Pastor Ritter ~ May
Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed, hallelujah! We find ourselves with just a few Sundays left in the season of Easter; but in reality every Sunday is celebrated as a mini Easter, if you will, as we remember Jesus Christ each Sunday as crucified, died, buried, and risen from the dead. Soon, however, we will transition to the season of Pentecost and the church year will go on. It is also during this time of the year that I am charged with putting together our annual operating budget to be presented, discussed, tweaked, and ultimately approved by the congregation. I will share with you that putting together a budget is one of the least favorite things a pastor will do. As a pastor, I look forward to and love sharing God’s Word with you. I love visiting with our members and getting to know what is going on in their lives, both their joys and celebrations as well as being there for them in the midst of their sadness, grief, or hardships.
However as I put together the budget, I recognize the need for us as a congregation to focus on God’s Word and what it tells us about financial stewardship. Stewardship is simply a term meant to describe the management of the resources in which God has entrusted to us and it includes all things because all things come from God. Financial stewardship would then deal with the management of money, which that too has come from God. As the Senior Pastor, I am charged with being the chief steward of this congregation to ensure that all that has been entrusted to us by God and which we have received from Him through the hands of the members of this church are used and managed in ways pleasing to Him.
I also take seriously my role as your pastor to ensure that you know what God’s Word states on this topic. Here are a few examples of what God’s Word tells us:
Psalm 24:1- “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.” This verse reminds us that God is the owner of everything, we are merely the managers.
First Fruits gifts, tithing, giving generously and out of joy and not out of compulsion are themes found in both the Old and New Testament. Here are just some examples to look up: Leviticus 27:30-32, Malachi 3:10, Proverbs 3:9-10; 11:25, 2 Corinthians 8:7-23; 9:6-8.
Proverbs 21:5 teaches us the importance of budgeting and planning, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.” See also Proverbs 21:20.
My hope and prayer is that you will take the time both to study what God’s Word has to say and to examine yourselves and your giving practices. The members of Immanuel are already very generous in a variety of ways, but as with most things, there is always room for improvement. Good stewardship practices are never about what God desires from you, rather they are about what God desires for you. My encouragement to you all is to practice good biblical stewardship both in your gifts and support of the church and in your own homes. You can trust that the God who created all things and provided for your salvation through His Son Jesus Christ will also provide for your every need. Amen