Stewardship of Family Baptist Church

"Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful." (I Corinthians 4:2)

Stewardship is the responsibility of a supervisor to manage the resources entrusted to him. The Greek transliteration of the word steward is oikonomous. Oikonomous is a compound word combining house (oikos) with manager (nomo). It literally means “one who manages a house.” Oikonomous does not refer to ownership. It refers to management. 

A biblical worldview of stewardship can be defined as: "Utilizing and managing all resources God provides for the glory of God and the betterment of His creation" (Charles Bugg, “Stewardship” in Holman Bible Dictionary (Holman: Tennessee, 1991), 1303-1304). The central essence of biblical world view stewardship is managing everything God brings into the believer's life in a manner that honors God and impacts eternity.

Why is it our tendency to treat the things we own differently than the things we rent? Why do we seldom jump on our own beds but compulsively leap on the hotel bed the moment we enter the room? Why do we spontaneously test the horsepower on a rental car but carefully ease into merging traffic in our own car? 

I believe the answer is found in our failure to understand the importance of stewardship. Every believer has a stewardship responsibility over creation (Genesis 1:28), work (Colossians 3:23), the mysteries of the Gospel (I Corinthians 4:1), the financial needs of a local church (2 Corinthians 9:6-7), and the spiritual gifts (I Peter 4:10) or talents he has received (Matthew 25:14-29).  We do not OWN any of those things, we simply MANAGE them.

A pastor has the additional responsibility of stewarding the household of God (I Timothy 3:15).  Pastoral stewardship includes faithfully preaching of the Word of God (2 Timothy 2:15), regularly praying for the members (I Thessalonians 5:17), compassionately visiting the sick and shut-ins (James 5:14), faithfully doing the work of evangelism (2 Timothy 4:5a) and providing general direction to the ministry and direction of the church (2 Timothy 4:5b). It is an awesome task to serve as one of the stewards (pastors) of a local church!  It is a task pastors must not take lightly (James 3:1). 

As one of the newest stewards (pastors) of Family Baptist Church, I would like to make you aware of some of the facility needs we are currently facing.  Perhaps this information will help you pray more intelligently for the ministry and even consider partnering with us financially. As you know, part of revitalizing a church involves facility safety and repairs. 

When I arrived at Family Baptist Church, I was overwhelmed at the beauty of the church auditorium, the practicality of the educational wing, and the simplicity of a mini gymnasium.  It is a perfect incubator for church growth in the urban core of North Minneapolis! But as you can probably imagine, due to its age and over 100 years of use, the building needs some major updates and repairs. A committee was formed to outline and prioritize some of those needs.  Contractors were contacted to provide estimates.  The end result: we have over $282,000 worth of repairs needed on the building. 😊 Yes. That is more than our annual budget as a church.  

Can you take a moment to review the list and pray for God’s faithful provision?

I totally realize that many of you reading this blog are not members of Family Baptist Church. You do not feel the weight of stewarding the people, the plans, or the facilities.  Perhaps you do not even feel like a “renter” of the church resources.  In the end, I simply ask you to take time to prayerfully consider whether God would have you partner with us in our stewardship responsibilities.  Any amount is welcomed and appreciated. 

If you do desire to give, you can do so online at www.familybaptistchurch.org/give or by sending a check to:

Family Baptist Church 

2201 Girard Ave N, Minneapolis, MN, 55411.

**Place “building projects” in the memo.

At the very least, ask God to help you embrace your responsibility as a steward over creation, work, the mysteries of the Gospel, the financial needs of a local church, and the spiritual gifts or talents you have received.  Thank Him for the privilege of managing His abundant resources.