Eastern North Dakota Synod

Discipleship

Stewardship

Stewardship means "belonging to God" - all that we are and all that we have comes from God. We are grateful to God for it all, and responsible to God for how we use it. Stewardship is a relationship to family, self, nature, work, friends, country, church and God. Stewardship defines your love, caring and responsibility for what is important in your life. Stewardship produces fruit, effort, labor, resources and money for the subjects of your care.

There is a connection between stewardship and spirituality: generous giving as a spiritual discipline helps us to grow in Christ. Stewardship makes theological and worldly sense of all that you have been given. Stewardship takes your treasure and allocates it at your heart's direction.

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Matthew 6:21 NRSV

Mission Support

Mission support is stewardship of our synod.
Learn more about how your congregation can work to share the good news of Jesus Christ through mission support...

Find Mission Support Congreational Resources...

Synod M issionary Sponsorship

Missionary support is needed locally! We invite you into conversation and consideration of providing missionary support to designated missionaries within our synod in addition to the missionary support to our missionaries serving globally. Learn more...

Stewardship Resources

Resources about stewardship and how to develop stewardship in your congregation.

Websites:

Stewardship in the 21st Century from Luther Seminary (external link)
Stewardship resources from Synod Resource Centers (external link)
ELCA Stewardship Resources (external link)
Many great congregation resources and tools including:
- Stewardship Now: Stories of Stewardship (external link)
- Sermon Starters (external link)
- Make it Simple (external link)
  A Resource for Stewardship Education and Annual Response

Books and DVDs:

Ask, Thank, Tell: Improving Stewardship Ministry in Your Congregation by Charles Lane
One of the finest and most practical books on stewardship around. At only 128 pages, it is a quick study! Using this with your council or with your budget committee is highly recommended.
Biblical Stewardship: Our Duty and Delightwith Dr. Mark Allan Powell
This new course features seven 20-minute video sessions on DVD, and a comprehensive study guide and participant handouts.
Generous Giving Devotional (download .pdf file)
A devotion to use with your church council or budget committee as you contemplate your mission support for the upcoming year.

More stewardship resources from the EaND Resource Center...

Stewardship Prayers:

Thank you God for our relationships, responsibilities, cares and love.
Thank you God for our abilities to produce fruit, effort and labor.
Thank you God that we can make theological sense of our world.
Thank you God for our treasure and our heart.
Lord, make us good stewards. Lord, make me a good steward.
Amen.

God of more than enough, give us peace beyond our fear, move us beyond the world's mantra of "there is never enough" to remembering that with You, there is more than enough. Strengthen us, as Your people, to live in thankfulness: to give, to love and to share as You would have us do, so
that in our words, decisions and actions, we live trusting in Your abundance.
This we pray through Your Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen.