STEPS
Stewardship To Empower People Spiritually

We hope that you will visit this page daily to reflect on the prayers offered by members of our Linworth family. The prayers are to encourage you in your faith journey as we take steps towards making our 2010 commitments through: your prayers, service, gifts; our purpose as the church in the world;  your witness; and your Christian presence in the world.

September 30 ~ Susan Marsh

Father God, thank You for this day and for the opportunity to make a difference in someone else's life.  Use me to serve others.  Make me a doer, not just a dreamer. Thank You for all my blessings, most of all for my family and for the family of friends in the church.  I know that in some countries people are not free to worship You in the church of their choice.  I am blessed to have this right.  Teach me to be generous with my time and my giving.  May I ever be mindful of the needs of others. Thank You for this day.  

I pray this in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

October 1 ~ Bonnie Baker
Lord, God, our Savior ~  

We are so thankful for the unique gifts you have provided to each of us and continue to provide.  We know from reading Romans 12:6 - “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.”  The gifts we consider for our stewardship in Your Name, Lord, take the form of Time, Talent and Treasures. Thank you, Lord, for helping me to use my special gifts of caring, healing arts, listening and supporting in my career, in hospice care and in my life.  At this time, Lord, I pray that you help to guide me and fellow members of our Christian Family of Linworth United Methodist Church as we enter into thoughtful prayer and contemplation about what gifts we have that are needed by our church and congregation at this time. Guide us as we make our commitments for stewardship, Lord.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

October 2 ~ Marilyn Pohlman
As I thought about being asked to write a brief prayer about Stewardship, I asked myself for a good definition of Stewardship.  When I couldn't come up with one that satisfied me, I began a little search. I found some that were high sounding and difficult, but I wanted something simple. I finally came across one by Lynn A. Miller that spoke to me.  Maybe it will speak to you, too. She wrote “Stewardship is the act of organizing your life so that God can spend you."   Lord, help us to turn our hearts to you so there is something there for you to spend - whether it is our prayers, or our gifts or our time. Amen.

October 3 ~ Jean Davidson

Dear Heavenly Father;

Allow us to ask for your wisdom, grace and patience.  Develop in us open minds, hands and hearts as we prayerfully consider what we can give to our church in tithes, time and talents.  At a time when the world and our nation are struggling financially, morally and ethically, and so many of our friends and colleagues are barely hanging on, remind us dear Lord of those who have far less than we do.  Teach us to be gracious, generous and ever mindful of the prayer by Saint Ignatius of Loyola: 

“Teach us, good Lord, to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labour and not to ask for any reward save that of knowing that we do your will.  Amen”

October 4 ~ Sue Kuhn

Most Generous and Magnificent God –

You alone are the Giver of all we have.  You have blessed us with the talents, intellect and relationships that have provided us with our financial resources.  As recipients of these gifts, my family and I pray that we will be good stewards and caretakers of them by giving a portion back for your purposes.  As we pray about what to give -- be it money, time or prayers -- help us to be less possessive and preoccupied with our material things and busy schedules.  Help us to give proportionately with joy and thanksgiving. 

Bless all the volunteers of the stewardship team, the pastors, staff, and all of our Linworth brothers and sisters as we prepare to serve our community and world in 2010.

Amen.

October 5 ~ Sally Moser

When I think of Stewardship, I think of John Wesley, often referred to as the head of the UM Church.  He said, and I paraphrase to you his message about money, "Earn all you can, Save all you can, Give all you can."  He never felt it was a sin to make money; he felt it was a sin if you did not GIVE all you can.  His brother, Charles Wesley, was referred to as the heart of the church, because of his wonderful and melodic hymns that are in our hymnal.  There are many ways to give to our Church.  The needs are great in terms of not only money, but your time freely given and talent (gifts).  My relationship to God has grown many times over this year, because of my relationship with you and your freely given time showing me God's love through you.  Join me in stepping up to the needs and mission of our Church. 

October 6 ~ Sharon McManis
Psalm 116:12 (New Living Translation)
What can I offer the Lord for all he has done for me?
Generous God,
Life is your gift to us.  Hear our prayers as we strive to be good stewards. 
Open the minds and hearts of the people of our Christian community so that we may accept your challenge to use all our gifts in service of You. 
Help us to be good stewards of our time by putting prayer first in our lives. 
Help us to be good stewards of our talent by putting ourselves at the service of each other. 
Help us to be good stewards of our treasure by sharing our financial means to build up our church and aid those in need. 
Help us to choose each day to put you first.  Make your love the foundation of our lives and remind us to be thankful for all you give us.
We pray with grateful hearts, in Jesus' name.
Amen
(Parts of this prayer were taken from Common Worship Services and Prayers for the Church of England.)

October 7 ~ Linda Mrukowski

Dear Heavenly Father,

When we hear Dan Schutte’s wonderful hymn, “Here I Am, Lord”, we are reminded that it is up to us to go forth and take care of those in need.  We are called to support our church with our talents, gifts, and faithful attendance.  Lord, we are grateful for our sacred home we call Linworth UMC.  Help us to continue to grow in our mission work and in our spiritual lives.  We live in difficult times, and now, more than ever, we need to keep our church strong. Guide us, Lord, on our journey.

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen.

October 8 ~ Mary Lynn Jacobson

Loving, caring, and generous God,

St. Paul has told us that You love a cheerful giver, but sometimes we find it hard to be happy when asked, or generous when we complete our pledge cards in support of our budget at Linworth.  Occasionally we "bristle" when reminded of how blessed we are in the midst of need.

So it is that we ask you to guide us and help us to be caring, and as generous as our resources enable us to be, to underwrite Linworth's outreach, to support missions here and afar, and to give aid and encouragement to those of our Linworth family who are struggling in various ways.  Prompt those who might have more talent and time than funds to give of themselves by actively participating in some of Linworth's ministries.  Remind us that stewardship is about support through service as well as through financial contributions.

With always grateful hearts, we ask these things in Christ's name.

October 9 ~ Submitted Anonymously

Loving God,

Stewardship time is one of those times where we can reflect on how we handle the resources you have given us. Our church reaches others in so many ways. Help us to remember this as we evaluate our giving for the coming year. In Galatians 6, we are advised that whenever we have an opportunity, we should work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith. Help me to give generously and with a joyful heart.  Amen.

October 10 ~ Irene Walker
Matthew 6:28 - And why take ye thought for raiment?  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil not, neither do they spin.  I chose the above Bible verse as my mind went back to my growing up years. I barely remember the great depression, but what I do remember is how my mother coped. We were perhaps what is today considered lower middle class.  She always made do. She had several good dresses, two pair of shoes, some everyday dresses, and aprons made from feed sacks.  We had a garden that my father faithfully tended. We canned vegetables, fruit, and made jelly.  We all were required to help. Mom's hands were never idle, even in the evening mending crocheting, braiding rugs, etc. We were a family of eight and she always insisted we go to church. We were raised Catholic. I am not sure what she gave to her church but what I do know is that she gave us all 25 cents each Sunday to drop in the collection plate. 
This has made me so aware the many blessings in our life. As I look around our home with items in it, some never used, I can't help thinking how little we grew up with and we still had a very happy childhood.. We love our church, our pastors with their inspiring sermons, the choir, the organist, the soloists, Sunday school, the small groups, the activities such as working the garage sale, helping with cookie sales etc. The first check I write each month is our pledge to our church. Even though we have had a few setbacks, such as a son and grandson out of work, investments less, I intend to up our tithing and with God’s help give more throughout the year as various needs arise. 
Our heavenly Father, open our hearts and minds, make us aware that your gift to us is life. What we have is yours. We all are mindful that our church is us, and do what we can to make our stewardship a success.  We ask this in Jesus name.  Amen.

October 11 ~ Author Unknown

Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves; when our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little; when we arrived safely because we have sailed too close to shore. Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of the things we possess, we have lost our thirst for the water of life. Stir us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wider seas, where storms will show your mastery; where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars. We ask you to push back the horizons of our hopes and to push us into the future in strength, courage, hope and love. Amen.      

October 12 ~ Julie Slonecker

Loving God,

Thank you for the joys and happy times that have come to our lives. Thank you also for your love and grace that has guided us through the dark and painful moments. 2 Corinthians tells us that the early Corinthian church excelled in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in earnestness and in love. Then they were told to excel in this grace of giving. ( II Cor. 8:7) Grant that this will be so for us as individuals and for our church. Amen.

October 13 ~ Maxine Bartelt

Dear Lord, though I am quite sure the quote which says” You can't out-give the Lord" is not scriptural, I find it to be very true. The more I give to You, whether it is tithe or time, study, or prayer, the more You bless me ! Thank you!

Though life has not always been all fun and games, I have always felt your presence as the underlying support for my life. Great is your faithfulness!

October 14 ~ Sue Boyd
Philippians 3:13-14
Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Colossians 2:6
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Precious Lord, help me to forgive myself as often as I forgive others. Amen.

October 15 ~ Beryl Danner

Dear God, I thank you for the many ways that you have blessed me. Every good thing I have is a gift from you. I don’t feel compelled, but I get joy from being able to give back a portion of my time, my abilities and money to Your Church. The church is like a second family to me and a great part of my life. You gave the ultimate gift of your Son for me and I feel blessed that I am able to give to others in thankfulness for your gift. Amen.

October 16 ~ Mother Teresa—In My Own Words

Open your hearts to the love God instills in them. God loves you tenderly. What he gives you is not to be kept under lock and key, but to be shared. The more you save the less you will be able to give. The less you have, the more you will know how to share. Let us ask God, when it comes to ask God for something, to help us to be generous.

October 17 ~ Janet Enck

Gracious and loving God,

We enjoy the abundance of your love each day. You provide for our needs and give us even more. May we each day give out of our abundance and joy to our Linworth family, our community and even to those we do not know but are in great need. Direct our thoughts as we consider what we can give to You. Call us to a ministry of love and giving of our time, talent, and treasure. 

In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

October 18 ~ Author Unknown

Almighty God, we thank you for all the gifts You have given us: our lives, our loved ones, all that we have and all that we are. Most of all, we thank You for Jesus, your Son and our Redeemer, who came among us to show us the way to eternal life. Jesus was the perfect steward of your gifts, showing that complete trust in You is necessary, and that giving of self is a most important part of following Him. May the offerings of our time, our talents, and our material resources be made in the same spirit of sacrifice that Jesus taught us by His life and death for us. Amen.

October 19 ~ Center for Christian Stewardship-the United Methodist Church

O God, we are taught to give as an act of faithfulness. We are reminded that giving is a Christian responsibility. Like Paul taught the early Christians, we are taught to be careful how we live -- to live as wise people. Yet, sometimes we are drawn by the insufficient promises of our everyday culture. We end up giving with a begrudging attitude, a hesitant heart, or selfish reluctance. Forgive us! Enable us in this very moment to give "thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Amen. (Ephesians 5:15-20)

October 20 ~ Sondie Schwotzer
Precious Lord,
So often I come to you with my little personal concerns and I know you hear but my world is so small.  Sometime I bring the needs of others to your throne and my small world grows a little wider. It is when I focus on Jesus Christ and all that you did for me that my heart bursts with joy and opens wide.
You told us in John 10: 10 that the reason you came was to give us Abundant Life.  I am so very grateful for that gift that the only way I know to show you how thankful I am is to serve you in all that I do and with all that I have.
Life and all its gifts are all yours on loan to us for a little while.  May what I give back be pleasing in your sight.  They seem so small in comparison to your extravagant sacrifice for me on that cruel cross.
You did it for love----I will try to do likewise because I love you precious Lord!

October 21 ~ Tracy Hiltz

Lord we are thankful. While many in this country are out of work, we have job security. While many struggle to make ends meet, we have financial security. While many are lost and searching for something to believe in, we have faith. Please help us to remember that all we have has been given by you. Guide us to use your resources in a manner that will serve you and show our gratitude. Amen.

October 22 ~ Center for Christian Stewardship-the United Methodist Church

Gracious God, we joyously place before you our offerings. May these gifts support our ministry so that others may gather in your name and follow your path of love and peace. We, your beloved children, seek to be "imitators of God" and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.(Ephesians 4:25-5:2)

October 23

Oh God, Giver of Life (Taken from “A Treasury of Private Prayers For the Christian Steward”.)
Oh Lord, giver of life and source of our freedom, we are reminded by the Psalmist that Yours is “the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it.”
We know that it is from your hand that we have received all we have, and are, and will be. Gracious and loving God, we understand that You call us to be the stewards of Your abundance, the caretakers of all You have entrusted to us.
Help us always to use Your gifts wisely and teach us to share them generously. May our faithful stewardship bear witness to the love of Christ in our lives. We pray with grateful hearts, in Jesus’ name. Amen

October 24 ~ Submitted Anonymously

Gracious God,

Thank you for the stewardship program in our church here at Linworth. Some of us are struggling to stay afloat in this economic time within our country. Losing a job becomes a time of stress and anxiety. Help us to feel your steady hand at this time. Help us to see that in our losses, we are still a blest people. All that we have is Yours and we still give our devotion to You in our time, talents, and treasure. Amen.

October 25 ~ Center for Christian Stewardship-the United Methodist Church

Gracious Lord, we join together in prayer. We recognize that daily prayer impacts our spiritual health. Likewise, offering our tithes to you influences our spiritual health. The acts of praying and giving unify our church community and place our collective attention on you. As we practice these spiritual disciplines, we hope to draw even closer to you. We pray in the name of the Jesus Christ who offers salvation to all throughout our world. Amen. (James 5:13-20)