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\nWelcome to our new stewardship blog, \u201cWhere your heart is\u2026.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n You may find yourself reflecting on this familiar verse from Matthew, \u201cFor where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,\u201d whenever the offering plate is passed down your pew. As you drop your envelope, bills, or coins into the plate, you are entrusting not only a share of your treasure to the church, you are simultaneously making a statement of faith. You are letting the church \u2014 and Jesus \u2014 know exactly \u201cwhere your heart is.\u201d<\/p>\n But what happens when the offering plate isn\u2019t passed around at all because we\u2019re no longer gathering in person? Do we stop talking about financial stewardship? What happens when, because of COVID-19, most, if not all, in-person volunteering has temporarily ceased, causing many of our church members\u2019 gifts and energies to remain untapped? What, during such strange, stressful and unprecedented times as these, are some creative approaches to the stewardship of time, talent and treasure?<\/p>\n We are here to help with these questions and more \u2014 especially with ideas and resources to support your congregation\u2019s financial stewardship.<\/p>\n The church is a unique institution. We are intergenerational. We value all gifts at every level. The church recognizes that each person has their own personal responsibility for their life\/finances and their sense of responsibility to give back a portion to God as a \u201cthank you\u201d for all we have received from God. That\u2019s why it is called \u201cstewardship\u201d and not <\/em>fundraising.<\/p>\n Does every member have an obligation to give? Absolutely yes. But remember \u2014 we are judged by our faithfulness, commitment, and personal gratitude, not<\/em> by the amount of money that we give.<\/p>\n Whenever the topic of \u201cstewardship\u201d comes up in the life of your congregation I am sure conversation immediately turns to the annual giving campaign to \u201cmeet the budget.\u201d But stewardship also includes how the church responds to the compelling words of Jesus in Matthew 25: \u201cLord when did we see you?\u201d How does your Session allocate the gifts received for the mission of the Church: to reach out to the least, the lost and the left out? In other words, how do you allocate and distribute the gifts your members have entrusted to your Session to do the work God calls us to do in this world? To show where your heart is<\/em>?<\/p>\n This blog will provide you with stories, minutes for mission, materials, resources, and ideas for informing and inspiring your congregation. We hope you will \u201cbookmark\u201d our blog and that you will also share your ideas and stories with us.<\/p>\n Thank you for your tireless ministry. Remember that you are a blessing, and that we are the church\u2026 TOGETHER!<\/p>\n