St. Paul's UMC learns of faith through stewardship
By Patricia Allen
Kicking off a Stewardship Campaign in the midst of a pandemic is either a demonstration of faith or one of the more regrettable decisions a pastor can make. St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Kensington saw it as a demonstration of faith.
An energized Stewardship Committee spent the entirety of 2021 planting seeds of stewardship. The campaign however was multi-faceted, focused on resources, time and talents.
One of the ways this was accomplished was through a “Sow Seeds of Happiness” campaign. Twenty -Five envelopes were placed in the church narthex October 24, 2021, the official campaign kickoff.
In each of these brightly colored envelopes was $5, a pack of seeds for a butterfly garden, and instructions. The instructions simply said plant the seeds and give the flowers that bloom away. Second, take the $5 and sow it into as many places as you can. All 25 envelopes were gone by the end of the worship service. Why only 25? Two reasons: 25 is a multiple of 5 and the number 5 holds the spiritual significance of God’s grace. The second reason was to shift the perspective from what we could do, to what God could do through only 25 people.
The purpose of the seeds in a non planting season was to emphasize that God opens opportunities for sowing, which sometimes means we have to wait so that the outcome is by God’s design and not ours.
Why $5 and not more? It was to show how you don’t need much to make a difference.
While no flower seeds have yet been planted, the results of sowing the $5 has resulted in some marvelous results!
One person took the $5 and with materials on hand crafted wooden Christmas ornaments that were then sold to raise money for Habitat for Humanity. Last count that $5 investment has resulted in a $500 donation!
Another person used their $5 to purchase Dove chocolates, and placed each one in a bag with a note saying to spread a random act of kindness. These sweet treats were given both anonymously and to some pretty appreciative cashiers and receptionists.
As if that wasn’t enough. The campaign seemed to spark an idea within the Justice and Compassion Ministry which kicked off an Advent of Action campaign. Each week a different opportunity to put faith to work in the name of social justice. Week One addressed food insecurity, Week Two disaster response, Week Three prison libraries, and Week Four homelessness.
These were not just campaigns but invitations inviting the congregation to be intentional in their stewardship, to think about what they were doing, to understand who they were connecting with and to put their faith to work!
St. Paul UMC's leadership includes Rev. Dr. Patricia Allen, senior pastor; Rev. Kate Mackereth Fulton, associate pastor; and Jen Graff, Stewardship chairperson.