Mission

The mission of St Stephen's Stewardship Commission is to develop a year-round process for stewardship education and formation for the parish. Stewardship at St Stephen's is defined as "Using the gifts God has given us, to do the work God is calling us to do."

While the Vestry has the responsibility as stewards of all the resources of the parish, the Stewardship Commission will share this responsibility by bringing its knowledge and experience to bear on using the parish's time, talent and treasure effectively to do the work God is calling us to do.

Program

Some of the responsibilities of the Stewardship Commission are:

• Present educational programs to the parish that focus on the key concepts and the key truths of stewardship including planned giving and proportional giving
• Create and maintain a Time, Talent and Treasure Survey for the parish and follow up by sharing this information with the heads of other ministries
• Create a three-year plan for Stewardship and review these goals annually, revising the plan accordingly
• Develop and implement a facility usage plan for St Stephen's
• Develop a means to involve newcomers in the mission of St Stephen's
• Monitor parish membership and find missing-in-action (MIA) congregants
• Work with the Every Member Canvass (EMC), suggest theme and design of the annual campaign, establish a mini-campaign for the spring, provide support for parish visitations, and maintain records of the annual campaign
• Work with the clergy, support year-round sermons and lay witness opportunities that testify to lives of thankful stewards and talk about ways in which God's Grace is experienced through generous acts of giving
• Work with the Finance Committee, help to create a budget that really supports Stewardship. An example of this might be that a percentage (1%-2%) of the expected pledge income to be allocated for Stewardship formation
• Work with the Assistant Treasurer and the Mission and Outreach Committee to create quarterly Pledge Statements and signed Letters of Thanks which would contain descriptions of ministries supported by these offerings

Legacy Stewardship

More and more of us are becoming familiar with Legacy Stewardship in our charitable support of colleges, universities, hospitals and other non-profit institutions.

Usually Legacy Stewardship involves financial or estate planning, but that doesn't mean it's only for the wealthy. It really includes a variety of ways in which we, and all faithful people, can look beyond this life and provide for the continuing financial support of our Christian community.

Legacy Stewardship benefits our church. Your planned gift supports St Stephen's with additional resources for future mission and ministry - everything from outreach programs to music, memorials, property maintenance or the special needs of our parish.

Your gift also serves to enrich your own spiritual life in many wonderful ways. When we give from our generosity, we reflect the generosity of God. If you're interested or want more information about Legacy Stewardship at St Stephen's, here are some next steps:

• Speak with Fr Bill about your interest in making a legacy gift
• Consult your attorney or financial planner

May God bless us and guide us as we make our decisions about Legacy Stewardship.