The concept of church stewardship is expanding in the Episcopal Church - from what we do for the church, to how we live our lives, including time, talents, and monies we give to our church. As Christians, everything we do and say reflects our belief system. We are all stewards, all the time.

The stresses of life in Northern Virginia are well known. Are you able to maintain an appropriate balance between work, family, community, church, and your own needs? Few of us are. Some people obtain a useful insight by asking, "How would Christ have me balance my life?" The answer to that question can be quite challenging and very rich ground to explore spiritually.

For a number of years, our clergy and vestry have committed themselves to tithe as the standard of financial giving, and to either tithe or develop a program of proportional giving that will lead to the tithe. (The tithe is given as a free will offering to advance the Kingdom of God, and represents one-tenth of our income.) They lead by this personal example. All members of the parish are encouraged to do the same. We look toward the tithe as a spiritual commitment and not as a fund-raising mechanism.

Additionally, we work  toward the following principles in our stewardship of the blessings God has bestowed upon us:

• Give one-half of the congregation's disposable income to advance the Kingdom of God OUTSIDE of the St. Andrew's Parish.
• Delay the final formulation of the annual budget until after the fall stewardship program each year. This ensures that our stewardship reflects the congregational commitment to advancing the ministry of the church, and is not solely a means to fund a preconceived budget.
• Limit the number of special offerings asked of the parish and capital fund efforts.

We count on our members to assist us in our ministry. Your time, talents, and financial contribution help fulfill St. Andrew's vision of what the Lord would have us do. In our giving we invite our members to join us in pledging a tithe of their income, or commit to a program of increased giving that leads to the tithe.