Stewardship

Christian Stewardship is a life-style which acknowledges accountability and responsibility before God. Becoming a Steward begins when we say we believe in God, to whom we give our love, loyalty, and trust. We affirm that every aspect of our lives comes as a gift from Him.

Stewards are motivated as recipients of God’s abundant love, to respond by participating and supporting His plan of salvation and the ministries of the Church, which make salvation possible for them and for others.

In the Bible, the Steward is depicted as a person who is given the responsibility of managing something that belongs to the Owner—God. The Steward, as the manager, is thus accountable to the Owner for all that he possesses and is responsible to return to the Lord his or her fair share in gratitude and thanksgiving. As God has been generous to us, He expects us to be generous toward the work of Christ and His Church.

Our Stewardship Commitment is the tool of ministry, salvation, and healing for us and for others. Christian Stewardship is the privilege and honor of directly supporting God’s work on earth through the Church.

A Flourishing Parish Stewardship Program

A flourishing parish Christian Stewardship Program can be compared to a river, which overflows into many tributaries and reaches out in many directions to share with others our rich and profound spiritual inheritance.

Success on the local level emanates to greater support and outreach on all levels of ministry: local, national, and international.

Christian Stewardship offers each person the means to become an active proponent in disseminating the Greek Orthodox Faith through fair and generous giving to support the Parish, Metropolis, and Archdiocesan or National Ministries.

The Department of Stewardship and Pastoral Resources is tasked with preparing Christian Stewardship material to assist the parishes of our Archdiocese in achieving a successful and hopefully vibrant Stewardship program.

The Total Commitment Program

“On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that contributions need not be made when I come.”
— 1 Corinthians 16:2

Saint Paul instructed the Corinthians to offer their support for the Church of Jerusalem on a regular and consistent schedule. Total Commitment represents the parishes’ support for the National Ministries of the Archdiocese.

This support has two meanings for us:

1. From the First Fruits

The parish Total Commitment to the Archdiocese is to be made from the first fruits—meaning that it should be that portion of the parish’s income that is designated for the Archdiocese, not just what is left over after local needs.

St. Paul knew it was easier to give regularly than to wait until we “had enough.” Therefore, he reminds us that the parish is to contribute monthly, so the Archdiocese, depending on this regular income, may execute its ministries for the faithful.

2. Affecting the Entire Body

The parish’s Total Commitment directly impacts the National Church’s ability to maintain and grow its ministries. The Archdiocese is sustained by Total Commitment—it is the lifeblood pumping vitality throughout the entire Body of Christ, which we call the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

Ministries Supported by Stewardship

The support rendered by the local parish enables the Archdiocese to sustain ministries expected of a major faith tradition. These include:

• The Ecumenical Patriarchate – our Mother Church

• Metropolis Offices & Programs – regional ministries

• Hellenic College & Holy Cross School of Theology – forming future clergy and lay leaders

• Youth Ministry & Religious Education – nurturing the next generation

• Internet Ministries & Orthodox Observer – staying connected

• Saint Basil Academy – caring for children in need

• Orthodox Christian Missions – sharing our faith

• Greek Language Education – preserving our heritage

These are some of the obvious ministries. Were we to list them all, as Saint John wrote about Jesus: “Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.”
— John 21:25

From the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America