generoussteward.org unveiled!

Information – it can be a blessing and a curse. In today’s information age, we have the ability to find out just about anything using a variety of ways. And while having access to information is wonderful, it can sometimes be so overwhelming. We often find ourselves spending time dealing with the information itself rather than putting what we’ve learned into practice. Downloading, printing, reading, filing… you know the drill.

One of the goals of our stewardship ministry is to provide you with relevant, reliable information to help you on your journey to becoming a faithful steward. We are constantly searching for information, sifting through the myriad of available sources and bringing you the best.

To help disseminate this information in an effective, cost efficient way, we have launched our new Generous Steward website at www.generoussteward.org. This site is still in the preliminary stages and will continue to grow as we have the resources to do so.

We’ve designed the website to provide pastors and ministry leaders with valuable information on how to develop and implement a stewardship ministry in their local church. Whether you are looking for resources for children or adults, you will find it here… and so much more.Individuals and families will also find generoussteward.org a valuable source of information. Most importantly, you will learn what God wants for you in the area of stewardship of time, talent and treasure. We have practical resources to help you begin to budget and how to stay on track.

Parents will find useful information for teaching their children and teens how to manage money.
For those of you who are interested in finding out ways to give back to God utilizing methods other than cash, we are compiling information on various planned giving options including bequests, gifts of life insurance, securities and other assets as well annuities and charitable remainder trusts.

The website will also have a section where we can celebrate generosity. We are looking for your stories – stories of generosity. Perhaps you were the recipient of an unexpected gift. We want to hear how it impacted you. When we experience the generosity of others – whether its time, talents or money – it can change our lives.

The sharing of stories is for the purpose of encouragement – encouraging each other towards greater generosity. When Jesus recounted the story of the widow’s mite in Luke 21:1-4, he did so to make a point, to encourage others to live and give like her.

Remember to bookmark generoussteward.org in your internet browser and visit it often. We will be adding information on a regular basis. Please feel free to send us your comments and suggestions for information you would like to see.

Joanne Bell is the Stewardship Ministries Director for The Free Methodist Church in Canada