The Christian understanding of Stewardship is derived from the revelation of God to which the Bible bears witness. God is the Creator of all things and the Lord of all history; in Our Lord Jesus Christ he acted to save the world; through the Holy Spirit, he is at work in the Church and in the world to fulfil his purposes.
We Believe in God the Father…
Because God is the Creator and has given men and women a special place in his purposes on earth and dominion over all other living creatures, men and women are called:
To worship God and to give thanks for his goodness
To use the natural world and other living creatures in the service of God and all people and not for self-interest and exploitation.
We Believe in God the Son…
Because God has made himself known most fully in Jesus Christ, and has acted uniquely and decisively in him to save the world and to give forgiveness, grace and eternal life, men and women are called:
To put their trust in God and live in companionship with Jesus Christ
To follow Jesus in showing love to others; to use their minds, bodies and possessions to glorify God, and to give practical help to people in need.
We Believe in God the Holy Spirit…
Because God has formed the Church, entrusted the Church with the Gospel and given gifts to men and women through the Holy Spirit:
The Church is called to make Jesus Christ and the Gospel known.
Individual Christians are called to use their gifts in his service.
A response in active Stewardship
So the Christian seeks to give, because God has given to us. "We love, because he first loved us".
To describe our response and love we use the words "Christian Stewardship". We do so because the word "steward" is used in the Bible to express the concept of responsibility for the use of material possessions and spiritual powers.
Christian Stewardship may therefore be defined as the response which we the Church, collectively and individually, are called to make to God for all that he has given us and done for us, above all in Jesus Christ.
In this response:
We worship God with praise and thankfulness;
We look on the universe as God's creation;
We treat the earth and its resources as God's provision for the needs of all mankind;
We regard our lives, our powers, our possessions, as gifts from God to be enjoyed and used in his service;
We seek to share in Christ's mission to the world.
Our response in Christian Stewardship is therefore active:
As we respond to God in praise and thanksgiving
As we look on the universe as God's creation
As we treat the earth and its resources as God's provision for the needs of all mankind
As we seek to consecrate our personal wealth to God
As we regard our lives, our powers and possessions, our money and material wealth as gifts from God to be enjoyed and used in his service
As we seek to be "Stewards of the Gospel" and to share in Christ's mission to the world
Many Blessings,
Gareth
