Stewardship 2011—“We Are Stewards”

Luther nails 95 Theses to the cathedral door October 24, 2010

Dear Fellow Stewards,

“Christian life consists of faith and charity.”—Martin Luther

These words of Martin Luther convey a truth that is both simple and complex. They distill the essence of our lives as Christians into a sentence that is simple and memorable. But we all know that living lives of faith and charity is no simple matter.

We are called into relationship with God, our creator, who, as Luther writes in the Shorter Catechism, “daily and abundantly provides...all the necessities and nourishment for this body and life...out of pure, fatherly, and divine goodness and mercy.” In gratitude for that goodness and mercy, we joyfully respond as stewards of all that God has blessed us with.

As individuals, we are stewards of our individual time, our individual talents, and our individual money. And as a congregation, we are collective stewards of additional great riches: our wonderful LCH ‘ohana, our church campus, our faith tradition, our community, and our natural world and its people.

Because we are stewards of our ‘ohana, we are called to move forward in faith as we look for a new cantor and begin the process of seeking an associate pastor. Because we are stewards of our church campus, we are called to live in faith as we renovate the back parking lot and the Hörmann Courtyard to facilitate our ministries. Because we are stewards of our faith tradition, we are called to live lives of faith as we pray and worship together. Because we are stewards of our community, we are called to live lives of charity as we continue to cook and serve nutritious (and delicious) meals at IHS and collect food for the Angel Network. And because we are stewards of our world and its people, we are called to lives of both faith and charity as we care for the environment and witness God’s love for people at home and abroad in partnership with our Hukilau Conference, the Pacifica Synod, the ELCA and other local, national and global agencies

For 2011, we invite you to make a pledge in faith and charity. First and foremost, your pledge is a promise you make to God. But a written pledge helps our church leaders plan how to carry out the mission of God’s love through the work of the Lutheran Church of Honolulu.

This year, instead of filling out a pledge card, you will have the opportunity to write down all your pledges of time, talent, and treasure on a “scroll” and nail it to our pledge door on Reformation Sunday, October 31. (Download a copy of the pledge scroll (PDF), or submit your pledge online via our online pledge scroll.) Of course, we hope you will make a monetary pledge, but even more important are your pledges of time and talent to the work God calls us to. Take this opportunity to write down your commitments to pray for our church and the world, to serve on a committee, or to offer your talents to our ministries. We will also encourage our keiki and youth to make their own pledges. Monetary pledges will be recorded by the financial secretary, and pledges of time and talents will be forwarded to the appropriate team, group, or committee, who will follow up with you on how you can best put your spiritual gifts to work.

Your steadfast giving has enabled us to be faithful disciples who do God’s work, share our blessings, and spread Christ’s light of love to our neighbors and the world. Mahalo for your continuing, generous contributions of time, talents, and treasure to LCH.

Your fellow stewards,
April, Bill, Karen, and Pam

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