During Fall for the last couple of years one of the things you’ve heard about from Mindekirken is Stewardship. This year is no exception, and though we’ll be using a slightly different program than previously I think it retains the same emphasis on the spiritual roots of Stewardship that we’ve featured in the past. It’s been an important topic for me personally, because the primary concept – returning to God a portion of the gifts we have from him – is one that I’ve had occasion to reflect upon a great deal during the five years I’ve now been attending Mindekirken.

The traditional formulation of this idea is that of three T’s – "time, talents, and treasure". Each of them fits into an area that ends up making our church a richer and more rewarding experience. The first of them addresses the many uses that we make of volunteers – ushering, altar guild, kitchen help, assistance with our many church events, and help with preparing and mailing this newsletter that you are now reading are only a few examples. The second speaks to areas in which members of our congregation can bring into play special expertise that enhances the quality of our church life. This ranges from the fine arts, to instructional ability, to the mechanical knowledge that helps keep our water and furnaces running, to the gardening ability that has landscaped our new addition in this last year. The third and final area, the financial realm, is the one that a lot of churches, in my opinion, tend to talk about a little too much these days. At the same time, though, it’s important for us to keep in mind that there are some very strong reasons outlined in the Bible for us to return to God a portion of our material gifts on a regular basis.

In thinking about what I was going to cover in this discussion of Stewardship, I realized that giving of our material wealth was one topic that goes from almost the front to the back of the Bible. Very early in the Old Testament, God demands from the Israelites the "first fruits of their labors" – not the leftovers, not the little bits that they wouldn’t miss, but the very first results. Much later, in the New Testament, Jesus singled out for praise the widow who "gave the little on which she had to live." Why all this emphasis on material giving? My personal suspicion is that Jesus sums it up in one sentence: "Where your treasure is, there shall your heart be." He wants to help us keep focused on our ultimate destination rather than getting distracted by all of the concerns of our daily life here on Earth.

We are using this Fall a slightly different Stewardship program and set of materials than in the past couple of years. By the time you are reading this, you may already have gotten the first mailing that comes out as part of it. The first Sunday where you will hear about it in church will be October 29^th, during which we will share with you some information on the program. The following Sunday, November 5^th, will be "Stewardship Sunday". On that day we will hand out to those attending services, or mail to those who aren’t able to make it, some materials that include a card for you to turn back in with your best estimate of what your material contribution to Mindekirken will be next year. The following Sunday, November 12^th, will be Dedication Sunday, a day on which we dedicate our upcoming gifts. I have been personally impressed by this program and the materials I’ve seen on it. Please feel free to let me know your impressions. We want this to be a happy and fulfilling event in the life of our church. Your contributions – of all sorts – help us to continue to give glory to God at Mindekirken.

John Casey
Congregation President