Stewardship
“God loves us – and like a mum who enjoys it when her little girl buys her a Christmas present, even though that present was bought with money that came from the mum, so God enjoys every token of our love that we give back to him, however small they may be.”
– The Rev. Javier G. Ocampo
What is stewardship?
Stewardship is everything we do after we say “We believe…” It is our living relationship with God. It is our response to God’s unconditional love and salvation through Jesus Christ, and the gift of grace through the Holy Spirit.
Isn’t stewardship only about money?
“God teaches us that Stewardship is not about giving—it’s really all about trust. . . the giving is giving to God – saying thank you to God and enabling God’s work to take place in this place.” -The Rev. Javier G. Ocampo
Stewardship is not simply about money. Stewardship is a fundamental of Christian discipleship. It is about how we live and how we give. What do we give to God in response for all that has been given to us? We give time, talent, and treasure in response to the gifts of unconditional love, salvation, and grace. Most people find giving their time and talent easy, almost natural. Giving our treasure seems more difficult for many people.
How are we encouraging our members to understand stewardship in this way?
Ascension stewardship programs reach out to everyone who is a member of the parish, set goals and orderly processes for achieving them, and help each parishioner examine his or her own stewardship attitudes and giving as a part of individual faith development. The goal of stewardship ministry at Ascension is a congregational environment in which all members are encouraged to share all the resources necessary to fulfill the mission and ministries to which we are called as members of the living body of Christ in this community and in the world.
What kinds of financial giving are included in the ministry of stewardship?
Planned giving and the annual commitment campaign, are all part of the financial stewardship activities of our congregation.
Pledging & Donating
Over the last 130 years, Church of the Ascension has grown from a mission of Christ Church, Rockville, and become the dynamic parish that it is today. You could say that throughout our life as a community of faith, our vision has been to expand the room at God’s table so that all may gather and find a place here to be nourished in faith, serve the world around us, and share the message of God’s love. The ways that we live into that vision are almost too numerous to count. We provide a multitude of worship services, including one for Spanish speakers. We sponsor many outreach activities, including Mobile Med and the G Sharp program in our own buildings. Our members serve in the local soup kitchen, and our own parishioners are leaders and volunteers at Gaithersburg HELP. We are committed to providing the best Christian education possible for our children and youth, together with the chance for our youth to contribute to mission activities like the one at St. James’s School, in Philadelphia. Plus, our adult education program offers short classes and the four-year Education for Ministry program. These programs are but a few we offer – and all grown and flourished because of the generosity of Ascension’s parishioners. Your generosity and commitment have made God’s table ever larger and more welcoming. You’ve helped make it possible not only for us here at Ascension to know God’s presence in our lives, but for so many others to know of God’s presence in their lives, too. We invite you to reflect on the role Ascension plays in your life and the life of your family and those closest to you. If you don’t currently pledge, we hope you will consider doing so. And, if you are already among the many who have pledged before, we hope you will renew your commitment to becoming partners with us in the unique mission that is ours.
— Ascension’s Pledge Campaign Committee
