Joint Bishops' Statement on Our Stewardship of God's Abundance

by Terri Endres, diaconal minister, director of stewardship and development

God is up to something in the world today! The messages of society often are negative and play on
our fears.  However, we who are Christian know a different reality—one that celebrates the Incarnate God—the God who is continuously redeeming the world.

It is important for our congregations to live in the reality of this good news. In the midst of the financial concerns we hear expressed daily, the message of the Gospel is one of God’s abundant blessings.  Bishop Craig Johnson of the Minneapolis Area Synod and Bishop Peter Rogness of the Saint Paul Area Synod recently fashioned, “A Joint Statement on Our Stewardship of God’s Abundance.” This statement centers congregations in a theology of God’s abundance and encourages them to act out of this abundance in some practical ways in their day-to-day lives as centers of God’s grace.

This statement has been approved by both the Minneapolis Area and Saint Paul Area Synod councils and has been shared with the conference deans this fall. A short DVD has been produced and was distributed to congregations in early January, along with suggestions for conversation and use. Also being produced is an “Imagine…” document, sharing some of the practical ways increased financial support for churchwide and synodical programs can enhance the ministries in which we are engaged. The statement is listed below, or download a pdf.

Resources

• How to Use these Materials
• "Imagine..." document
• Bible Study
• Statement (pdf)
• Video

A Joint Statement on Our Stewardship of God’s Abundance

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”John 10:10

Introduction    
We believe God is a God of abundance, who continues to give us everything we need to fulfill God’s calling in our world. We live in challenging times. Many individuals and congregations find themselves facing difficult choices regarding financial resources. In such times there is always the temptation to hold on to that which seems scarce. We believe this is the time to proclaim the abundance of God. These challenges also present us with an opportunity for bold witness to what God is calling us to do and be. This joint statement is an invitation for dialogue and a call to action for the congregations and leaders of the Minneapolis Area and Saint Paul Area Synods.

We believe:    
God invites us to be generous as individuals and as congregations.

God invites us to be missional, participating in God’s redemption of our world.

God invites us to be the Body of Christ in the world, speaking and working together in proclamation and service, in mercy and justice.

We invite:    
All the congregations in the Minneapolis Area and Saint Paul Area Synods to be generous in sharing your resources with the wider community, dedicating at least the first 10% of your congregational offerings to the support of ministries outside the congregation, with a minimum 5% to ELCA mission support and 5% to other designated benevolences.

All the congregations of the Minneapolis Area and Saint Paul Area Synods to be missional, engaging in witness, service, and advocacy as you seek to be agents of justice and love in your immediate communities and around the world.

All the congregations of the Minneapolis Area and Saint Paul Area Synods to be the Body of Christ in the world by engaging in relationship with at least one local and one global partner.

All the congregations of the Minneapolis Area and Saint Paul Area Synods to work together, respecting our differences while uniting our efforts, recognizing that we can do more together than we can separately.

We will:    
Work to provide resources that will help the congregations of the Minneapolis Area and Saint Paul Area Synods in our efforts to become generous, missional, and united centers of God’s redeeming love in our world.

Interim Bishop Glenn Nycklemoe                     
Minneapolis Area Synod 

Bishop Peter Rogness
Saint Paul Area Synod