Beryl Jantzi shares some thoughts on Stewardship Sunday, which falls on January 14 this year, and shares Everence’s 2024 Stewardship Sunday resources.
Beryl Jantzi, with his wife, Margo.
Beryl Jantzi is a former pastor and now serves as the Everence director of stewardship education. He can be contacted at beryl.jantzi@everence.com, if you would like to continue the conversation about God and mammon.
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“The word stewardship in the New Testament is used primarily in connection with stewardship of the gospel. … But in the broader sense, stewardship is related to the idea of God as head of the household, in which Christians are God’s servants or managers or sons and daughters entrusted with responsibility. … Thus, the term stewardship has come to refer to our responsibility both for sharing the gospel and for managing time, material things, and money.”
— Article 21 Christian Stewardship, Confession of Faith In a Mennonite Perspective
Mennonite Church USA has identified January 14, 2024, as Stewardship Sunday. This doesn’t mean it’s the only time to talk about stewardship in the life of the church, but it does suggest that, as we begin a new year, it is helpful to remember all that we have belongs to God.
The 2024 Everence Stewardship Worship Guide offers reflections on the theme of Sabbath as gift. Using key themes from Leviticus 25, worship planners are invited to incorporate their own illustrations and points of connection from their life and community. According to Scripture, Sabbath is intended not just for God’s people but for all of God’s creation.
The order of service that has been provided in this resource offers suggestions to adapt for your worship service. Use this anytime during the year that suits your worship schedule best. Feel free to invite your Everence stewardship consultant to participate in the service or even present the message.
Blessings to you in your preparation for preaching and helping others enter worship and consider God as the Lord of the Sabbath.
To find more resources like the 2024 Everence Stewardship Worship Guide, see Everence’s Pastor and Church Leader Resources page.
For more ideas on Stewardship education and preaching material contact Beryl Jantzi, Everence director of stewardship education. at beryl.jantzi@everence.com.
The views and opinions expressed in this blog belong to the author and are not intended to represent the views of the MC USA Executive Board or staff.
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