Stewardship

The message from the first chapter of Genesis through the letters of Paul is the goodness of creation and the abundance of God’s love and generosity. How do we respond to this gift from God? God’s invitation to us is to be caretakers of God’s creation; to give freely, eagerly, and joyfully to God’s mission of restoring right relationship between the creator and humanity. “For God loves a cheerful giver,” declares Paul in his Second Letter to the Corinthians. “You will be enriched in every way for great generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God,” assures Paul later in his letter. 

As God’s caretakers of creation—God’s stewards—we are charged with giving our time, our abilities, and our wealth to proclaiming the Good News of God in Christ, and the bringing about of God’s Kingdom here on earth. The opportunities may be within the ministries of our faith community, or with the organizations and institutions of the wider community. And it may be as simple as the invitations we encounter in our daily lives: an extra bag of groceries during our shopping trips for the community pantry, dropping some dollars in a fundraising jar, or stopping to pick up roadside litter.

At St. Luke’s we offer many opportunities to support and serve in the ministries that sustain our witness—both within the parish and outside of it. And we invite our members and visitors to make financial gifts through the Sunday worship offering, special fundraising requests and campaigns, memorial gifts and bequests, and the annual pledge to the parish’s work.

We encourage you to think of giving to God’s mission as a spiritual discipline that expresses your thanksgiving for the many blessings God has given to you and deepens your relationship with God.

Annual Pledge
The annual pledge supports the operating budget of the parish, funding not only the compensation for clergy and staff, but for the operation and maintenance of the building, office supplies and services, worship supplies, fellowship gatherings, formation events, bookkeeping, the pledge to the diocese, and donations to over a dozen outreach organizations and programs, locally and globally.  For more information contact our treasurer team:  Norma Bramsen, Karen Malzahn, or Carolyn Finch at  stlukestreasurer77@gmail.com 

How you can make a pledge:

• Automatic electronic transfers through your financial institution.
• A check mailed to the parish.
• Cash or check in the offering plate. (To receive tax credit for your gift, you must place your cash in an envelope with your name on it or use a check.)
• Gifts of securities (such as stocks)
• Through planned giving, such as endowing your pledge or naming the church as a beneficiary of your retirement account, life insurance, or in your estate.