Gethsemane Lutheran Church Mission Statement
The word “stewardship” can be found in English as early as the Middle Ages. At that time it used to denote the manager of a large household. It was a job description.
Later, some immigrants to the United States, who had been used to worshiping in churches & cathedrals built in the Middle Ages and/or subsidized by the government, began using the term to talk about money for the church. Here, with the separation of church and state, congregations were responsible for building and maintaining their own churches. Fundraising was also necessary for missions in the West and missionaries abroad and by necessity, stewardship was a term used to fundraise inside American Protestant churches.
In the late 1800’s, stewardship in the U.S. was largely connected with the tithe. Churches also fundraised and adopted budgets. By the 1920’s many congregations moved toward erecting new churches rather than supporting benevolences or missions.
After World War II, Americans enjoyed increased affluence and American churches prospered. Church membership as a percentage of the total population grew from 49% in 1940 to 63% by 1960. Money began to be seen as one part of a broader understanding of a stewardship that was connected to the Gospel. The concept of “Time, Talent & Treasure” was a widely successful campaign from this time period.
This expansion of the meaning of the word “stewardship” has continued. The current concept of stewardship is a global one that is now just as likely to be used in secular circles. With church attendance down nationwide (a 2022 study showed that only 46% of Americans were members of a church or synagogue) this broader definition often suggests a lifestyle of working to protect something (such as the environment, justice, or peace).
For us, Christian stewardship is rooted in God’s gifts and how we go about sharing those gifts. It has to do with every aspect of our personal faith. Churches are more de-pendent than ever on lay members to assume roles of servant leadership, using their gifts to participate in God’s work in the world. We acknowledge the concept of “Time, Talent & Treasure” and commit to purposefully working together to act as stewards of all entrusted to us.
Kim Toohey,
Congregational Life chair
Latin carol, 14th century
BROTHER JAMES AIR
EVERLASTING LOVE
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