What is Stewardship?
In the Christian context, it is defined as, “in biblical usage, the management of whatever a person is entrusted with, not only to preserve but profitably administer for his master, ultimately for God”. Ultimately, Christian stewardship teaches that “a human being is not owner but only custodian of God’s gifts in this world, to use them and produce with them the fruits of eternal life.” Source: Catholic Culture
Learn more about stewardship in this article written for the Foundation by Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers, author and host of several EWTN television series.
Why a “GIFT Stewards Programme”?
We need to be accountable for how we use our God-given gifts. We give to the Church because of our faith and because we love the Church. It is not because we have to, but because we know it is the right thing to do as members of the Church (Fifth Precept).
However, the development of such faith-based giving requires an understanding of the Church’s teachings in the area of stewardship and a shared value system of such giving amongst Catholics.
Through this programme, we hope to build up a community of GIFT Stewards who, as His good and faithful servants (ref. Mt 25:23), offer up their God-endowed gifts of time, talents and treasures, and multiply what He has blessed us with for the purpose of returning them to God, through the Church.
The programme is available to regular GIFT contributors and seeks to guide Catholics to learn about more opportunities to give their God-given blessings back to our Church, through 3 tracks: