Moment for Mission Archive

On Friday my nephew Will, who is 6, asked me what I was doing this weekend. I told him that I had to prepare for a Church Moment for Mission on Stewardship. His response was not, “What’s that?” But it was, “Why does everyone go to Church?”

That got me thinking about all the people I have met at Rutgers and what this Church means to us, and to our community.

Rutgers Church is faith, worship, community and family. Rutgers is that beacon of hope and support, not only on the Upper West Side, but it reaches to farther places in this world.

Stewardship, the support, the volunteerism of this congregation have been one of the many key ingredients to the identity of Rutgers throughout this history, today and will be in the future.

Rutgers succeeds in sharing our fortune with those persons and agencies in need. We give willingly of our time and abilities in our private lives and in our communities.

We assure that our offerings as a Church will remain a gift for future generations.

Stewardship is the use of the gifts given us to carry on Christ's work of reconciliation in the world and the way we use the resources to further unify the spirit in our communities.

Our worshiping, working, praying, and giving within the Church provide the support that we and others need to engage in the often difficult and sometimes lonely tasks of proclaiming the good news, practicing reverence for our neighbors, and striving for justice and peace.

At Rutgers Church we work as a congregation in volunteering our time to the many programs the Stewardship campaign supports – Christian Education, Peace & Social Justice, Body & Spirit, the men’s homeless shelter, Thursday Nighters…and all the programs and outreach we provide to our families, our neighbors and those in this world.

Stewardship will define our future capabilities in continuing these programs, in growing as a church and being that beacon of strength not only on the Upper West Side, but conveying our significance across farther distances.

Next Sunday is Stewardship Sunday.

Come prepared.

Evaluate and reflect over the next days your on your goals and priorities.

Fill out your pledge card, volunteer, be involved; we need your full support to accomplish our goals.

Thank you and God bless.