Stewardship Committee Mission

This committee is charged with the responsibility for raising and disbursing the operating and capital improvements funds required to carry on the work of the church. It shall formulate the Church's financial program expressed in the annual budget and supervise raising the needed funds. In cooperation with the Treasurer, it shall collect and disburse all operating and capital funds of the church in accordance with polices established by Session and shall present a statement thereon at each regular meeting of Session. It shall make recommendations regarding the borrowing and investment of funds. It shall be responsible to Session for the working activities of the treasurer and any other persons engaged to assist in the Stewardship function.

2009 Stewardship Pledge Campaign

The Old Testament refers to tithing to support God’s work. Two of these references are found in Deuteronomy 14:28 and Malachi 3:10. The word tithe comes from old English meaning a tenth. A tenth of all crops, livestock, goods produced, and money earned was given by the people of the Old Testament as a tithe. In present day the offering collected during the church service is still referred to as tithing.

In May of this year the Stewardship Committee reviewed the concept of giving a tithe to support God’s work at the Flemington Presbyterian Church. We discussed making a lifelong commitment to calculate the percentage of our income that our pledge represented. Once the percentage of giving is found, we discussed increasing the pledge by one percent each year to move towards a tithe, or ten percent.

Our discussions lead to the question, “What is income?” Some believe income is one’s gross income, all that you have earned. Others believe income would be one’s net income; you can not give what you have not received. We decided that would be a personal choice. Divide the annual pledge amount by the annual income to calculate the percentage of giving. The point is to calculate the actual percentage of one’s giving.

Another question was “What if I do not know how much I will earn in 2009?” Most of us do not know what our income will be in 2009. A majority of us would not be able to say accurately how much we will earn by the end of 2008. However, we should all know what we earned in 2007. Use the most recent annual income amount that is available. As long as this is done consistently year after year, the results will be consistent.

At the June Stewardship Committee meeting, the members of the Stewardship Committee agreed with each other to make the lifelong commitment to accurately calculate our individual percentage of giving and to increase the percentage of income given to accomplish God’s work by one percent each year until a tithe is reached. This concept was presented to the Session in June. Session members were asked to consider this concept over the summer months.

The Stewardship Committee, during the September Session meeting, asked the members of Session to covenant with them on this concept. Session agreed. During the 2009 Pledge Campaign the Stewardship Committee, on behalf of the Session, will ask you, the Congregation, to also join us in the lifelong commitment to accurately calculate our individual percentage of giving and to increase the percentage of income given to accomplish God’s work by one percent each year until a tithe is reached.

Not everyone will be able to increase their giving by one percent each year. However, changing one’s mindset to calculate the percentage of giving, and increasing one’s pledge by the percentage rather than a random dollar amount, will allow the percentage of giving to increase towards a tithe over the years to come.

The 2009 Pledge Campaign has begun with this newsletter. Included in the newsletter is a 2009 Pledge Card. Prayerfully consider the concept presented here. Hold on to your 2009 Pledge Card. During the month of November you will hear more about the 2009 Pledge Campaign. During the November 23 Church service the 2009 Pledge Cards will be collected as an act of the congregation.

Stewardship Committee
Timothy A. Hall

Principles of Stewardship

Stewardship is the responsive practice of Christians making proper use of the gifts God has given us for the sake of God's work in the world (Definition from PCUSA.org)

"Gifts" refer not only to monetary gifts God has given us, but physical, intellectual and spiritual gifts and are commonly referred to as our Time & Talents.

The Principles of Stewardship are:

God owns everything in Creation; we are simply managers of God's resources.

Our generosity is prompted by God's grace. We give out of gratitude for the blessings in our lives, the forgiveness of our sins, and our eternal salvation

Before we give our money to God, we must give ourselves over. Once you give yourself over, it's easy to return to God what is God's to begin with. In fact, it's a privilege.

When we give, we follow Jesus' sacrificial example. When we give our resources to help others, it reflects Jesus ultimate sacrificial gift: his life for us.

God enables us to give generously."We reap what we sow"; not that God promises to give us money back for our own enjoyment. Rather, when we give generously, God will make grace abundant to us and in doing so, we can give generously to work of God's kingdom.

Amount doesn't matter; it's attitude that counts! God looks at our desire to give from what we have. God looks kindly on sacrificial giving and not necessarily the act of giving large gifts.

Scripture Meditations

"To the Lord belongs the earth and all it contains, the world and all who live there". (Psalm 24:1)
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�When you give to God, you must give with an open heart, for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your actions and undertakings." (Deuteronomy 15:10)

"This is the proof of love that he laid down his life for us and we too ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone is well off in worldly possessions and sees his brother in need but closes his heart to him, how can the love of God be remaining in them? Children, our love must be not just words or mere talk, but something active and genuine. This will be the proof that we belong to the truth". (1 John 3:16-19)

"Keep doing good works and sharing your resources for those are the kinds of sacrifices that please God".(Hebrews 13:16)

"From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required". (Luke 12:48)

"Do not store up treasure for yourselves on earth, where moth and woodworm destroy them and thieves can break in and steal. But store up treasures for yourselves in heaven where neither moth nor woodworm destroys them and thieves cannot break in and steal. For wherever your treasure is, there your heart will be too". (Matthew 6:19-21 NJB)

"You are well aware of the generosity, which our Lord Jesus Christ had, that, although he was rich, he became poor for your sake, so that you should become rich through his poverty". (2 Corinthians 8:9)

"Religion of course does bring large profits, but only to those who are content with what they have. We brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it; but as long as we have food and clothing, we shall be content with that". (1 Timothy 6:6-9)

"Put avarice out of your lives and be content with whatever you have; God has said: "I shall not fail you or desert you" (Deut 31:6), and so we can say with confidence: "With the Lord on my side, I fear nothing; what can human beings do to me"? (Hebrews 13:5-6)

"They are to do good and be rich in good works;generous in giving and always ready to share-thisis the way they can amass a good capital sum for the future if they want to possess the only life that is real." (1 Timothy 6:18-19)

"People should think of us as Christ's servants, stewards entrusted with the mysteries of God. In such a matter, what is expected of stewards is that each one should be found trustworthy". (1 Corinthians 4:1-2)

"Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure pressed down, shaken together, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap; because the standard you use will be the standard used for you". (Luke 6:38)
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"Watch and be on your guard against avarice of any kind, for life does not consist in possessions, even when someone has more than he needs". (Luke 12:15)
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"Anyone who is trustworthy in little things is trustworthy in great; anyone who is dishonest in little things is dishonest in great. If then you are not trustworthy with money that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches"? (Luke 16:10-11)

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