St. Mary's Episcopal Church

Stewardship at St. Mary's is a privilege, a responsibility and a celebration. Stewardship is the money we give, the time we share, and the skills we use in our church and our daily lives. It is a joy to be the people of God and to share the many blessings God has given us. We are stewards of God's wealth, which comes to us through our personal gifts, skills and the money we earn by exercising what God provides. We strive to practice the biblical tithe and return to God a tenth of all that we earn, but we avoid judging ourselves and others for success or failure in meeting this goal. God acts in our lives, both individually and as a church and we share our gifts to thank God for His presence and action. Stewardship helps us grow and celebrate our place in the Body of Christ.

living and telling the Good News;
sharing God in seeking justice, peace, and the integrity of creation in an interdependent universe;
wisely employing God-given human resources, abilities, and relationships;
sharing the material resources we hold and giving them in service, justice, and compassion;
providing for future generations, sharing in the life, worship, and responsible stewardship of the Church and of its mission
Both for the individual and for the community, stewardship is a joyful act for the sake of God's world.

Stewardship has also been defined as:

Using the gifts God has given us, to do the work God is calling us to do.

Five Reasons to Tithe (from the Ecumenical Stewardship Center) :
1.) Ancient Model: Tithing is our most ancient model for giving. One of the best tithing stories in that of Jacob (Genesis 28:10-22)
2.) Trust in God: Tithing helps us worship God more in our lives. It encourages our spiritual groth and trust in God.
3.) Financial Wisdom: Tithing brings God’s wisdom to our finances, exercising a healthy spiritual discipline over them, and helps us to combat the destructive materialism and greed that destroy the lives of many.
4.) Congregational Strength: Tithing strengthens the ministry, outreach and health of our congregations, molding us into true Christian communities of faith, love and grace.
5.) Ministry Support: Tithing provides the means to keep our priests and missionaries in full time service to God.

The Benefits of Tithing:

Tithing Builds Character: Tithing indicates moral strength and self-discipline. Further, by it we develop a greater sense of trust in God that strengthens our inner life which is the basis of our character.

Tithing organizes life around God’s purpose: Tithing brings contentment and a sense of joy at obeying God. It helps keep our focus on things eternal and the purposes of God to change the lives of others.

Tithing opens the door for God to use and bless us: God’s word teaches that our obedience puts us in the position to make a difference in the lives of others and to experience God’s blessing for our own lives.