Gracious God, giver of all we have and hold as stewards; grant the people of this church a deep and abiding awareness that all things come from you – our health, our incomes, our jobs, our talents and our generous impulse. Send your Holy Spirit to help us as we swim against the rising tides of materialism, envy, individualism and greed in our culture. When we are tempted to think of money as a private matter, remind us that you have asked for part of what we are given, to be returned to you as a symbol of our awareness that you give all we have. And further, help us to help each other in this grace of giving, for you are the lover of our souls and call us to nothing less than transformation in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
From the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, Prayers for Stewardship.
The tips of the sugar maples have begun to redden as the weather takes an autumnal turn easing its fiery grip on us in East Tennessee. Christian Formation programs have hit their stride and planning for fall events is ramping up. Who doesn’t feel a little childlike joy with events like Grace Episcopal’s Spirits in the Garden, Church of the Ascension’s Procession for All Hallows’ Eve and Boo Bash, St. Paul’s Chattanooga’s Boo in the Pews, or my favorite event name, St. Timothy’s Holy Ghost Weenie Roast! In a time of immense anxiety and separation, our communities are more valuable than ever, not just for their potential for entertainment, but for building and reinforcing what it means to be people of relationship and companionship.
Our Episcopal communities are localized bodies of Christ embedded in towns and cities that otherwise do not revel in the joy and celebration of fellowship. As followers of Jesus Christ, our collective work and ministry proclaims an alternative to the distracting consumerism and self-serving of the culture around us. In a time when cultural forces would have us stare at phones, tablets, and TVs while shopping for the latest trinket, what more radical a thing could we do than to bake a Pyrex full of green bean casserole and share it at a parish potluck featuring the local ukelele band? Hang out with a fellow parishioner at a local coffee shop for a change of pace? Or, gasp, spending two hours of our weekend to be present and walk with those who feel the same call to the living God?
Our communities take love, patience, and even vulnerability to flourish, but they also take funding to function. The coffee in your Sunday School class, the lights in the parish hall, the music from the organist, the casserole cartel that brings dishes to shut-ins, or the entire reason I sit in a particular spot at St. Andrew’s...the air-conditioning...all take funding from us all. Our collective gifts make community happen. Without them, it is hard to bring people together, to make places of hospitality, and to send people out from our gatherings into a hurting and struggling world to bring the Good News to those that do not know it or need to hear it and experience it again. Stewardship is not only the care of creation (our first vocation and calling), not only balancing a budget, but caring for community.
In many of our communities, pledge cards have or will be going out in the mail soon. We invite you to hold the pledge card in hand and see it not as an obligation, not as a burden to bear, but a prayer to be offered in the hope of the care of your community. As Bishop Cole is oft to say, when we love something, we tend it and we support it with our time and currency. In this season, we invite you to see the pledge as a prayer and a sign of your love for your community.
My prayers for you all in this busy season,
Bro. Andrew Aelred Morehead, OC
Missioner for Communications and Evangelism
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As part of our new communications plan, a diocesan staff member or a clergy or lay leader from the diocese will offer A Word In Season, a timely reflection with seasonal inspiration, resources, and knowledge to share.
In this edition, we highlight the diocesan subscription to TENS as well as other stewardship resources such as Project Resource.
The Episcopal Network for Stewardship – The Diocese of East Tennessee subscribes to The Episcopal Network for Stewardship (TENS for short). Every parish in the diocese has access to this resource. For access information, please contact Canon Cheryl Bullis.
Project Resource – Project Resource comes out of the Episcopal Church in Colorado. This program has proven highly effective for stewardship campaigns. While the Diocese of East Tennessee does not have a diocese-wide subscription at this time, this program is well worth investigating.
Prayers for Stewardship from the Diocese of Washington - The Diocese of Washington has compiled a beautiful collection of prayers for stewardship. If you make use of these, please make sure to give credit in bulletins or verbally.