Despite the fact that we have had a bit of hiatus with posts due to Hurricane Sandy, we are still wrapping up our Stewardship campaign.  Last week was our Stewardship In-Gathering.  I had imagined a full and joyful church, a procession with music, and warmth inside and out.  Instead, we worried about those who were missing, we sang without accompaniment, and we processed in the frigid, unheated church.  But somehow, that simplified offering of our pledges spoke volumes for me.  There was a sense that life goes on in the midst of chaos, and that the things that are good here at St. Margaret’s are still very, very good.

If you missed last week, or expect to miss this week too with gasoline lines, feel free to mail in your pledge to the church office.  We are hoping to wrap up pledging by the end of this month so that we can present a realistic budget to the church at our Annual Meeting in December.  If you have already pledged, thank you.  If you are still considering your pledge, or if you just want to enjoy hearing a testimony from a fellow parishioner, I encourage you to read Kim Irvine’s guest submission below.  Kim offers her thoughts on what being “Blessed to be a Blessing” has meant for her.

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A few months ago, when I was asked to serve on the stewardship committee, I was totally surprised. It seemed far out of my comfort zone.   While I do contribute financially to our church, I never really thought of myself as a “steward”.    Honestly, I hadn’t put a lot of thought into how my financial giving impacted my relationship with God.   The correlation of the two, God and money, was not very apparent to me.

I’ve learned a lot from serving on this committee.   One of the strongest messages for me is that God has entrusted me with his resources.  I am responsible to use God’s resources in ways that are pleasing to Him.   For me, giving to St. Margaret’s is one way to share what God has entrusted to me.   This church has been part of my life since childhood.  The people as well as the church building and grounds are very near and dear to me.

I’ve also learned some of the values associated with stewardship, which include:

• Giving intentionally;
• Giving regularly;
• Giving generously;
• Giving first to God;
• Give in proportion to the blessings you have received; and
• Cheerful giving.

While I can relate to some of the values above, I recognize several that I need to work on.

I’ve always liked the adage “actions speak louder then words”.  In order for our church to continue to grow and develop, it is so important to make a commitment to being stewards by using our finances, time and talent in every way we can.

“For where your heart is, there your treasure will be also. “  Luke 12:34

~ Kim Irvine