Stewardship is often defined as everything we do
after we say, “I believe.”

stew•ard•ship
Pronunciation: 'stü-&rd-"ship, 'styü-; 'st(y)u(-&)rd-
Function: noun
1: the office, duties, and obligations of a steward
2: the conducting, supervising, or managing of something; especially: the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care <stewardship of our natural resources>

• We are God’s; ALL of our being belongs to God, our bodies, minds, and spirits
• All of our time, talents, and treasures are from God, for God, and the Property of God
• We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.— Winston Churchill
• No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave. — Calvin Coolidge

Stewardship is usually referred to as Time, Talent, and Treasure.
It is much more – it is a way of life.  Stewardship consists of receiving God’s gifts gratefully and sharing abundantly God’s gifts.

It is a responsibility of any Christian community to form its members in responsible stewardship and in sacrificial giving. While the results of sound stewardship is to meet the needs of others; the maintenance of the church facilities for future generations, aid to the poor, comfort to the sick, education to the ignorant, the reason for sound stewardship is the transformation of the believer. The joy of Christian discipleship is centered in the mature and extreme commitment of a faithful steward of the Lord. Many Christians live on the edges of their parish, peeking in once a week and wondering what all the fuss is about. Disciples cast out into the deep and entrust their lives to Christ. This journey begins with the responsibility of stewardship.

The vision of the stewardship programs at Holy Spirit is to for this parish community into a place:

• where all of its members become joyful, sacrificial givers.
• where people put their talents and spiritual gifts to work.
• where people sacrifice a portion of their time and wealth to serve God, our community, and each other.
• where God's work is always obvious with abundant opportunities to serve and get involved.
• where people have ownership in the ministries because THEY are the ministers.
• where people are taught to lead, and provide the resources to empower their roles as ministers.
• where people sacrifice their time, talent, and treasure to glorify God and to make things happen for God's kingdom in Northern Virginia.

The act of giving of your treasure requires one to examine what they have and determine where one has been blessed.  By giving away what you have, you claim areas of abundance in your life.  That's right.... abundance.  That lesson can transform the believer--- no longer just a helper, but to recognize areas of abundance and become thankful for them.

That's not to say that the act of giving is not scary.  That is simply not the case.  We battle the idea that we are foolish to give.  What happens if it doesn't make a difference?  What happens if someone takes advantage of my willingness to give?  What if that homeless person takes that $5 I gave him and buys a bottle of alcohol or worse instead of buying some food?

The great thing about giving of treasure is that as long as it is freely given, without agenda or expectations, it is always a win.  After you give it away, how it is used reflects solely on the receiver. 

There is also a tendency to create a dichotomy between our economic reality and our spiritual reality. This, in fact, shrinks both. Jesus understood this and spoke of the proper use of wealth frequently. He spoke about money and its uses in 15% of all that he taught.

The act of alms-giving was considered one of three important acts of religion and was most important to those who strove to be close to God. Scripture also points toward the proper manner of giving. Tithing was the obligation of the believer to give the “first fruits,” to God through his temple. It is most important to give to God first and not from what remains. This can be done in a most practical way by making a commitment to the parish offertory on a yearly basis. This allows for a careful and prayerful commitment to the Lord and challenges us to live up to that commitment.

The ideal of tithing is to offer the first 10% of our treasure to the Lord. Most spiritual directors recommend half to the parish and the remainder to the larger Church and the poor. If this has not been a part of your past giving it may be an insurmountable challenge. Start out with a more easily obtainable goal. Maybe two percent or the first hour’s or first two hour’s wages from each week. The important element is that the decision is made to make God first.

You are also encouraged to make the Church a part of your long term financial plan. Just as you may wish to have your own children and grandchildren benefit from your stewardship after you have passed from this life to eternal glory, so you may want to touch the lives of members of the parish not yet born with your responsible stewardship