What is Stewardship?

The Book of Common Prayer teaches us that "The Mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and with each other in Christ" and that "the Church carries out its mission through the ministry of all its members." The unstated but clear implication of this teaching is that the main work of the Church is involving people in using all that is entrusted to them in carrying out the mission. Said simply, stewardship is the main work of the Church.

All of God's people, within and without the Church, can learn that to be held accountable for our lives as stewards of God's gifts is to discover our own true great worth before God. The main work of the Church is to bring its people, and through them all people, to this joyful knowledge, which will "restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ."
From General Convention Resolution A-163, adopted and affirmed in 1988.

How can I support Nativity?

Every member of Nativity can provide valuable support to the parish.

Prayer. Every member, young or old, strong or weak, can pray for Nativity. The prayer For the Parish on page 817 of the Book of Common Prayer asks God to "Strengthen the faithful, arouse the careless, and restore the penitent." Your prayers will help sustain Nativity.

Time and Talent. Within the life of Nativity, there are many opportunities for members to contribute their time and talent. You might work with children, or the elderly. You might take a leadership role in the parish. You might take part in worship, as an acolyte, lay reader or Eucharistic Minister. You might sing in the choir, or help maintain the facilities. You might even think of something that we're not doing today, and start a new program. The opportunities are endless.

Financial Support. Nativity also needs your financial support. Nativity depends on the voluntary offerings of its membership to maintain the facilities, pay the staff and carry out the programs of the parish. Your contribution, large or small, helps keep the parish going. Members of the parish offer financial contributions in different ways. Some members give once a year; most give weekly or monthly. Some members mail in their offerings; most add them to the plate on Sunday morning. Some direct their gifts to special purposes - the Building and Property Fund or the Rector's Discretionary Fund; most contribute to the General Fund of the Parish. Some members contribute anonymously, by putting cash in the plate on Sunday. Most use the weekly offering envelopes. How and how much you choose to contribute to Nativity is up to you. Your support, though, is very valuable.

Should I Pledge to Nativity?  Only you can answer this question. Your Pledge is a serious commitment to the parish: a promise that you intend to provide a certain level of financial support in the next year. You might feel that your situation makes it impossible to commit to a specific level of giving. On the other hand, your pledge is vital to Nativity, because we depend on it to plan for the future. Every autumn, the Finance Committee develops a budget for the upcoming year for Vestry approval. During the budget-making process, the plans and goals for the year are balanced against the expected income. Your pledge is the most important building block of the budget - at Nativity, pledges account for about 75% of the budgeted operating income. Your pledge is important! Please fill out and return your Pledge Card!