Stewardship

March 2012 - New Direction for Life

I would like to introduce you to another friend that has had a large impact on my life for the past few years. Aster Bekele is a native of Ethiopia who came to Indianapolis to attend college and ended becoming a chemist at Eli Lilly. Instead of living out in the 'burbs, she moved into the Martindale-Brightwood Neighborhood on the near north side, one of the poorest sections of town. She began tutoring neighborhood children and discovered a need for education on nutrition and healthy eating habits, due in part to the fact that the area had become a "food desert" due to the closing of many food markets, making it difficult to purchase nutritious food locally.

When she retired in 2004, she purchased two blighted properties and opened a community garden called Felege Hiywot Center (Ethiopian for "direction for life"). She runs a program called Education by Gardening for local elementary school children, teaching them how seeds grow into plants, how to care for the garden, how to be environmentally responsible in gardening and how to prepare, eat and share the produce from the garden. The program runs ten weeks every summer, serving about 250 children.

Aster partners with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Purdue Agricultural Extension, Eli Lilly, the Lilly Endowment and others to put the camp together. It has been so successful that she has added an after school program that serves two IPS schools in the neighborhood, planting gardens on the grounds. Late last year Aster was awarded a grant from the City to purchase and rehabilitate two additional pieces of property and she plans to add a fruit orchard later this year. Oh, and did I mention that the Center also supports an orphanage in Ethiopia?

Aster could have had a very comfortable retirement, enjoying leisure time and spoiling her grandchildren. Instead, she said "Why not me?", and chose to adopt over 250 kids a year, teaching them to produce and eat healthier food and empowering them to be active community servants, helpful team players and responsible family members. Not bad for a little old "retired" lady.

To learn more about Felege Hiywot Center and the impact it has please look at its website: www.fhcenter.org.

Stewardship Ministry

February 2012 - You Might Be a Philanthropist If

When you hear the term philanthropist, who do you think of? Andrew Carnegie? Bill and Melinda Gates? Bill Clinton? On a more local level, possibly Eugene and Marilyn Glick, Herb and the late Mel Simon, Wayne Zink and Randy Deer. These people certainly have donated significant portions of their wealth and talent to help others who are less fortunate.

Now let’s drill down one more level. What about here at Bethlehem? Do you share a pew with any philanthropists during worship services? Or are you one yourself? Just what is a philanthropist?

Where does the word philanthropy come from? According to Wikipedia, the word philanthropos was coined by the Greek playwright Aeschylus, author of Prometheus Bound. It combines two words: philos, "loving" in the sense of loving, caring for, nourishing, and anthropos, human being in the sense of "humanity" or "humanness." For the Greeks, philanthropia - loving what it is to be human - was thought to be the key to and essence of civilization. Contemporary scholar Lester Salamon defines philanthropy as "the private giving of time or valuables . . . for public purposes." I would like to combine these and take them one step further. To me, philanthropy is the voluntary sharing of time and treasure to care for and nourish others without the expectation of anything in return.

So I ask: Are there philanthropists among us at Bethlehem? I think there are quite a few. The next time you attend Worship, look around the pews. If you see anyone that:

has a love for humankind
loves to care for and nourish others
gives freely of their time and possessions
does not expect anything in return

- they just might be a philanthropist. And, you just might, too.

Stewardship Ministry

January 2012 - Keepers of the Hall

First, I would like to wish you a happy and prosperous New Year. By the time you read this we will already be into the new year, but since I’m since writing this in Mid-December (those pesky Blaze deadlines seem to be coming faster and faster), I decided to reflect on the past year at Bethlehem. We’ve had some fantastic things happen, The Great Chicken Roundup begat Helping Hams, Team Bethlehem had a tremendous Crop Walk, we had a terrific retreat, and our youth program rocks the house (this is by no means an exhaustive list, but I do have space limitations, according to the editor).

Those are some of the more visible things. There are also a lot of more-or-less "behind the scenes" activities that don’t get a lot of attention, but are also critical components of our ministry, for example, those delivering flowers to the shut-ins, our caretakers that weed, rake and plant on the church grounds, the Altar Guild, Sunday School teachers, the recyclers and of course our intrepid, "Loud-But-Not-Too-Proud" Christmas Carolers (again not a complete listing). I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their efforts; their service is vital.

In Blaze articles over the past year I have tried to acquaint you with some of the true stewards that I know, as well as outside the church occurrences like Random Acts of Kindness Week and the thoughts of people like John C. Maxwell and Robert K. Greenleaf. I also shared the etymology of the word steward, derived from the Old English stigweard, meaning "keeper of the hall." At Bethlehem, our stewards freely share their time and talent as well as their treasure, guided by the idea of "Why not me?" instead of "Maybe someone else will do it."

One of my professors in graduate school taught me that the conclusion of a paper should answer the question "So what?" So here it is. Stewardship is not just me asking for money once a year; it goes on all year long and involves giving time and talent to operate the Church and reach out to the community. And it should involve all of us, not just a few.

We have a logo for Stewardship that hasn’t seen much use lately. I’m going to remedy that, and when you see it, I hope you think of all those who help keep the Bethlehem hall, and also ask "Why not me?"

Stewardship Ministry

December 2011 - The Unexpected Path

Most of you probably don't know Tom Strodtman. I didn't really get to know him until recently. If you "Google" his name, you won't find out much, other than he is an attorney and that he is on LinkedIN (he doesn't use it a lot). He is a member of Tabernacle Presbyterian Church (although I don't hold that against him). In fact, you won't really learn a lot about him unless you spend some time with him the old fashioned way-face-to-face. At first he seems like this old retired guy who will talk your ear off, but there's much more to him than that.

In semi-retirement, I have been taken down paths that I would never have imagined possible. One of those paths led me to Tom. I somehow got volunteered to help pick up food for the Mid-North Food Pantry (can't imagine how that happened), and now I ride "shotgun" with Tom on pickups from a local food bank. On those days we meet at 8:00 am to pick up a box van on loan from another church and we drive to the south side, load up and unload at the Pantry.

While doing this we discuss local problems and issues. Actually, Tom does most of the talking - it helps that I'm a good listener. I have discovered that Tom not only talks; he acts, and in a big way. In addition to being a part-time truck driver, he volunteers as a public defender for those who cannot afford an attorney, serves on the Mid-North Church Council, and gives his time and money to other organizations too numerous to list here. A lot of retired people jokingly say that they can't imagine how they managed to get everything done when they worked. With him that is fact.

Tom is also an excellent recruiter. One Sunday evening he called me and asked me to meet him for breakfast the next day. I did, and before I knew it I had agreed to work with him on another of his pet projects, a group that provides transitional housing for ex-prisoners. Like I said before, unexpected paths.

So what's the point of me telling you all of this? When asked why they give freely of their time, talent and treasure, many people say "because someone asked me to do it." That is how I got involved in most of what I do. Now I'm going to do the asking. If you are engaged in a project or cause either within Bethlehem or in our community, please ask someone you know to join you. If you aren't, find someone who is and join them. Where the path leads you may end up being a wonderful surprise. That's true for Tom, and also for me.

May you all have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Stewardship Ministry

November 2011 - Jump Right In

OK, no more stewardship jokes (at least for a while). I need to address a serious topic.

Imagine yourself standing on the high-dive ready to jump into the pool, and you see that it has only three feet of water in it. You are a bit concerned, but the lifeguard says, "Don't worry, jump right in; by the time you get down there, the pool will be full."

At this time of year Church Council usually is standing on the board hoping the water level will rise. Typically only 40% of the family units of our congregation return a pledge card, making it difficult to plan a realistic budget.

It is now the time of year where we ask for a financial commitment from our members to help us plan our budget for the coming year. Please help raise the water level before Council jumps into the pool by returning your pledge card by Sunday, November 6, 2011. You can turn it in to the Church Office or place it in the offering plate. If you have not pledged in the past, please give prayerful consideration to doing so. Your pledge will be kept confidential and be greatly appreciated.

There are also other ways to support our ministry. Many of our members freely offer their time and talent to assist in activities like Sunday School, The Great Chicken Roundup, Altar Guild and many others. I have acquainted you with some them in recent Blaze articles. When they saw others serving, they asked themselves "Why not me?" instead of "Let someone else do it." They have a passion for the causes that reflect their values. They want to make a positive difference. They want to know that they are leaving a good legacy.

I invite you to prayerfully consider ways in which you might grow in the generous giving of your self, your time and your possessions at Bethlehem and our greater community. I also invite you to ask me to do the same.

Stewardship Ministry

October 2011 - Bethlehem's Servant Leaders, Part 2

Servant Leaders are identified as having the following characteristics: Listening, Empathy, Healing, Awareness, Persuasion, Conceptualization, Foresight, Stewardship, Commitment to the growth of people and Building Community. Mike Smith possesses all of these. I wanted to know what inspires Mike to serve both within Bethlehem and the community at large, and I figured that the best way to find out was to ask him:

1. What inspires you to serve the congregation the ways that you do?

"Being of service has been a fundamental belief instilled in my life early on and nurtured throughout by Scouting, Church, School and Community. In fact my wife Julie and I met through this shared value in College when we met as part of a service organization.

"Serving the congregation nurtures this trait, allows me to give back not only to the church lending my talents in IT, serving on the technology committee, education (served on Learning early on) and organizing Great Chicken Round-up/Helping Hams. God commands us to be of service. "Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching" Romans 12: 6-7."

2. How did you come to head up the Great Chicken Roundup (and Helping Hams), and what do these projects mean to you?

"One of the first projects that I helped on when I joined the church was the Great Chicken Roundup. When Karl Ahlrichs left the congregation I inherited the project and have carried on ever since with the assistance of my loving wife Julie and family.

"Food insecurity plagues our world and will never go away. One of our basic needs is food and when we are insecure we cannot succeed in other aspects of society. A hungry child cannot focus on studies, or behave. Jean Valjean in Les Miserables goes to jail because he steals bread to feed his sister's hungry children. These projects speak to this very basic need and provide a wonderful reinforcement of Christ's message in Matthew 25:35-40, verses that have always moved me.. We have discussed changing the format of GCR every now and then, but the visual reinforcement, church congregation participation, and the multi-generational aspect of the two projects appeals to me as we reinforce that we are put here to put others first and to help a neighbor in need."

3. How do you think those you serve grow as persons?

"One person that I work with in my day job, who is a delight, a deeply religious person, and a joy to be around, was at one time a welfare mother. Out of work, on assistance, and one of the strangers. I would like to think that programs like GCR and HHams, reaches people at this time of need and feeds them. Allowing them to focus on moving out of their condition and into productive society. Having at points in my own life been dependent on the kindness of a stranger to help me out of a bind, I know the power that a simple act of charity can have on someone's life no matter how small the act.

"I would like to think that serving the congregation and our Lord with a song in my heart bears witness to God's love of me and us as his people and inspires others to hopefully serve in their own capacity. Not for recognition or because it is expected, but because we want to give back and share the joy that being of service brings to others and by default to ourselves."

4. What would you say to others to encourage them to serve at Bethlehem?

"To quote John Donne, 'All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated...As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come: so this bell calls us all: but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness....No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.'

"There is no greater calling than that of serving others. Come experience the joy, the wonder of being of service, connecting islands, meeting new people, lending of your time and talents to make the congregation, your community, our neighborhood a little better place. I believe in paying it forward. If you haven't considered serving, please do, there is a whole wide world waiting, and for those of you who do serve, thank you, we couldn't do it without you."

Well said and well played, Mike.

Stewardship Ministry

September 2011 - What Is Mine and What Goes to the Lord

OK, a little more Stewardship humor:

Three ministers were talking over lunch and before long found themselves discussing how much of the weekly donations was appropriate to keep and how much to give to the Lord.

The first minister said, "I just draw a line on the floor, put one foot on both sides, and throw the money into the air. Whatever lands on the right side of the line is God's and whatever lands on the left is mine."

The second minister noted that he uses a similar method, "But I use a small coffee table when I throw the money in the air and whatever lands on the table goes to the Lord and whatever lands on the floor is mine."

They both contemplated each other's answer and finally turned to the third minister who was sitting there without saying anything.

"Well, how do you do it?" asked the first to the third.

"Well, I do as both of you do and throw the money into the air, but I figure whatever the Lord wants, he'll grab, and I keep whatever hits the floor."

Luther Seminary Website, Author unknown

We all know that this is not the way it is done (at least I hope not), but how do we decide what is ours and what belongs to the Lord? And how does the current economic turbulence affect our decision? There is no single answer for the first question, but there is for the second. A 2008 study by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University revealed the following facts:

Historically, recessions have little effect on religious giving.
Even in times of recession, religious congregations remain the number one recipient of all household dollars given to charity.
In times of recession, many people actually increase their giving.

The next question is "So what?" Why do I think this you need to know this? Well, we are certainly experiencing economic turbulence now, and soon I will be asking you to make a pledge for the coming year. I ask you to give prayerful consideration to what goes to the Lord and what you keep.

Stewardship Ministry

August 2011 - Faithful with Much

Earlier this week I was searching for some inspiration for this article and got onto the Luther Seminary web site. I found a link for "Stewardship Humor." Since I had never associated humor with stewardship, I read on. Sure enough, there was a collection of humorous stories about stewardship. Tthe following was one of my favorites:

At a Wednesday evening church meeting a very wealthy man rose to give his testimony. "I'm a millionaire," he said, "and I attribute it all to the rich blessings of God in my life. I can still remember the turning point in my life, like it was yesterday.

"I had just earned my first dollar and I went to a church meeting that night. The speaker was a missionary who told about his work. I knew that I only had a dollar bill and had to either give it all to God's work or nothing at all. So at that moment I decided to give my whole dollar bill to God. I believe that God blessed that decision, and that is why I am a rich man today."

As he finished it was clear that everyone had been moved by this man's story. But, as he took his seat, a little old lady sitting in the same pew leaned over and said: "Wonderful story! I dare you to do it again!"

OK, so there is humor to be found, but I think that there's a serious message here also. Coincidentally, I next thumbed through a stewardship booklet I had received at a recent seminar, and turned right to a reference to Matthew 6:19-21, 24, part of the Sermon on the Mount. In it, Jesus said:

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, your heart will be also…No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and the mammon."

(Revised Standard Version)

Do you think this wealthy gentleman's heart is where his treasure is? Is that the right place for it? Do you think he would "do it again," as the old lady requested?

I know that we are still a few months away from our annual campaign, but I think this is a good time to reflect upon what God has given us, and what where our hearts are in terms of the time, talent and treasure that we plan to give for the coming year in anticipation of the campaign. Please join me in doing this.

Stewardship Ministry

July 2011 - Bethlehem's Servant Leaders

In a recent Blaze article I discussed Robert Greenleaf's concept of Servant Leadership. Greenleaf proposed that the primary motivation of a truly great leader is a deep desire to help others. The leader is first a servant to others, and that is what makes the leader great.

In this and subsequent articles, I would like to acquaint you with some of them, starting with Jeff Mooers. Jeff is a member of Church Council and is also well-known as the leader of the Bethlehem Bakery during Sunday School. I'm always interested to learn what inspires others to serve and how they are enriched. Recently Jeff shared some of his thoughts with me (in italics):

What inspires you to serve the congregation the ways that you do?

I think it's important to be active and committed to whatever you do in life. I look at the other people who currently serve or have served the congregation in the past and think "Why not me?" We have great role models at Bethlehem. God gives us all gifts, but it is up to us to figure out how to use them.

You once told me that the best time to ask you this was right after Bethlehem Bakery, but see if you can recreate the feeling. How is your own life enriched by what you do at Bethlehem?

I love hearing from parents that kids talk about what we did in Sunday School. They remember the food, of course, but I think the fact that they remember how it connected back to the Bible verse we were studying makes me realize that what I do makes a difference.

How do you think those you serve grow as persons?

I think they grow in confidence and willingness to serve. I encourage them to think about what it might have been like in Jesus' time and how they would have gotten their food and how it would be different from what we have today. Those reactions are amazing!

What would you say to others to encourage them to serve at Bethlehem?

Open yourself up to making a difference to others. The rewards will far outweigh your expectations.

If you would like to see Servant Leadership in action, stop downstairs during Sunday School and see what's happening at the Bethlehem Bakery. Afterward, maybe some of you will also ask yourselves "Why not me?"

Stewardship Ministry

June 2011 - What If . . .

On Maundy Thursday part of Pastor Felde's sermon struck a particular cord with me (it's a shame that more or you weren't there to hear it, but now I'm getting a bit ahead of myself). I would like to share a passage of it with you:

"We gather tonight at Jesus' command, to remember what he has given us, not celebrate what we have done. Only part of the congregation is here. Wouldn't it be grand if we had perfect attendance! Only a few of us will take part in the foot-washing. Wouldn't it be super if everybody took part! How about if we all loved each other with our whole hearts, and loved God above all things, and there were never any blank spots on the flower calendar and we had several more altos and the pastor was more eloquent and the plaster wasn't cracked in the chancel! What if every member of the congregation brought some canned meat for the food pantry next Sunday, instead of just a handful?"

I got to thinking "what if all of these actually came to pass, plus the additional needs of all our ministries were met, and pledges were bountiful enough to enable our Council members to sleep better?" It is most certainly true that we foster a culture of abundance rather than one of scarcity at Bethlehem. But, what more could we accomplish if we could move the Time, Talent and Treasure needles upward?

Just to make it clear, I'm not asking those who do so much to do more - I don't have to do that. I'm asking those who have not done so to prayerfully consider joining our group of "servant leaders" to help further our ministry within Bethlehem's walls and out in the community.

A couple of issues ago I spoke about the idea of "servant leadership." In upcoming articles I will resume the discussion and introduce you to some of Bethlehem's servant leaders, to find out their thoughts on what they do and why they do it. I hope you find their stories interesting. Then maybe we can further answer the question "What if?"

Stewardship Ministry

May 2011 - Earth Day and Stewardship

On Sunday, May 1, the Bethlehem EcoMinistry Group held a quiet celebration of Earth Day. No fanfares, great orations, choral masterpieces; just an effort to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. No tree-hugging, either; rather simply the collection of recyclables, a plant exchange, an exhibition of the magnificent work of our quilters, photos from a recent KIB project and a selection of goodies made with local products. Hopefully the group's efforts heightened your awareness in some manner.

What does Earth Day have to do with Stewardship? Well, simply this- as I mentioned in a previous article, the New Testament word for stewardship is oikonomia, meaning "management of a household", and refers to the responsibility of a manager. A steward acts as an administrator of the affairs and possessions of another. We at Bethlehem are therefore the administrators of the affairs and property of the church. But that management need not be restricted to Bethlehem itself; it extends to the community in which we live and worship. Here is an excerpt from what the ELCA says about stewardship of the environment:

Humans, in service to God, have special roles on behalf of the whole of creation. Made in the image of God, we are called to care for the earth as God cares for the earth. God's command to have dominion and subdue the earth is not a license to dominate and exploit. Human dominion (Gen 1:28; Ps 8), a special responsibility, should reflect God's way of ruling as a shepherd king who takes the form of a servant (Phil 2:7), wearing a crown of thorns.

According to Gen 2:15, our role within creation is to serve and to keep God's garden, the earth. "To serve," often translated "to till," invites us again to envision ourselves as servants, while "to keep" invites us to take care of the earth as God keeps and cares for us (Num 6:24-26).

Events like Earth Day are easily overshadowed by the celebrations and observances of the church year, but they exhibit the time and talent given by a small group of individuals seeking to make Bethlehem and its community a better place to worship and live. This is stewardship in action. Can more be done? I ask you all to give prayerful consideration to that question.

Stewardship Ministry

April 2011 - Servant-Leadership

In the mid-1970's, Robert K. Greenleaf developed the idea of the "servant-leader" after reading Hermann Hesse's novel Journey to the East, an account of a mythical journey by a group of people on a spiritual quest. He concluded that the story's central meaning was that the great leader is first experienced as a servant to others, and that this fact is what makes the leader great. True leadership develops in those whose primary motivation is a deep desire to help others.

Larry Spears, the CEO of the Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant-Leadership, outlines ten predominant characteristics of servant-leaders:

Listening: They are deeply committed to listening to others.
Empathy: They accept and recognize others for their special and unique spirit.
Healing: They recognize that they can help "make whole" those whom they are in contact with.
Awareness: Awareness aids in the understanding of issues involving ethics and values.
Persuasion: They seek to convince rather than coerce others.
Conceptualization: They are able to think beyond day-to-day realities to "dream big dreams."
Foresight: They can understand the lessons from the past, the realities of the present, and the likely consequences of a decision for the future.
Stewardship: They are committed first and foremost to serving the needs of others.
Commitment to the growth of people: They believe that people have an intrinsic value beyond their tangible contributions.
Building community: They seek to build community among those who work or belong to a given institution.

Servant-Leadership is usually associated with leadership style in a corporate environment; however, it can be seen in any type of organization. We have an abundance of servant-leaders of all ages in the Bethlehem community. They take the concept of stewardship to heart, that is, the sharing of their time, talent and treasure for the administration of the affairs and activities of the church.

I believe that these servant-leaders make a conscious choice to put the needs of others before their own and work hard to fulfill them as they carry on our ministry both inside and outside of Bethlehem's walls. What inspired them to act? How does their work enrich their lives? Do those they serve grow as persons, and become more likely to serve as well?

In upcoming Blaze articles, I'll be sharing the thoughts of some of Bethlehem's servant-leaders to try to answer these questions and learn about how they serve. And, if you have a story about a servant-leader you would like to share, please let me know.

Stewardship Ministry

March 2011 - Managing the Discipline of Generosity

Earlier today I was sitting at my desk thinking "The deadline for the Blaze is coming up. What in the world am I going to write about?" I looked at my bookshelves for some inspiration, and picked up the smallest book there, Make Today Count, by John C. Maxwell. I remembered that it contained a chapter on generosity, so I read it again. I would like to share Maxwell's thoughts on what he called Managing the Discipline of Generosity:

It's very easy to live only for yourself. In fact, that may be every person's natural bent. I know it's mine. But we can take another path- to be generous. My desire is to be the kind of person I would like to be around. To help with that, I practice this discipline, reminding myself: Every day I will add value to others.

What does it mean to add value to others? How do you do it? Here is how you start:

Value People: This means treating everyone with respect?
Know what people value: This means listening and seeking to understand others.
Make myself more valuable: This means growing in order to give, because I cannot give what I do not possess.
Do things that God values: Since he unconditionally loves people, so must I.

When you value people, you open the door to generosity. And it becomes much easier to plan for and model generosity daily. If you've adopted that mind-set, you're ready to be generous to others.¹

That's a pretty big message for such a small book. I'm really glad I found it again, and I'm going to think about this a lot as I work to add value to others. I hope you do also.

Stewardship Ministry

¹ Maxwell, John C. (2004). Make today count: The secret of your success is determined by your daily agenda. New York: Hachette Book Group.

February 2011 - Random Acts of Kindness

A few days ago, as I was working to come up with a theme for this month's Blaze article, I got to thinking of the term "random acts of kindness." I got to wondering what it really meant. After all, I consider myself rather kind, but I don't think I do much of anything randomly. And, being a librarian (at least at heart), I knew just where to look to find some answers: Wikipedia, of course! First, I found this definition:

"A random act of kindness is a selfless act by a person or persons wishing either to assist or cheer up an individual or in some cases an animal. There will be no reason other than to make people smile, or be happier . . . "

I thought to myself "OK, that's a good start, but there must be more to it than that," so I dug deeper (not in Wikipedia). I then discovered that there is now a "Random Acts of Kindness Week" that runs from February 15th through the 21st. I also found the "Top 70 Acts of Random Kindness Ideas" (no kidding, they have their own web site). Here are some of the ones I liked:

When visiting a hospital spend a few moments with someone who doesn't have any visitors.
Make a new friend.
Tell your kids why you love them.
Shovel snow for a neighbor that can't or shouldn't.
Drop off a plant or home-made baked goods to your local police or fire department.
Let a neighbor know how much you value their friendship. When preparing dinner, make extra and drop it off to them.

At this point I was thinking "This is pretty cool," so I searched on. I found the Website for The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, a group that inspires people to practice kindness and pass it on to others. There I found a short video called "Kindness 101." It showed people caught in the act of giving random acts of kindness to strangers. It asks this question: Who gets more out of a random act of kindness - the giver, or the recipient? I know what I now think; how about you? I encourage you to watch the video at: www.randomactsofkindness.org/. It made me realize that maybe I do act "randomly" at times. How about you?

My final question: What does this have to do with Stewardship at Bethlehem? You tell me . . . .

Happy Random Acts of Kindness Week!

Stewardship Ministry