Dear Fellow Stewards,
This year we have embarked on a journey of year-round stewardship, examining how we care for the portions of creation God has entrusted to us individually and as a congregation. During October, we looked at our responsibilities as stewards of our keiki. And this month we focus on stewardship of our finances.
For many of us, consideration of our financial situation leads immediately to thoughts of scarcity. Everything in our broken world—war, disease, politics, and economic uncertainty—works to convince us that scarcity is the fundamental reality of existence. However, from beginning to end, scripture reveals God creating and sustaining a world of plenty, so that we “may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10). This is no mere prosperity Gospel; it reveals God’s very nature.
As we consider our lives together here at LCH, we know that God has provided us with the resources to prepare and serve more than 4500 meals through IHS and One Pot One Hope, welcome new families into our ‘ohana for Godly Play, clean up the Dole Headstart campus, sustain a strong music program to enrich our worship, and so much more. As good stewards of God’s abundant creation, we are called to trust God and bring our lives—including our financial lives—into balance so that we can continue to support the ministries God has called us to in this place.
We started off the month with Gary Brauer telling us how he and Tami balance the competing demands on their financial resources. This morning, Bill Potter shared information about where we are as a congregation of givers. And Pastor Angela is beginning a course on balancing personal finances in a Christian context.
Now comes the time for each of us to take action that will move us closer to balance as stewards of the treasure God has entrusted to us. You might have expected a quote from Martin Luther or the Bible at the top of this letter, but we have chosen to focus on some wise words from John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. When he exhorts us, “Earn all you can, give all you can, save all you can,” Wesley displays a robust trust in God and encourages us to be responsible managers who earn and save as much as we can (and by implication, spend responsibly so we can save). And Wesley also encourages us to respond generously to the needs of creation by giving to the church and to the wider needs of society.
Each of us has our own reasons for giving. Some may give as a penance, and others out of a sense of duty or belonging. Some may give in grateful response or because the Bible tells us to. Our giving may start small—an extra dollar in the plate as it passes, or maybe a little more if we are feeling remorse or for a special event like a birth or a death. Maybe we give because we like the music, the worship service, the children’s sermon (or maybe even the sermon!), the concerts, or a fellowship event. Maybe we give because we know we belong, because we have faith, because we care, because we want to help, or because it feels good. Maybe we give because God has blessed us so we can give. Maybe it’s all these things and more.
We ask you to examine your stewardship of the financial resources God has entrusted to you, to think about why you give, to consider the balance in your personal finances, and to determine the steps you will undertake to enhance that balance. Given the mission that God has entrusted to us, we hope you will be able to step up your financial commitment to the church. Enclosed you will find a “Step-Up Card” (PDF) to help you plan your way forward into better balance of your earning, giving, and saving. For your convenience, here are links to several stewardship calculators and the Electronic Funds Transfers form (PDF).
Trusting in God’s abundance and the guidance of the Spirit, please complete the enclosed Commitment Card (PDF) and bring or send it to church in time for our ingathering of commitments on Sunday, November 23.
Your Stewardship Committee
Gary Brauer, Pam Buckley, and Bill Potter