In a few days, you will again receive a Stewardship Commitment Card in the mail. You will be asked to consider how much stewardship you plan to offer the Cathedral in 2023. In my letter to you I shared how many wonderful ministries and projects we have planned for the future of our Cathedral. But still people ask me, “Why should I become a steward of the Church?”
The answers vary depending on who you ask. Some people think you should become a steward of the Church so you can vote in Parish Assembly Meetings. Others think you should become a steward so you are eligible for discounted rental rates for the Community Center. Still others think you should become a steward because the Cathedral budget needs your money. While it is true that as a steward you are eligible to vote and get discounts, and obviously your stewardship funds part of the budget, none of these reasons is WHY we should become stewards. They are benefits to being a steward, but not the reason to become a steward.
Do you love God? Then become a steward of His Church. We become stewards of the Church because we love God and we love His Church. When we love someone we give them our hearts, our time, and even our resources. We don’t care if the one we love doesn’t need our hearts. We give them anyway. Loving God is no different.
Has God blessed you? Then become a steward of His Church. We become stewards because God has blessed us and we want to thank Him. Since the beginning of time, the way to thank God is to give Him gifts of time, talents and treasure. The Old Testament is filled with examples of how to thank God.
When we love someone, we want to help them in whatever way they need help. We become stewards because we want God to use our time, talents and treasures to spread the Gospel and save the world. Being stewards of the Church is not about us. It is about God and His Church. God has work to be done, and when we become stewards of His Church, we help Him accomplish His work. As stewards we become His coworkers.
So, who should become a steward? Every baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christian over the age of eighteen should become a steward of the Church, and now you know why. Yes, being a steward will make you eligible for discounts and voting privileges, but those are just side benefits. Yes, your stewardship will be used to pay bills, but that is just a natural part of the world in which we live. Even if you never vote or rent the hall, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be a steward of the Church.