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Stewardship 2024
STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIN LETTER 2024
Dearest Steward:
Stewardship Sunday has arrived! And with that, so has the 2024 Stewardship Ministry theme, which is drawn from the Parable of the Talents: “Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant” (Matt. 25:14-30)
What’s the Story with the “Talents”?
The parable appears in the Gospel of Matthew (there is a similar one in Luke), and it’s not about the “talents” we usually think about, like painting or being a great mechanic. These talents have to do with ancient money—a talent, by the way, was a monumental amount of money, probably worth twenty years of wages for a laborer. In a nutshell, the parable outlines the story of a nobleman getting ready for a trip, who entrusts certain amounts of money with his three servants while he’s gone. The servants receive five, two, and one talent, based on their ability—their God-given ability. The servants with the five and two talents multiplied the gifts of the man, but the servant with the one talent buried his and was not fruitful with his “ministry.”
What this Has to do with Stewardship at Saint Gregory
Jesus blessed us with this parable to teach that we are responsible to use God’s gifts—to develop them, to grow them and then to offer them back to Him. Although we all receive different gifts, and they are all of tremendous value, we see in this parable that there is no difference in God’s reward for what we accomplish with them. If we want to be fruitful “servants” at Saint Gregory, then we can take whatever we’ve been given and offer it faithfully to the Lord. It is not about how much we have; it is what we do with our gifts. Like the servants who were faithful to their gifts, we too can “enter into the joy of [our] Master.” In this light, now the “talents” of the parable seem less about coinage and much more about the “talents” we usually think of with stewardship.
Our Talents in 2023: Where We’ve Been
As we think about the way we strove to multiply our “talents” in 2023, a host of ministries and spiritual endeavors come to mind. Vital youth ministries like Sunday School, HOPE, JOY, and GOYA went forward successfully, including a new Confession program for our 4th/5th graders; likewise, events such as the Fall Barbecue and Saint Modestos Pet Blessing presented opportunities for fellowship and fun. Our philanthropic and social action endeavors continued to thrive and help us live the “Liturgy after the Liturgy.” Wonderful examples include the Philoptochos School Supply Drive, GOYA Giving Tree, and the Food and Friends Ministry. Through educational programs like Orthodox Life, Orthodoxy 101, and the Philoptochos Prosfora Workshop, many of us grew closer to Christ—and to one another.
Our Talents in 2024 and Engaging Our New Campaign
As we look to the new year, we have so many plans for our ministries and programs. In addition to our ongoing cycle of worship, ministries and programs, a Lenten or Advent retreat is in the works, along with a summer Vacation Bible School “pilot.” We also look forward to solidifying, further, our relationships with local helping organizations through various TCI (Thriving Congregations Initiative) grants and growing the scope of our philanthropic reach in the greater community. And this is just for starters. Our little church has big plans for our mutual “talents.”
With these things in mind, we invite you to consider our 2024 Stewardship Ministry campaign, outlined within this packet. These resources will help us better understand the importance of considering our “talents,” both individually and as a parish, in the context of presenting our “time, talent and treasure” to the Lord. In addition, a 2024 Commitment Card is included, and an electronic version is available within the Stewardship pages of our parish website.
As we close out one year and look forward to another, this may be the ultimate time to re-engage our “talents,” to multiply the gifts of our community. Though our parish has formidable challenges before us, the heart of Saint Gregory is more formidable. This is a time to reflect, strive, and steward our talents in new and creative ways; to think differently, to act differently. This is a time to prepare for and act upon what can be, by God’s grace, and our own commitment to the mission of the Gospel.
With love in the Lord and profound gratitude,
Fr. Alex Chetsas, Proistamenos
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Christian Stewardship Is...
…learning how to be a responsible and concerned caretaker of Christ’s Church; it is learning how to enjoy Church life and be happy in Church work, for in Her dwells the fullness of the Spirit of God.
…our active commitment to use all our time, talent and treasure for the benefit of humankind in grateful acknowledgment of Christ’s redeeming love.
…caring for the needs of others.
…offering one’s self to God as He offered Himself to us.
…what a person does after saying “I believe…”, as proof of that belief.
…devotion and service to God and His Church as persons, as families, as parish, as diocese/metropolis, as national Church and as Church universal.
We greatly appreciate your stewardship!
Your donations will support St. Gregory the Theologian and all our ministries.
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