Stewardship is an old idea.  In the fall, a stewardship campaign was held within the congregation to express gratitude for the bountiful harvest. This included giving generous financial support and a plan to share time and abilities within the congregation for the coming year.

But, in recent years we have seen the concept of stewardship change. Giving generously of financial support, time, and abilities are not tied to one season of the year but is ongoing throughout the entire year. Stewardship campaigns have had different formats but always revolved around financial gifts, and the sharing of time and abilities.

What does stewardship mean to you? Stewardship means different things to different people. Around the Storm Lake community St. Mark is known as a generous congregation that does what we can to help others. These words from Hebrews remind us of Jesus’ invitation to generosity and compassion for others:

“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have,

 for such sacrifices are pleasing to God”.    Hebrews 13:16

Jesus didn’t talk about money to make people uncomfortable. Jesus talked about wealth because it reflects what’s going on in our hearts. Jesus knew that how we manage the things God has first given to us reflects our faith:

·      Financial Gifts- are we sharing generously from our abundance?

·      Time-  are we using our days with purpose or letting them slip away? 

·      Abilities- are we using our abilities to serve others and to serve in our church community.

·      Relationships- are we investing in the people God placed in our lives?

How we use these gifts reflect what we feel is most important to us.

As a Congregation Council we have talked about the Fall Stewardship Appeal and we feel that it would be more helpful to call it an Invitation to Generosity. This reflects that God is the source of all of our blessings and that we have been entrusted with these gifts to use wisely.   There are two things we invite you to prayerfully consider with this Invitation to Generosity:

First, we invite you to consider your financial giving so far in 2025. Perhaps you haven’t contributed financially to our shared ministry, or perhaps you can give more now. There are several ways for you to financially support the ministry of St Mark: 

·      You can place your gift in the offering box on Sunday morning. 

·      Drop it off, or send it to the church office. 

·      Go online to www.stmarkstormlake.com/give.  

·      If you are ready to give now, simply scan this QR code with your SMART phone and the instructions for giving will appear. 

Second, we invite you to prayerfully consider your own financial support of St. Mark for 2026 by filling out the 2026 Estimate of Giving. Your pledge of financial support for 2026 will help the Congregation Council plan for the coming year. After you have filled out the card, place it in the offering box at the Welcome Center, or bring it to the Church Office. You can also fill out the form online and submit it electronically. It is located under the GIVE tab on the St. Mark website. If you have questions, please contact any member of the Congregational Council. 

Thank you for sharing your gifts in 2025. With your additional support at the end 2025 we will be able to finish this year strong and begin 2026 with great momentum as we continue to do the important work Jesus calls us to do. Together, let us honor God with the gifts we have received.    Thank you for your generosity,

In Christ’s Service, 

St Mark Congregation Council

Deb Mortensen, Steve Berg, Cindy Smith, Megan Sullivan, 

Jodi Bihrer, Joan Christen, Pastor Dave Kebschull