Stewardship
Overview
Did you know Stewardship is about time, money and talents – not just how you gift your money? Learn the principles of how to return to God your “living sacrifices” and how as a Pathfinder to make a difference with the gifts God has given you!
Investiture Achievement Connection: This Honor is related to the Investiture Achievement requirements for VOYAGER Making Friends which require completion of Requirements #3, #5, and #6 of this Honor. The VOYAGER Advanced Ribbon requires completion of this Honor.
Requirements
1. What was the role of a steward during biblical times? What has stewardship come to mean in the modern era? Create a modern “dictionary entry” for the term.
2. Is biblical stewardship about the management of all of God’s creation? How does Psalm 50:10-12 affect your understanding of biblical stewardship? Brainstorm a list of ways that stewardship is part of daily life and not just financial gifts.
3. With regard to biblical principles, briefly describe the concept of stewardship based on the list below. What real life example can be applied to each? Use biblical references to support your answer.
4. In the Pathfinder pledge, we promise to be pure, kind, and true. How does following that pledge relate to the stewardship of our mind?
5. Discuss how the text found in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 relates to the stewardship of your body.
6. Using Genesis 2:15 as reference, choose from the list below, one way that you could help to care for God’s earth.
7. Do the following:
- a. Read the Bible story about the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) or 1 Corinthians 12.
- b. How does God reward the proper usage of talents? How can we know that all of us are given talents/giftedness? Why does it seem God appreciates variety in talents?
- c. List three talents or skills that you feel you may have or want to possess. Sketch symbols that illustrate each talent and how it could be used for God’s glory (Ephesians 4:12).
- d. Choose one of the talents from the previous list and create another list of three things you want to do to be a good steward and improve that specific talent.
- e. Spend at least four hours planning and executing a community activity that uses your talents. Prepare and present the results of your project to a group.
8. Create a list of six daily activities and write down by each item how much time you think you usually spend on the activity. Afterward, measure how much time you actually spend on the items on your list. Some examples can be found below.
9. Briefly describe the fundamental difference between returning the tithes and giving offerings. Include biblical references to support your answer.
10. Discuss Malachi 3:10, answering the following questions:
- a. What is the storehouse?
- b. How does the storehouse function with reference to the church at large?
11. Briefly describe the process of how the tithe is dispersed and utilized from the local church to the local conference, union conference, division, and the General Conference.
- a. Interview an individual (church treasurer, stewardship coordinator, etc.) within your church that is familiar with the church budget.
- b. What are some of the financial obligations that your church must meet?
- c. How are individual funds placed in a tithe envelope allocated? Prepare and present your findings to a group.
1. Discover the Bible principles of stewardship by answering the following questions:
- a. What does 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 say about the stewardship of the body?
- b. What does Matthew 25:15 tell us about the stewardship of talents?
- c. What does Colossians 4:5 say about the stewardship of time?
- d. What does John 3:16 tell us about who owns the earth?
- e. What does Psalms 24:1 tell us about who owns the earth?
- f. What does Genesis 1:26 say about who is the steward over the earth?
- g. What does Proverbs 3:9 say about who is always first?
- h. How do we know that tithe means a tenth? Genesis 28:22
- i. Who does Leviticus 27:30 say the tithe belongs to?
- j. How does Malachi 3:8 say that God is robbed?
- k. What does 1 Corinthians 9:13,14 say about the use of the tithe?
- l. How do we know that the tithe is different from offerings? Malachi 3:8
- m. What does 1 Corinthians 16:2 say about how we are to give our offerings?
- n. What does Matthew 6:20 say about where to keep our treasures?
- o. What does 2 Corinthians 9:7 say about our attitude in giving?
- p. What promised blessing is given in Malachi 3:10?
2. Read and discuss with your counselor or pastor the following: Section IV (pp. 111 to 130); paragraph 1 and 2, p. 14; and paragraph 1, p. 66 of Counsels on Stewardship written by Ellen G. White.
3. Learn what is done with the tithe in your local church, your local conference, your union, and the General Conference.
4. From your pastor, church treasurer, or elder learn about your church budget, what finances your church must meet and the purpose of each item listed on your church tithe and offering envelope.
5. Keep a chart on how you spend your time for one weekend and one week day. In this chart make a list of how much time you spend in the following areas:
- a. Work for pay
- b. Family time
- c. Personal devotions
- d. Public worship
- e. Family worship
- f. Fun things
- g. Reading
- h. Television
- i. Meals
- j. Sleep
- k. Personal needs
- l. Class time
- m. School study
- n. Travel
- o. Music lesson
- p. Music practice
- q. Home chores
- r. Shopping
For each of the three days be sure your time adds up to 24 hours. After completing the chart, discuss with your pastor or counselor your responsibility in the stewardship of your time.**
6. Do one of the following:
- a. If you have an income-producing job or an allowance, make a list of how you spend your money for one month.
- b. If you are not in the category above, make a list of how you would spend an income of $50 a month in the following categories:
(1) Clothes
(2) Entertainment
(3) Eating out
(4) Gifts
(5) Personal items (toiletries)
(6) School supplies
(7) Tithe and offerings
(8) Transportation
7. From the Bible and the writings of Ellen G. White determine what instruction has been given concerning the variety and use of God-given talents.
8. List three talents or skills that you have, such as building things, mechanics, gardening, painting or drawing, writing, speaking, music, teaching, sewing, etc. Choose one of these three talents and do a project to help develop your talent further. Your project must follow these guidelines:
- a. The project is to be a benefit or outreach to others.
- b. The project is to be a new endeavor not previously accomplished.
- c. Spend at least five hours in the planning and implementation of the project.
- d. Present a written or oral report to your counselor about your project.
Answer key & resources
In other territories
The equivalent honor approved by other authorities, with its own requirements:
Master awards
This honor counts toward:
- Witnessing Master Award (retired)
Investiture Achievement
This honor is required, suggested or listed as an option in:
See also
- VoyagerReference
Adapted from AY Honors/Stewardship on the Pathfinder Wiki, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. See the original page's history for its authors.
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