talents, time, opportunities, and resources—that we can use in our efforts to love God and love our neighbors. Bishop Catherine Waynick states that stewardship “acknowledges that all the things we count as ‘resources’ or as ‘blessings’ will never be ours to hoard, but are entrusted to us to be shared, nurtured, and used to fulfill God’s purposes.” I believe that God is inviting me to fall on the cornerstone of Christ Jesus and be broken to pieces, thereby freeing myself from this world’s notions of what is valuable. Only by being willing to be broken, can I be open enough to receive, and open enough to give. May we all receive what is truly valuable—God’s love and trust, and may we all happily become people who produce the fruits of God’s kingdom. –Allison Blanchard (a member of St. Alban’s, Annandale and a member of the Diocese of Virginia stewardship committee)

STEWARDSHIP REFLECTION: WHY DO YOU GIVE?

I remember taking coins tied into a handkerchief, and being reminded by my parents to put them in the offering plate. At the offertory, I remember the satisfying sound of my coins rattling against the shiny brass offering plates. I remember feeling proud that I’d made a contribution, that I was part of something bigger than myself, that I had something to offer.

When I was first married, and we began having children, I remember that we did not have a lot to give to the church at that time. Money was always tight! I remember being thankful, at that time, for the presence of the church, for that one hour of time I had with my husband to worship each week while our children were in the nursery, Sunday School, or choir. It provided what we needed to face the next week’s challenges. As our children grew, it was always comforting to have a place where we belonged, a place for our girls to learn about God, and life. I was quite aware, at that time, that there were those whose giving made possible all that we received, as individuals, and as a family, from our church home.

Now that our children are grown, and we are in a position to give more, I am grateful for the opportunity to “pay it forward,” as those faithful forebears had done. My gifts, once shared, become part of something bigger than myself, so that God’s glory continues to be revealed in myself, my family, fellow parishioners, the wider community and in the whole world. Thanks be to God!

-Karin Weber, Newcomer and Stewardship Commission member

STEWARDSHIP REFLECTION: WHY DO YOU GIVE?

Since its inception, I have been blessed to be a healing prayer minister on Sunday mornings. During my time as a healing prayer minister, my faith has been both strengthened and challenged. I have been enriched by the gift of Love in bringing God’s comfort to my fellow St. Georgians. At times, I am emotionally and psychologically upset for what we pray, but even in these times of uncertainty, we can feel the strong presence of the Holy Spirit embracing both the prayer recipient and me. I have been truly blessed as a healing prayer minister at St. George’s.   — Russ Carter

Are you good at planning? Writing? Are you artistic? Are you a “detail” person or an “idea” person? What are you best at? Tithing your talent—talent given to you by God—is yet another way to give back to God and contribute to your faith community. In my role as a volunteer at St. George’s, I consider what I have to offer not exactly a talent but more of doing things that I love to do, like entertaining, organizing, meeting new people, making people feel welcome, inviting new people in. This week alone I have given over 50 hours of my time to one of my happy places from which I receive so much. As I look around St. George’s, I see talent everywhere. Won’t you share some of this talent with us?

—Jan Meredith, Director of Membership, Fellowship, and Newcomers