StewardshipStewardshipStewardship
CHURCH OF THE APOSTLES 170 Fairview Avenue
Coventry, Rhode Island 02816
for for for 201520152015
Our Mission
is to Obey,
Follow and
Bear Witness to
Jesus Christ.
Church of The Apostles is a member of the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference.
CHURCH OF THE APOSTLES Evangelical Anglican
Stewardship Sunday
at
Church of The Apostles
The Twenty-third Sunday
after Pentecost
November 16, 2014
8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist
and
10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist
“Ascribe to the LORD you families of the peoples;
ascribe to the LORD honor and power.
Ascribe to the LORD the honor due his Name,
bring offerings and come into his courts.”
(Psalm 96:7-8)
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From the Stewardship Minister
It is that time of the year when we are called to reflect on our walk
with Jesus Christ, and examine how our walk is lived out in our daily
lives. Stewardship is our outward sign of our inner commitment to
Jesus Christ. What we do with our time, talent and treasure speaks to
where we are in our walk with Christ.
What do you do with your time? Are you in constant communion
with Him throughout your day? Does He shape your responses to
the world? Do you find ways throughout your day to serve and
build up the body of Christ? Does spending time with Christ
sometimes get crowded out by the various pressures of the world? In
the busyness of life, it is easy to put Jesus on a shelf, to “get to” Him
later, when you have more time. Soon, “important” things crowd the
shelf in front of Him, and before long you can’t see Him on the shelf
at all. Eventually, you only have time to spend with Jesus when you
come to church on Sunday.
Thankfully we have a Lord who is patient and kind. I urge you
today to renew a right spirit with Him. “Create in me a clean heart, O
God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). Consider
spending quiet time in his Word each day. “Be still and know that I am
God” (Psalm 46:10). Experience the peace of Christ that surpasses our
understanding. Consider joining one of several different Bible-
centered studies or services that are held throughout the week.
Consider inquiring about or joining one of our many ministries.
Newcomers and old-comers are always welcomed. The signup sheets
are plentiful.
There is much talent at Church of The Apostles. There are many
amongst us who joyfully offer their talent to the glory of God.
Invite the Holy Spirit into your heart and let Him guide you as to
where you might share your time and talent. If you feel the
temptation to say you are not really needed or you don’t have the
right talents to offer or the need is already being taken care of, know
that is just what Satan is counting on. “As each has received a gift, use it
to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Peter
4:10). Getting involved in ministry work can be infectious! Once
your mindset has been oriented to glorifying God through the work
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of ministry, you’ll get hooked, and you’ll discover that you’ll want to
explore more opportunities to be an imitator of Christ.
The way we handle our money reveals whether we trust God and are
willing to be good stewards of the treasure he has given us to manage.
“The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who
dwell in it. For he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the
rivers” (Psalm 24:1–2).
The Bible clearly indicates that we have been created in the very
image of God and are given the task of managing God’s wonderful
property – all of it. “God blessed them; and God said to them, ‘Be
fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the
fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living creature
that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:28).
This means God owns everything and all blessings come from Him.
We are to manage well those many blessings, and that includes
money. It isn’t our possession; it’s God’s and we hold it in trust.
The way we handle our money accurately reflects our faith – it’s an
outward indicator of what’s going on in our spiritual lives.
The Scriptures repeatedly emphasize the sacrificial giving of one’s
income to those in need. Church of The Apostles believes in the
cheerful giving of a tenth of one’s income – as the generally received
Biblical norm and traditional standard of Christian giving. Have you
considered figuring out what percentage of your income goes toward
building up the Kingdom of God?
Your generosity involves not only giving to the Lord’s work in the
faith community but also to those outside of the church for the
purpose of mission activity.
As you can see, stewardship is a vital part of the life of the church and
the individual person. Stewardship is a way of life. During this time
of self-reflection, I ask you to take some quiet time to pray, to pray
about how you can draw ever closer to the mind of Christ, to reflect
on what a lively faith looks like in your life.
God’s peace,
Deacon Deb Adams
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Christian stewards receive God’s gifts gratefully, cultivate them
responsibly, share them lovingly and return them with increase
to the Lord.
Disciples as Stewards
Jesus invites us to be disciples. Being a disciple means
committing our heart and mind – our whole life – to God! As
Jesus’ disciples, Christian stewards recognize God as the origin
of life and source of all things. We are grateful for the gifts
received and eager to use them to show our love for God and
one another.
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and
take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)
Stewards of Creation
God created the world, but entrusts it to human beings. Caring
and cultivating the world includes appreciation for the beauty
and wonder of creation; the protection and preservation of the
environment; the respect for human life, from conception to
final breath; the development of the world through human
effort.
“Behold, to the LORD your God
belong heaven and the heaven of heavens,
the earth with all that is in it.” (Deuteronomy 10:14)
Stewards of Vocation
Jesus calls his disciples to a new way of life — the Christian way
of life. He calls us individually, by name. Each of us, whether
we be minister, clerk, teacher, nurse, mother, father, child, has
Christian Stewardship: A Way of Life
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a personal vocation. God intends each of us to play a unique
role in carrying out his divine plan. It is our challenge to
discern God’s call (our vocation) and respond generously to this
call.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
Stewards of the Church
Stewards of God’s gifts are not passive beneficiaries. Stewards
of the church play an active role in the mission of the church:
bringing lost souls to the saving power of Jesus Christ. Being a
good steward means being generous with our time, talent, and
treasure.
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another,
as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” (1 Peter 4:10)
A Steward’s Way
The life of a Christian steward models the life of Jesus. In
today’s secular culture, this is an often challenging and difficult
way of life to follow. The world encourages us to focus on
ourselves and our pleasures. Those who seek to live as
Christian stewards learn that “all things work for good for those
who love God” (Romans 8:28).
God has given us all we have: our life, health, property, the
earth and the Gospel. Everything is a gift from God.
Stewardship is an expression of God’s love for us and the
joyful, thankful expression of our love for God in return.
“O Lord our God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor
and power; because you have created all things,
and by your will they are created and
have their being.” (Revelation 4:11)
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The Scriptures repeatedly
emphasize the sacrificial giving
of one’s income to those in
need. This generosity involves
not only giving to the Lord’s
work in the faith community,
but also to those outside of the
church for the purpose of
mission activity. The Old
Testament often speaks of the
giving of the “tithe” (that is, ten-
percent). Indeed, the earliest
reference of tithing in the Bible
shows Abram giving an offering
of “a tenth of everything” to
Melchizedek, a priest of God
Most High, as a thank offering
for God’s protection in battle
(Genesis 14:17-20). Jacob also
pledged a tithe to God in
response to the LORD’s
covenant promises (Genesis 28:20
-22). The well-known verse
from Malachi (3:10) calls for
God’s people to “bring the full
tithe into the storehouse”; an act
of faith that would lead to all
nations calling God’s people
“blessed” and which will
transform Judah into “a land of
delight” (Malachi 3:12).
In Matthew 23:23, Jesus makes
reference to the “tithe,” noting
that it has been distorted by the
scribes and Pharisees into a
legalistic practice: “Woe to you
scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
For you tithe mint and dill and
cumin, and have neglected the
weightier matters of the law:
justice, mercy and faithfulness.
These you ought to have done,
without neglecting the others.” In
this verse, Jesus points out that
tithing is meant as a spiritual
devotion or witness, on par
with showing justice, mercy and
faithfulness. It is important to
note, however, that during
Christ’s earthly ministry and
after his Resurrection and
Ascension and the subsequent
establishment of the New
Testament church at Pentecost
(Acts 2), the requirement to give
a “tithe” or a tenth of one’s
income is never explicitly
imposed on Christians. Rather
than stipulating a fixed amount,
the New Testament places
emphasis on generous,
sacrificial, abundant, cheerful
giving: “God loves a cheerful
giver” who “sows bountifully”
(2 Corinthians 9:6-7), so wrote the
Apostle Paul. The New
Testament further promises that
these cheerful givers “will be
enriched in every way to be
generous in every way”
(2 Corinthians 9:11). Thus, while
Christians are not obligated to
give a fixed amount, it is hard to
Stewardship & the Biblical Tithe
7
imagine (is it not?) that God
would expect the people of the
New Covenant to give any less
than the ten-percent tithe given
by the people of the Old
Covenant.
The New Testament specifically
encourages giving to assist
others in need: “If anyone has
the world’s goods and sees his
brother in need, yet closes his heart
against him, how does God’s love
abide in him?” (1 John 3:17). The
New Testament also
places a significant
emphasis on Christians
financially supporting
the needs of the local
church and of those
who do the work of
ministry in the wider-
Church Universal:
that is, the
proclamation of the Gospel that
proceeds from those called to
serve as Evangelists, Pastors and
Teachers (See Galatians 6:6). The
Apostle Paul received financial
support from the church in
Philippi (See Philippians 4:15-19),
and he told the New Testament
churches to systematically
support the ordained Elders of
their particular Congregations:
“especially those who labor in
preaching and teaching,” for “the
laborer deserves his wages” (1
Timothy 5:17-18). This would
require that those who are part
of a Congregation should
regularly give to support the
ministry of the local church and
that the local church should
regularly give support to the
Gospel efforts of the wider-
Church Universal.
“The earth is the LORD’s, and
everything in it, the world, and
all who live in it” (Psalm 24:1).
The Holy Scriptures teach that
God is the owner of all persons
and all things, that we believers
are but stewards of
our lives and
possessions, and that
(first and foremost)
God’s ownership and
our stewardship must
be acknowledged.
Planned, sacrificial and
systematic giving is an
obvious recognition
that everything we have comes
from God. The practice checks
our greed, promotes personal
discipline and thrift, testifies to
our faith in Christ, promotes
God’s work in the world, and
helps alleviate human need.
While tithing is clearly not a
requirement for New Testament
believers (and is certainly not a
condition for salvation), the
giving of the tithe points to a
very significant Biblical model;
one that should be included as a
legitimate orthodox theological
“Planned, sacrificial and
systematic giving is an obvious
recognition that everything we have comes from God.”
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position concerning what may
be considered the minimal
standard for Christian giving.
Thus, while we are aware that
“tithing” can for some easily
become a legalistic requirement
of the law rather than a cheerful
offering motivated by the love
of God shown toward us in
Christ, the giving of ten-percent
of one’s income to the church
for the universal work of the
Gospel ministry is a good
spiritual discipline and a wise
and Biblically appropriate
beginning point for mature
Christians. After all, the
ultimate purpose in all that we
do as believers is to glorify God!
The above article is composed of
excerpts from a paper on the
Scriptural understanding of tithing
and stewardship prepared by The
Reverend Mark R. Galloway for the
Conservative Congregational
Christian Conference.
The Biblical Tithe and
Church of The Apostles
The Constitution and Bylaws of Church of The Apostles
states the following about tithing: “...members are
expected to affirm this Congregation’s belief in the
tithe—the cheerful giving of ten percent of one’s
income—as the generally received Biblical norm and
the traditional standard of Christian giving...” [Article
V.1].
How close do you come to giving what the apostles
taught the earliest Christians to offer to the one holy,
catholic and apostolic Church? If you are not yet
tithing, or have never even considered working toward
the goal of doing so, why not pray about the issue of
your own Christian stewardship and ask God to guide
you in the Holy Spirit as you make your pledge to his
holy Church for 2015.
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Testimonies of the faithful ...
We are all stewards of the
resources, abilities and
opportunities that God has
entrusted to our care. One day
we will be called to give an
account for how well we
managed the things he entrusted
to us.
“Whatever you do, work
heartily, as for the Lord and not
for men, knowing that from the
Lord you will receive the
inheritance as your reward.
You are serving the Lord
Christ.” (Colossians 3:23-24)
—Erin Mead
Stewardship is managing and
taking good care of all that God
has given to me; to the utmost
of my ability. ALL means:
everything from time and the
tangible possessions, to the
intangible things; including my
mind, heart and what is in my
soul. Even my very breath
needs to be cared for through
good health.
When I am taking care of what
God has entrusted to me, I am
giving back to Him with honor
and gratitude what is His.
My greatest hope is to hear the
Lord say when I stand before
Him to account for my
stewardship: “Well Done!”
Until then, I am a work in
progress.
—Carolyn Sweet Smiley
I often feel like my life is a
merry-go-round spinning out of
control. I can barely hang on,
and the only way off is going to
involve major injury. The thing
is, I really don’t want to get
off… I just want it to slow down
a bit so I can enjoy the ride!
We’re asked to give of our time,
talent, and treasure. For me,
treasure is easy. Calculate 10%.
Write a check. Stick it in an
envelope. Done. Talent isn’t
too hard either. Let’s be honest,
who doesn’t like to hear “Those
were the best cookies ever!”? In
the talent department, the
danger is more that I’m giving
for the wrong reasons. For me,
the issue is time. I don’t think
God has given me enough of it.
I envy those people who can get
by on five or six hours of sleep a
night. Why do I need eight or
nine to function? Do you know
what I could do with those extra
hours??? So I’m greedy with my
time. My logical mind starts the
10% calculations. Is that 10% of
my waking hours? That would
be 1.6 hours a day. Are you
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kidding me? By the time I get
home from work and make
dinner that’s more time than I
have left before I go to bed on
some days! So what if I
calculate the 10% on my free
time… The mental gymnastics I
go through are ridiculous. Am I
really going to squeeze God into
a 10 minute time slot on my
schedule?
Luckily, giving of your time
doesn’t have to be on a
schedule. I start my day off
with a quick prayer before
getting out of bed. I listen to
‘Truth for Life’ podcasts on the
way to and from work. I
crochet pocket prayer shawls
during lunch break. I look for
opportunities to listen to and
pray for those in need. I
occasionally volunteer for
things that I can fit into my
schedule, and I end each day
with more prayers, and by
reading at least one chapter in
my Bible. Is it enough? I think
at this point in my life, it’s
going to have to be or I’m going
to lose my grip and go flying off
of that merry-go-round. But I
am sure of one thing. God gives
us everything we need. And
that includes all the time I need.
I just need to figure out how to
use it wisely.
—Debby Glynn
Our creator instituted the
principle of stewardship in
creation when He gave
humanity the task of exercising
dominion over the earth He
created (Genesis 1:27-28). Ever
since then, all people have been
tasked with managing their
natural resources for the
purpose of advancing God’s
Kingdom.
“The earth is the Lord’s and the
fullness thereof” (Psalm 24:1) and
everything we attach our name
to and regard as our “own”
belongs ultimately to the
Almighty. Our possessions are
just temporarily “on loan” from
God.
Wise stewardship is vital to
living in a manner pleasing to
God. We can waste our
resources like the prodigal son
did (See Luke 15:11-13) or we can
put them to good use in the
church.
What has worked for me is
regular tithing and charitable
giving of my time, talent and
treasure. You get used to doing
so without doubts.
—Harrison Smiley
Over the years, my faith has
opened many doors for me,
causing me to trust in ways I
just couldn’t imagine. God has
blessed me many times over. I
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needed to give back to Him
what is His already. Time,
talent and treasure, are most
important in my walk with
Him.
PRAISE GOD!
—Joan Gray
It was quite a relief to hear that
God does not need anything
from me to accomplish his
purposes. I am thinking that I
am off the hook and can
proceed working on whatever
good plans I have
made! But the irony
of stewardship is
that it seems to
benefit first the giver
and the receiver’s
benefit is secondary
at best. In a similar
way the Sabbath was
made firstly for
man’s benefit and
not God’s.
The Collect on September 21
said, “Grant us, Lord, not to be
anxious about earthly things,
but to love things heavenly; and
even now while we are placed
among things that are passing
away, to hold fast to those that
shall endure… .” Stewardship
comes in as many forms as there
are things that we are able to do.
If stewardship has you giving of
your resources, it seems to be
one way that helps lessen the
hoarding, “Silas Mariner”,
attachment to our resources.
All those resources come from
God and we relinquish our
involvement with them forever
when we die. Left to itself, that
hoarding attachment to
resources is insatiable. What we
have seems never quite enough.
The Gospels have some great
illustrations on the appearance
versus the reality of stewardship
giving. Jesus was unimpressed
with an offering of
gold coins but
marveled at an
offering of just a
few, relatively
valueless, copper
coins. In a similar
way He
commented that
those, who had
made an exact
science of giving a
tenth of
everything they had, still failed
to firstly address and perform
what was more important than
their giving. If stewardship has
you giving of your time because
you take your responsibility
seriously to contribute and you
are in the position to do so,
your stewardship is without
equal. Nevertheless, we may
never know in this life to what
degree that stewardship
“She ... put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 21:4)
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contributed to those things that
are eternal.
God knows already the things
that we need and may ask him
for, but oddly He seems to still
delight when we ask Him for
those things. It would be
erroneous to think that I could
somehow manipulate Him into
giving me something in
exchange for some form of my
stewardship. That thinking is a
natural temptation partly
because I live in a world that
runs on payment required for
goods received or services
rendered. It becomes an easy
step to then expect that God
should reward me because my
stewardship deserves it. I
cannot deny that God has
blessed me and my family.
Those blessings started long
before I sought Him and
certainly before I participated in
any degree of stewardship. God
does not need me to worship
him or to be good steward in
order to accomplish His plan.
But he wants me to do both
because he wants me to firstly
remember and trust that He is
the only source of life and the
only giver of all good and
eternal things.
—Peter Camp
When we had our first children,
we doubled the size of our
family and halved our income
all at once. I gave up a career in
IT (Information Technology) to
stay home with our twins.
Then I gave up another career in
audiology when we had a third
child, to educate them. Peter
gave a huge amount of his time,
energy and creativity, while
working full time, to help with
their education.
Stewardship isn’t just about
money. And it isn’t always easy
to know how to be a good
steward of non-financial gifts.
Here are some of the pitfalls of
stewardship we have
experienced:
1. Knowing the difference
between using what God has
entrusted to us to be used for
His kingdom, and being used
by others for their own ends.
We are learning to take time
with God and let Him give
us wisdom and guidance
about stewardship.
2. Forgetting that we are
stewards. We will give an
account for our management
of everything God has
entrusted to us - not just
money, but intelligence,
Testimonies continue ...
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skills, relationships with
spouse, children, friends, co-
workers, and of course, our
time - the irreplaceable gift.
3. Holding too tightly to
possessions and abilities. As
we are learning, we will
eventually lose both. We can
only receive God’s gifts if
our hands are open.
4. Neglecting to set up
ebenezers - stones of help
(See 1 Samuel 7:12). As we
remember God’s faithfulness,
it helps us to trust
that He will always
provide. But we
need to keep
reminding ourselves
of the way God has
blessed our
stewardship in the
past so that we are
encouraged to keep on using
everything he has entrusted
to us for Him.
I often think of Jesus’ parable of
the shrewd manager (See Luke 16)
and of the words of evangelical
Christian missionary Jim Elliot,
“He is no fool who gives what
he cannot keep to gain what he
cannot lose.”
—Marcia Camp
When asked to give a few
sentences about stewardship, I
realized how difficult a “few
words” would be. I reflected on
my life as others have done in
witness to Christ. I have been
fortunate to have known God
since I was a child. My
Episcopal religious education
was poor, but to me my church
was a second home. It was
family, friendship, comfort. We
were “involved” as a family and
I always felt God’s presence
with me. Now as a “Senior
Citizen” I look back and see
God’s presence and guidance
throughout the years (good and
bad times). As I relied
and prayed, He guided
me through academic
achievements,
marriage, family, etc.,
—all good. Then the
tragedies appeared.
My home was
destroyed by fire with
only material losses and He
moved me to Coventry and the
Church of Saint Andrew and
Saint Philip (our former
Congregation). My husband
died of cancer at an early age-
God provided me with
abundant support, a positive
attitude, and a business to
sustain me financially. The
story continues as such. The
Church, His presence, and the
parish family I was given has
been essential throughout these
years. That was God’s part.
“He is no fool
who gives what
he cannot keep
to gain what
he cannot lose.”
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Now for my part as a steward.
I am a steward by FAITH.
There has never been a doubt
in my mind of God’s grace,
mercy, power and glory.
I am a steward by PRAYER.
I have so often given my
troubles to Him in prayer
with amazing results.
I am a steward by
LISTENING and RESTING
in Him. I do not have
answers. He must direct me
and I must act.
I am a steward with what He
has GIVEN me: family,
friends, home, church,
country, abilities, health,
financial means, beauty
around me and more.
I love my family-immediate
and extended.
I give of my time, talent and
treasures. It is all His, but I
must acknowledge the gifts.
I am thankful for my health.
I maintain what He has
blessed me with materially-
home, finances, pets, etc.
I appreciate and
honor nature, my
country and the
world around me.
What have you been
blessed with?
As it is often said: “ We have an
AWESOME GOD”. He is
love, power and authority. We
must decide to Trust and Obey.
It is the hardest and easiest thing
to do. It is your decision, but
what awesome results. The
action of giving is and should be
a great Joy to Christians. Do
not doubt as you give, God will
use your gifts to His glory.
—Linda Greco
About forty years ago, we had a
decision to make about tithing,
which God asks us to do. How
could we ever tithe with three
kids, when one of them was
about to go off to college?
We figured our current annual
percentage of giving by dividing
our total income (pretax) by our
total yearly contributions to our
church. The resulting figure
was the percentage of our
offerings. We were shocked at
how low it was and knew in our
hearts that we should tithe.
So we decided to increase our
annual offering by 1% each year
until we reach 10%. It was
amazing how God
provided once we
started to climb the
ladder to 10% and
honor him.
—Sue and Don Pillsbury
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“Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those
who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:9-10)
“Do all the good you can, in all
the places you can, to all the
people you can.” (John Wesley)
“On the first day of every week,
each one of you should set aside
a sum of money in keeping with
his income, saving it up, so that
when I come no collections will
have to be made.” (Corinthians
16:2)
“Jesus looked up and saw the
rich putting their gifts into the
offering box, and he saw a poor
widow put in two small copper
coins. And he said, ‘Truly, I tell
you, this poor widow has put in
more than all of them. For they
all contributed out of their
abundance, but she out of her
poverty put in all she had to live
on.’” (Luke 21:1-4)
“As each has received a gift, use
it to serve one another, as good
stewards of God's varied
grace.” (1 Peter 4:10)
“Give, and it will be given to
you. Good measure, pressed
down, shaken together, running
over, will be put into your lap.
For with the measure you use it
will be measured back to
you.” (Luke 6:38)
“But Jesus called them to him
and said, ‘You know that the
rulers of the Gentiles lord it
over them, and their great ones
are tyrants over them. It will
not be so among you; but
whoever wishes to be great
among you must be your
servant, and whoever wishes to
be first among you must be
your slave; just as the Son of
Man came not to be served but
to serve, and to give his life a
ransom for many.’” (Matthew 20:27-28)
—Tom McMullen
16
Fiv
e Y
ear
Giv
ing H
isto
ry
The
foll
ow
ing i
s a
bre
akdow
n o
f off
erin
gs
rece
ived
in t
he
wee
kly
off
erin
g e
nvel
opes
for
2010 t
hro
ugh
the
firs
t nin
e m
onth
s of
2014. W
hil
e in
div
idual
s giv
e in
var
ious
freq
uen
cies
(w
eekly
, m
onth
ly, qu
arte
rly,
etc.
), a
ll o
ffer
ings
wer
e ca
lcu
late
d t
o d
eter
min
e e
ach
giv
er’s
wee
kly
off
erin
g.
Offe
ring
Am
ount
20
10
2011
20
12
2013
20
14
(p
er w
eek)
(
Jan
– S
ept)
$2
00.0
0 or
mor
e 4
6 5
5 6
$150
.00—
$199
.99
9 7
6 7
4 $1
00.0
0—$1
49.9
9 4
7 6
6 9
$50.
00—
$99.
99
21
20
22
22
19
$25.
00—
$49.
99
25
29
33
28
27
$10.
00—
$24.
99
28
28
26
27
26
Less
than
$10
.00
43
46
44
41
33
Tot
al G
iver
s 13
4 14
3 14
2 13
6 12
4 A
vera
ge W
eekl
y O
fferin
g $4
6.02
$4
5.87
$4
5.25
$4
6.63
$5
0.06
2010
20
11
2012
20
13
2014
To
tal A
nn
ual
Wee
kly
Off
erin
gs
$3
20,6
65.8
8
$341
,063
.22
$340
,543
.23
$329
,802
.60
$324
,000
* *
Pro
ject
ed W
eekl
y O
ffer
ing
for
2014 b
ase
d o
n t
he
curr
ent
leve
l of
giv
ing y
ear-
to-d
ate
.
17
A Statement of Leadership
At the Church Council meeting held on October
16th, our Congregation’s leadership collectively
made their pledges to the work of ministry here at
Church of The Apostles for the year 2015. Twelve
members of the leadership team (the Superintendent,
Elder, Elder-elect, four Deacons, Deacon emerita,
two Ecclesiastical Dignitaries, Treasurer and Church
Administrator) pledged as follows:
Total pledges for 2015: $109,485.00
This is an average of $9,123.75 or
$175.46 per week for each member.
“This is the LORD’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes.”
(Psalm 118:23)
“Do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed
by the renewing of your minds,
that you may discern what is the will of God—
what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)
18
Wisdom from the Scriptures: Thoughts on Giving for the Faithful Steward
“Appear not before the LORD empty-handed,
for all that you offer is in fulfillment of the precepts.
The just man’s offering enriches the altar and rises as a sweet odor before the Most High.
The just man’s sacrifice is most pleasing, nor will it ever be forgotten.
In generous spirit pay homage to the LORD, be not sparing of freewill gifts.
With each contribution show a cheerful countenance,
and pay your tithes in a spirit of joy.
Give to the Most High as he has given to you, generously, according to your means.
For the LORD is the one who always repays, and he will give back to you sevenfold.”
Ecclesiasticus
or
The Wisdom of Jesus Son of Sirach (35:4-10)
19
Stewardship Sunday
“From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required;
and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.”
(Luke 12:48)
On Sunday, November 16th, Congregants will be asked to
make a financial pledge, as well as a commitment of their time
and talent, toward the work of the ministry of Church of The
Apostles for the year 2015. Pledges should be made after
prayerful consideration. Church members are asked to take the
pledge cards that you will receive in the mail with you to
worship on November 16th and bring them to the holy Table
at an especially appointed time during the 8:00 a.m. or 10:30
a.m. celebrations of the Holy Eucharist, so that as a community
of faith we may “present [ourselves] as a living sacrifice, holy and
acceptable to God which is [our] spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1).
Please continue to pray for the mission of Church of The Apostles
as we jointly prepare to make a commitment of our time,
talent, and treasure to God for the year 2015. For we are the
Lord’s people: “servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of
God” (1 Corinthians 4:1), a people called “to work, pray, and give
for the spread of the kingdom of God” [Bylaws, Article V.1].
“Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and make good your vows to the Most High.”
(Psalm 50:14)
20
Insight into Giving
A Daily Bible Reading Plan for Stewardship
“Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
DAY 1 • God’s first gifts to us Genesis 2:7; 1:29-30; 3:21
DAY 2 • The first recorded tithe Genesis 14:17-20
DAY 3 • The joy of giving 1 Chronicles 29:1-18
DAY 4 • The reward of obedience Isaiah 55:1-2
DAY 5 • The reward of giving Malachi 3:6-10
DAY 6 • The servants choice Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13-15
DAY 7 • The freedom of giving Matthew 6:25-26; Luke 12:22-31
DAY 8 • The disappointed man Mark 10:18-25
DAY 9 • The generous women Mark 12:41-44
DAY 10 • The dishonest gift Acts 5:1-10
DAY 11 • Putting things into perspective 1 Timothy 6:6-10
DAY 12 • Regular, planned, proportionate 1 Corinthians 16:1-2
DAY 13 • God gives...we give...God gives 2 Corinthians 9:6-10
DAY 14 • Let us thank God! 2 Corinthians 9:10-15
CHURCH OF THE APOSTLES Evangelical Anglican
170 Fairview Avenue Coventry, Rhode Island 02816
Office Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Church Office: (401) 821-7609 • Superintendent’s Residence: (401) 397-3652
website: apostlesri.org • email: [email protected] The Holy Eucharist Sunday 8:00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Wednesday 12:00 noon Christian Education Sunday 9:15 a.m. Sunday Brunch Sunday 11:45 a.m. Evening Prayer Wednesday 7:00 p.m. Morning Prayer Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m.
Church Staff
Superintendent The Reverend Mark R. Galloway Church Administrator Erin Mead Communications Officer Barbara Bickerstaff Director of Christian Education Linda Jones Youth Minister Rebecca Galloway Health and Wellness Minister Sharon Galloway, RN Organist and Music Director Marianne Salisbury Assistant Organist Shyanne Slinko Sacristy Minister Barbara Battey Property Maintenance Technician Jim Quinn Sexton Mike Edwards Treasurer Bob Bickerstaff Clerk Joan Clarke
Board of Elders
Elder Rob Geoffrey 943-4661 Elder-In-Training Mark Tellier 580-6199
Elder Emeritus Conrad Ruppert
Ecclesiastical Dignitaries
Lady Linda Greco 228-3060 Lady Sue Pillsbury 884-2947
Board of Servants
Archdeacon Bill Sexton Congregational Care Minister 726-4549 Deacon Tom Bourn Servant Evangelism Minister 294-4186 Deacon Kathy Kettle Outreach Minister 573-0773 Deacon Deb Adams Stewardship Minister 828-7998
Deacon Emerita Cathy Morgan
Church of The Apostles 170 Fairview Avenue Coventry, Rhode Island 02816