Stewardship Development

Stewardship development is an active part of faith formation for all ages. Being stewards, individually and as communities of stewards, is about daily decision-making—decisions about

• how we relate justly to the rest of creation
• how we earn, spend, invest, and share money
• how we invest and share time and talents
• how we share who we are as God's beloved children
• how we organize our whole life to share God's good news
• just about everything!

A brochure is now available to help your congregation make connections with worship, outreach, congregational life, and more. Information, resources, and research on stewardship are available in the Stewardship Development: Connecting to All Aspects of Church Life catalogue [PDF: 12 pp/838 KB].

Adult Stewardship Discussions

Discovering the Manna Principle

Barbara Fullerton examines how congregations can help move people from being consumers to being disciples and stewards giving of their resources for God's work. This article also includes a Bible study called "The Manna Principle."

Giving

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This magazine encourages all Christians to consider our calling as joyful stewards of all the gifts God lavishes on us. Published annually by the Ecumenical Stewardship Center, and available from UCRDstore.

Living with Money

This ecumenical video resource will stimulate discussions about money and our relationship with it.

Money Autobiography [PDF: 2 pp/53 KB]

Writing a money biography helps identify feelings and behaviour evoked by money. Insights and awareness from doing this will inform faithful personal decision-making. Useful for individual spiritual practice, this autobiography can also be used for discussion in small groups or in marriage and pre-marital counselling.

Used with permission of Ministry of Money. Permission is granted to copy for use in congregations.

The Bible on Money and "Stuff" [PDF: 4 pp/90 KB]

By Barbara Fullerton

A Bible study based on what the Bible says about money and material belongings, and how our relationship with them reflects and affects our relationships with God and all others.

Download The Bible on Money and "Stuff" Handouts [RTF: 9 pp/147 KB]

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Stewardship in the Family

Congregations can nurture good stewards in family relationships year-round. These articles explain how to make stewardship a family affair.

Stewardship in the Family

How can congregations help families identify their stewardship questions and live as Christian stewards?

Outreach Makes Stewardship a Family Affair

Reaching out to others is part of what defines us as Christians. Inevitably, how we do outreach raises stewardship questions.

Stewards of Relationship

Jesus taught us to love God with all our hearts and to love our neighbours as we love ourselves. How can we be good stewards of all our relationships?

$teward$hip at Chri$tma$

The Christmas season presents many opportunities to learn about stewardship. "Investing" holiday time and money well can bring your family closer together.

Stewardship as a Lenten Discipline?

Lenten disciplines are part of how we observe the season of Lent. How might you relate stewardship to your Lenten discipline?

Transforming Santa

A reflection on celebrating Christmas without allowing Santa Claus to hijack the real meaning of family holiday celebrations.

Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?

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Alternatives for Simple Living offers ways to resist consumerism, especially at festive times such as Christmas. This resource is available from UCRD in a version created especially for United Church congregations.

Make It Simple

From the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, this multi-use resource helps congregations and families grow stewards with a focus on simplicity, generous living, and the faithful use of God's abundant blessings. Included are how-tos, preaching ideas, study and discussion topics, children's resources, and leadership aids.

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Stewardship Education with Young People

United Church resources for stewardship education can be used with children and youth in a variety of settings:

• theme time during worship
• Sunday school classes
• vacation Bible school or after-school programs
• confirmation classes
• planning and implementing the mission of the church
• participating in worship planning and leadership
• intergenerational events/activities
• at home

The following resources are recommended for use with children. See also recommendations for older youth.

Wrapped in God's Love: A Milestone Ministry Resource

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Barbara Fullerton, Annemarie Klassen, and Jeff Steckley (Kitchener-Waterloo, ON: Canadian Interchurch Stewardship Committee, 2007)

This is a booklet for congregations and families as they celebrate milestones of eight transition times from infancy to age 18. Includes suggestions for use in worship, Christian education opportunities, and at home! Each milestone has a theme and includes two aspects:

• Planting Seeds of Faith: nurture faith through congregational and family celebration with a symbol of faith and love.
• Growing Generous Hearts: offer opportunities to respond to God's love.

Receiving and giving are both essential components of faith formation and discipleship. We receive the blessings of God and respond with gratitude by sharing the many gifts received from God. Faith and action are both important in a child's maturing process.

I Can Give, Too! [PDF: 2 pp/187 KB]

Licensed for use under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5. Use or modification permitted with credit to original author. Copyright © Martin Settle, 2003.

Like the worksheets congregations often give to adults to plan their givings (in time and money) to the church, this form values the gifts of children and encourages their growth as young stewards. By the staff associate at First United Church in Ottawa.

Share the Gift

(Toronto: The United Church of Canada, various years)

A series of stewardship resources for children and youth written by Dr. Elizabeth Muir, former United Church stewardship development staff. Resources are available for all age groups, from young children to teens. Available from UCRDstore.