Christus Victor Lutheran Church

“Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights”
James 1: 17

Stewardship is about more than money. It is about being faithful stewards with all of the blessings and gifts God has given us, especially God’s love through Jesus Christ. Stewardship is a key part of our faith
life as disciples of Jesus Christ.

As we begin to focus on Stewardship again this fall, we want you all
to grow, not only in your generosity, but in your understanding of
Christian Stewardship. You are all members of this household of God,
and therefore you each have an important role in supporting the
work/ministry of this household, called Christus Victor Lutheran
Church. We ask that you think about these core principles of
Christian Stewardship and talk about them with your family.
Here are some questions to consider:
- What have you learned about Stewardship?
- What do you need to remember about Stewardship?
- What is the most challenging aspect of Stewardship for you and your family?
- How might God be inviting and challenging you to grow in your Stewardship?

Core Principles of Stewardship: (1 Cor. 16, 2 Cor. 8 and 9)
1. “Stewardship” literally means “household economics.” In this case, the economics of the Christus Victor “household.” That means that every member of Christus Victor is an important contributor to the whole family — both our nuclear/local and extended/national/global family of God.

2. Christian Stewardship goes beyond the Old Testament Law of Tithing to focus instead on God’s overflowing grace, blessings, and abundance through Jesus Christ. “For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich” (2 Cor. 8: 9).
The starting point is God’s Grace and Blessing!

3. Christians give proportionately according to their means, and even beyond their means. “For they [the Macedonian Christians] gave
according to their means, and even beyond their means, begging us
earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry” (2 Cor. 8:
3-4). The tithe (10%) is not the end goal, but rather, the assumed
starting point according to God’s Law in the Old Testament. The
average Lutheran household gives 2% of their income in offerings to
support the ministries of the Church.

4. Christians give systematically, which means they give their offerings weekly during worship. “On the first day of every week, each of you is to put aside and save whatever extra you earn, so that collections need not be taken when I come” (1 Cor. 16: 2). Keeping up with regular giving helps the giver be a cheerful giver. Trying to
catch up at the last minute to satisfy a commitment made earlier can make us reluctant or grudging givers.

5. Generosity and joyfulness in giving flows from the love and joy of
God in Christ Jesus, and the love shared with sisters and brothers in
Christ, and all people in need. “I am testing the genuineness of your
love” (2 Cor. 8: 8). Someone once said, “It is possible to give
without love, but it is not possible to love and not give.” Jesus
wants us to give out of love.

6. From this starting point, Paul teaches that there is a direct
correlation between our generosity in giving and our love of God. The generous Christian is one who truly believes that, “God is able to
provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work” (2 Cor. 9: 8). As Christians, we are called to discern between our needs and our wants, to come to a deeper understanding of what is enough and that God does bless us so that we can be a blessing to others.

“Then [Jesus] said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but
the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send
out laborers into his harvest.’ ”
Matthew 9: 37-38

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

What kind of “harvest” is Jesus talking about? Jesus is not talking
about the economy, the labor market, corn, or pork belly futures.
Jesus is talking about ministry: the ministry of spreading the Good
News of the kingdom of God and the ministry of healing people’s
bodies, lives, and souls. This ministry does not take place primarily
in the church (or in Jesus’ day, the synagogue), although it flows out
of the ministries of the church. The kind of ministry Jesus is
talking about takes place primarily in cities, towns, neighborhoods,
and in homes (*see Matt. 9: 35).

In Matthew 9: 36, we learn that Jesus “saw the crowds” and “had
compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like
sheep without a shepherd.” Do you know anyone who feels a bit
harassed and stressed by life these days? Know anyone who feels a
little helpless or lost; whose life is a mess? Maybe you feel that
way some days too. I know I do. The need for the kind of ministry
Jesus is talking about is just as great today, maybe even greater, than it was in his day.

But who are these laborers going to be? Who does Jesus think he is
going to get to work in this harvest/ministry of his? Jesus wants to
send you out into the harvest, into the ministry of spreading the Good
News, and of healing bodies, lives, and souls. Jesus is calling you,
and sending you into the harvest.

Jesus calls all of his disciples, young and old, to serve as workers
in the harvest/ministry. Everyone who knows God’s love through Jesus Christ, who knows about forgiveness and grace, is called upon to join in the harvest wherever God has placed you. The wonderful thing about working in the harvest: that is where we grow the most, spiritually.
What does working wherever God has placed you mean?  First, we start at home with our family. Then, we move into the places where we work and play, to the people we associate with daily.  And then into the community, which may lead you to places you’ve never been: like a homeless shelter in the inner city, a food shelf, or Tanzania or the Dominican Republic.
Before being sent into the harvest, however, we need to hear the Good
News and receive healing of our bodies, souls, and lives. We come to
church to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ, to receive God’s grace, forgiveness, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, so that we will be
equipped and supported for our work in the harvest/ministry of our
Lord. You might think of this as on-the-job training, learning as
you go.

The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Jesus is calling
you to be a minister in the world! Come to be filled, equipped, and
to discover your calling. Then go, spread the Good News through word and deed!

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Kent

September 2009 Newsletter