Stewardship
Northside Stewardship Mission
We will strive to increase our congregational understanding of Northside’s mission to Connect to God, Grow with God, Care for Others and Connect Others to God. This development goes beyond the usual thought of an annual financial stewardship drive in support of the operating budget.
By increasing our understanding of how the giving of our time, talents and treasures is part of our spiritual formation, we will move forward together on this Journey.
The following summarizes how we view the offering plate, not just as a plate, but rather as where we put our time,talents and treasures.
Whose Offering Plate is it?
- It is the Lord’s offering plate.
- It has been placed into our hands to use as the Master would require. God trusts us with it.
- It is an instrument of grace (love) paid for with the blood of Christ, God’s only son.
- The offering is God’s and that makes it a big deal.
- We should not treat it casually and with little regard. We cannot be satisfied withjust doing what has been done before.
- We cannot act like the offering plate is the intermission experience in a worship service.
- It is not your plate. It is God’s plate… and it deserves all the respect we can give.
- An offering plate should not be seen only for a monetary response, but also as where we can put our time and talents to work.
- Any way we do it, it’s still to be done for the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ.
- If we keep our minds focused more on whose plate it is-and keep our focus on mission rather than on procedure, be it old or new then we will do just fine.
- And while we may change the culture and old ways of doing things, the mission still remains the same… Discipleship!
- To Support NUMC Ministries and commit to continued giving, please fill out our Financial Committment Form
Paraphrase from Clif Christopher’s Introduction in ‘Whose Offering Plate Is It?: New Strategies for Financial Stewardship (2010·10·01)”. Abingdon Press.