How to Be a Good Steward During a Pandemic

How do you give to the church, especially in these hard times?  Some churches are struggling because not everyone is giving.  Some churches are thriving because its members know they need to give even when the church is not gathering and passing the plate.

Normal giving to the church is about 2% of one’s income. At one time, the 2% was 3%.  Strangely this 3% was during the 1929-1939 Great Depression.  During this time, there was massive unemployment and many were faced with hunger. Researchers tell us that when we have less to give, we give more!

What does this tell us about stewardship? Stewardship goes back to the beginning of scripture. Genesis 2:15, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” Stewardship is a person’s responsibility to manage God’s property.

During this time of “no church” we still have the responsibility to take care of the church.  There are all kinds of ways to give to the church, while the doors of the church are closed. We can mail cash or check to the church.  We can contact our bank or credit union and have money deducted and sent directly to the church. The church may be closed because of the fear of transmitting the coronavirus when we attend, but the church still has expenses. There are salaries to pay, electric and heating bills to pay, insurance, etc. These expenses do not stop because we do not attend.

Let’s become “Good Stewards” during this pandemic.  Let’s take care of God’s church and make sure the church will be ready to proclaim the Word of God in the future.  Jesus gave us 2350 verses about money and possessions. 15% of everything Jesus said – has to do with money.

I am grateful for all the work and creativity our pastors, staff and volunteers are giving us. Some churches are giving us something to watch or listen to every day, some once a week and some several times a week. Let’s all work together to support our church during these “most” unusual times.  Let’s all be good stewards together!

Author: Tommy Herndon