God’s generosity to us

• God gives abundantly and graciously through his creation, redemption, and sustaining life day by day.
• Scripture demonstrates that God’s giving is characterised by extravagance.
• Jesus life and parables show how generosity can be translated into our lives.
• Stewardship is about using what God has entrusted to each of us for the benefit of all of his creation.

Scriptures to ponder:

• Exodus 16 – Manna & Quail
• 2 Kings 4 v 1-7 – The Widows Oil
• John 2 v 1-11 – The Wedding at Cana
• John 6 v 1-13 – Feeding of the 5000

Caring for God’s creation

• Christian Stewardship is caring for God’s creation.
• God created Humankind in his image, and entrusted us to care for all of his creation.
• This includes caring for all other living creatures and treating them with compassion.
• This includes caring for the environment which sustains our lives.
• This includes being fair to all and helping those in poverty.

Scriptures to ponder:

• Genesis 1 v 26-31 – Gods creation of humankind
• Romans 8 v19-23 – Future Glory

Our response as a Christian community:

• Being an ECO Church which aims to be environmentally friendly.
• Being a Fairtrade Church which seeks to provide sustainable livelihoods to those in parts of the world where poverty is rife.
• Being a Giving Church that invests a proportion of our income in supporting Charities that fit with our mission.
• Reducing our individual and household footprints in terms of transport, food, energy and waste.

Spreading the Good News

• Jesus commissioned his disciples to spread the Good News to the end of the earth.
• As Christians we have heard the Word and accepted it but many people we know remain in the dark.
• Stewardship is about sharing our faith with all those that we encounter, and not keeping it to ourselves.

Scriptures to ponder:

• Matt 28 v 16-20 – The Great Commission
• Acts 8 v 26-39 – Philip and the Ethiopian
• Rev 21 v1-6A – Alpha and Omega

Our response as a Christian community:

• Support Mission in more deprived parts of London by paying 150% of the cost of running a parish to the
• Diocese of London Common Fund.
• Reconsidering our personal commitment to sharing our faith.
• Implement our Mission Action Plan.

Investing our time and talents

• The Parable of the Talents demonstrates that God expects us to use what we have been entrusted with for Good.
• We all have something to offer, it is about discerning where God can use us for the benefit of his Kingdom.

Scriptures to ponder:

• Genesis 39 v1-6 and 20-23 – Joseph in Egypt
• Matt 25 v14-30 – Parable of the Talents
• Matt 13 v31-33 – Mustard and Yeast

Our response as a Christian community:

• Recognise and rejoice in our corporate and individual gifting.
• Visit or Pray for those who are sick or in need.
• Get involved with worship; welcoming, leading prayers, reading, serving, singing or assisting with hospitality after the service.
• Join musicians leading music for worship and community events.
• Join volunteers maintaining Church buildings and grounds
• Serve on the PCC or one of its Committees.

Being a cheerful giver

• In Biblical times the first fruits were deemed to belong to God, the first son, the first calf/lamb, the first wheat of the harvest etc were dedicated to God, and if they were to be kept a sacrifice was paid to recover them.
• Today we mostly undertake jobs that remunerate us in money, but the concept is the same that the first fruits of our income belongs to God.
• God does not want us to give out of duty, it is about our attitude, he sees what is in our hearts, so God Loves a cheerful Giver.

Scriptures to ponder:

• Genesis 14 v18-20 – Abram and Melchizedek
• Mark 12 v41-44 – The Widow’s Mite
• 2 Cor 9 v6-8 – Giving Cheerfully
• 2 Cor 8 v12-15 – Generousity Encouraged

Our response as a Christian community:

• Prayerfully consider where God and Church sit in our priorities.
• Decide how we will respond to Gods generosity towards each of us.
• Commit to our chosen gift with a joyful heart.