« Honesty trumps fear when it comes to giving and the economy | Main | Should Do More Ministry continue the Pastor's Podcast? »
January 19, 2009
I have a dream...about stewardship and giving
Today we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He will forever be remembered for his "I have a dream" speech. It continues to inspire people to pursue things like justice and mercy and peace. Those things that are larger than life and worth fighting for.
Likewise, I wonder what our churches would be like if we had a dream for stewardship and giving? I wonder what our churches would look like if we restored the theology of stewardship to its rightful place, the centerpiece of our belief in and practice of the Lordship of Christ. I wonder what our churches would look like if we consistently taught that everything we have and are is from God and given to us not to posses for our own gain but to invest in Kingdom building activities.
Our ability to build sustainable funding for the churches we lead begins with a dream. It's in the telling and retelling of that dream where others are invited to share the dream. And when people share a dream, they become emotionally connected and committed to our cause and organization. And the natural response to that commitment is generosity with our time, talent and treasure.
Is there any greater organization to commit to than the local church? Is there any greater mission to follow through on than the Great Commission?
Fully funded budgets begin with a dream. What's your dream, pastor?
Posted by bstroup at January 19, 2009 8:34 PM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://blogs.lifeway.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/1813
Comments
This thoughtprovoking entry widens the definition of stewardship by likening it to a way of life.
To make it a movement, we need to realize it won't happen until we understand the true end of stewardship is to point others to the master we serve. Saying we're stewards of our money needs to be understood as having a tool which we care for. But managing money wisely isn't the proper end of stewardship.
Sincerely,
Leroy Hurt
www.C-scapeBlogazine.net
www.YourUnfinishedBusiness.net
Posted by: Leroy Hurt at January 21, 2009 10:25 PM
Leroy,
Thanks so much for reading. I think you are right on. A life of a steward is a way of life and points directly to the One who we confess to be our Savior and Lord.
Blessings, Ben.
Posted by: Ben Stroup 
at January 22, 2009 1:50 PM