Treasures New and Old

Kim Krogstad (Chair) Andy Taylor, Darin Johnson, Derek Fossey, Greg Shepherd, John Knudson, Cheryl Corneliussen, Hitoshi Adachi, Murray Finck

Matthew 13:44-52

…a treasure hidden in a field …a merchant in search of fine pearls …a net thrown into the sea

…the finder sells all to buy the field

…the merchant sells all he has to buy it

…the fishermen separated the good fish from the bad and threw away the bad

…the angels will separate the righteous from the evil

And Jesus said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old." Matthew 13:52

…brings out of his treasures what is new and what is old

Dr. (Professor) Mary Sue Dreier Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN

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Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses…

Think of a particularly memorable stewardship time, event, or milestone in your congregations history. +Who made it possible? +Who are the heroes in your congregation, those whose faith was/is evident in their actions? +What can we learn from these witnesses to the goodness and grace of God?

…let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely…

+What old practices in your congregation no longer facilitate the race, but are actually wearing down your congregations stewardship enthusiasm? +What sins weigh down your congregation – in other words, how have such things as covetousness, self- righteousness or fear affected the ways your congregation talks about stewardship? On a continuum of survival/guilt-producing/financing the budget/faith-based/thriving, where do you see your congregation?

Survival Guilt-producing Financing the budget Faith-based Thriving

+What old practices in your congregation no longer facilitate the race, but are actually wearing down your congregations stewardship enthusiasm? +What sins weigh down your congregation – in other words, how have such things as covetousness, self- righteousness or fear affected the ways your congregation talks about stewardship? On a continuum of survival/guilt-producing/financing the budget/faith-based/thriving, where do you see your congregation?

…looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith…

+In what ways is your congregation generous …with another … with the greater church … with your community … with the world? +How do you celebrate that generosity? +How do you share the stories of your generosity to encourage the generosity of others? +How does knowing Christ generously gave himself for you help you to be generous with what you have received?

…let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us…

+What are your congregations stories? +How do they fuel your present stewardship run? +What is Gods vision for your life and for your community of faith (to what are you running?)

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…getting off the couch, putting on your shoes, and just doing it …knowing where you will find the finish line

+What are you aiming for, not just in terms of dollar amounts, but also in terms of thinking about the role of stewardship in the lives of individuals and the congregation? +What further tools and resources do you need to get you from start to finish? +How might a transformed stewardship emphasis influence and flavor other ministries of your congregation?

+Consider a large and generous vision of what God is about in the world

+Consider listening deeply to what motivates and what prevents people from being generous

+Consider if your stewardship culture is one of paying the bills or one of living the vision

+Consider what are you really trying to do – fix current stewardship practices or are you open to a more transformative change in ones whole life that will release stewardship from being a thing of the law to being a thing of the gospel.

+How does what youve discussed affect your planning for your stewardship emphasis this fall and year-round? +What further tools and resources do you need to get you from start to finish? +What are your next steps? Timeline?

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…A NEW MISSION congregation in South Central Orange County …LUTHERAN CAMPUS MINISTRY at San Diego State …CENTRAL CITY LUTHERAN MISSION in San Bernardino …ONE POT, ONE HOPE in Hawaii