Four Stages of Stewardship

A colleague of mine posted these to one of the ministerial internet CHAT-groups I read. I thought it was interesting, so I'm passing it along.


The Consumer pays for services received. The church is a store.

The Co-Op Member pays fair share of expenses. The church is a shared facility -- like a cabin shared by siblings.

The Owner invests more than necessary to create more. The church is a small business enterprise.

The Benefactor invests for the benefit of others with no hope of personal return. The church is a gift to the future.

Of course, my reflections didn't end there either. Because this list also reminded me of the "Golden Ladder of Giving" by the medieval Jewish philosopher Maimonides, which I first learned about from "Building Your Own Theology."

Maimonides' Eight Degrees of Charity (from about.com/judaism)

8. When donations are given grudgingly.

7. When one gives less than he should, but does so cheerfully.

6. When one gives directly to the poor upon being asked.

5. When one gives directly to the poor without being asked.

4. When the recipient is aware of the donor's identity, but the donor does not know the identity of the recipient.

3. When the donor is aware of the recipient's identity, but the recipient is unaware of the source.

2. When the donor and recipient are unknown to each other.

1. The highest form of charity is to help sustain a person before they become impoverished by offering a substantial gift in a dignified manner, or by extending a suitable loan, or by helping them find employment or establish themselves in business so as to make it unnecessary for them to become dependent on others.


In these hard economic times, the mission of the church becomes ever more pressing and essential. But for those of us who have been fortunate enough to still have the ability to be generous, perhaps these words will be an inspiration to become true benefactors, both to neighbors known and unknown.