In the congregation that I joined last year, surprisingly little has been said about stewardship as such. People simply recognize and appreciate the value of supporting one another in doing worthwhile things for the sake of the Kingdom, often thanking one another sincerely and spontaneously for their efforts, and cheerfully involving new people on ministry teams that are, as a matter of official policy, encouraged to exercise initiative in their area of service.

It is obvious that money is needed to sustain the good work, but there is no annual solicitation of pledges and there is no passing of the plate on Sunday morning. During the conventional time in the worship service when an offering would be taken, congregants here are simply reminded briefly of the helpfulness of their contributions and advised that their gifts and offerings may be placed in a plate at the door or sent online.

The ongoing cultivation of faith, trust and joy seems to be part of the appeal of this little church to others, and it influenced my own decision to become a member. By God's grace, while average attendance has been "only" about 50 for while, the congregation has grown by 14 members over the past two years. Their one permanent pastoral position has been vacant the entire time.