What is stewardship?

Stewardship tends to be equated with raising money for the church.  Of course, it takes money for congregation's to operate; but stewardship is much more than money.  As baptized Christians we are called to be faithful stewards of all that God has given us: our lives and the mission of the church.

In many ways, stewardship is the most important guiding principle for our lives.  Stewardship is about how we participate in and take care of our families, our community, our nation and even our world.  This means that stewardship is much more than dollars-and-cents.  It is all of life, and it is faithfully using the abundance God has generously given us for life.

It is God's nature to be generous.  When the Bible talks about God's generosity, it is usually in terms of prosperity for the whole community rather than just an individual.  In other words, the intent of God's generosity is for the community of faith to be abundantly blessed so that they can be generous blessings to others - living into God's mission to redeem the world.

This means church is the community of faithful people acting together as stewards fo God's mission.  As the Apostle Peter writes, we are "good stewards of the manifold grace of God" (1st Peter 4:10).  This means that we already have all the abundant (manifold) gifts and resources that we need to take part in God's mission.  God would never give us less than we need for the sake of the mission!

What stewardship means at East Side

At East Side Lutheran we try to see ourselves as created, called and sent by God as a community of faith that has been abundantly blessed so that we can take part in God's mission to redeem the world.  In this way, we are both servants and stewards of the mission.  As the Apostle Paul says, "Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God's mysteries" (1st Corinthians 4:1).

Our goal at East Side is to help each other recognize the abundance God has given us (as individuals and as a congregation) and then use that abundance to live more fully into the mission God has sent before us.

Giving to God's Mission in and through East Side Lutheran Church

Jesus teaches us in the parables (Matthew 25:14-30 & 24:45-51) that everything belongs to God, and everything means everything: people, assets, facilities, and even the mission to which God has called us.  We belong to God.  The church belongs to God. The mission belongs to God.  And - one way or another - God will make sure that the mission will get done.

Money is one - just one - of the blessings God has given us.  The faithful use of this gift involves giving just a portion (not all) of the money God has given us to further the mission.  this is why offerings are given at every worship service - we are offering some of God's abundant blessings to help make the mission happen.  Our offerings reflect our faithfulness and our trust in God's abundant blessings.

There are many ways you can support God's mission through the life and mission of East Side Lutheran Church:

General Fund - Gifts support the overall ministry of the congregation

Building Fund - Gifts help reduce the debt on the building

Radio Ministry - Gifts support the broadcast of our 9:30 am worship service over KSOO Radio (1140 AM).  Our worship services have been continuously broadcast on KSOO Radio at 11:00 am for 60 years!

Endowment Fund - gifts to East Side's Endowment Fund are wisely invested and the annual income is used to support four specific areas: global/national benevolences, local benevolences, student scholarships to colleges/universities and capital improvements.

If you desire to live out of God's abundance and into God's mission through the life and mission of East Side Lutheran Church, you may contribute in three ways:

Offering envelopes, or

Automatic transfers from checking or savings, or

Contribute online (at bottom left click Donate Online).

If you are interested in financially supporting the mission of East Side Lutheran Church, please contact:

Gigi - Finance Secretary

East Side Lutheran Church

1300 E 10th St

Sioux Falls, SD 57103-1796

Phone: 605-336-3597 Ext. 12

Email: Gigi@EastSideLC.org

Bequests: If you would like information about leaving a gift for the mission of East Side - or any church ministry - through you will, please contact Pastor Olaf Roynesdal: Olaf@EastSideLC.org

Together, our gifts further God's mission and make a difference in our community and world!