Stewardship

St. Martin's honors the four-fold purposes of stewardship that have long been the hallmark of the Episcopal Church:

• stewardship of our financial resources (also known as the annual pledge campaign)
• stewardship of creation
• stewardship of our gifts and talents
• and stewardship of our long-range planning and giving.

The Annual Pledge campaign was the most successful to date. These results represent a tangible reflection of the hope and determination of this parish to grow, to maintain our programs, and to expand and develop appropriate new programs in the directions that God is calling us. These results should be seen as a most reassuring development. Please consider how it relates to the following verse from James 4:8: “Draw near to God and God will draw near to you.”

The matter of the stewardship of creation is far more than being a convenient tool during a contemporary renewal of a cultural awareness of pollution abatement, energy conservation, population control, re-cycling awareness, and natural resource prioritization. We have been called to be stewards of our island home for more than 2000 years–since the first words of Genesis were spoken in Hebrew tribes even before we had the written word. As the world is faced with the urgency of managing our resources immediately, St. Martin’s-in-the-Field is determined to be an active participant in this movement. A stewardship of creation task force has been created for the purpose of learning about these issues and sharing the findings and insights with the parish. Each member of the parish is encouraged to share in this journey as we literally seek to change our world in Severna Park.

Stewardship of our gifts and talents is about identifying the multiplicity of skills and talents with which God has blessed the members of this parish, then harnessing those talents for the benefit of God and people in Severna Park, the diocese of Maryland and the world at large. Again, members of the parish are encouraged to participate in this undertaking.

Stewardship of long-range planning and giving is for the purpose of exploring opportunities to increase St. Martin’s endowment and offer opportunities for planned giving to the church. A small task force is exploring options in this field. For more information about Stewardship, email the commissioner.