Stewardship
Saint Mark
Stewardship
Stewardship is making a commitment to Christ of ourselves in support of the ministries of His Church. Time, talent and treasure are all ways in which we express our service to Christ. Orthodox Christian Stewardship is a way of life, which acknowledges accountability, reverence, and responsibility before God. A primary goal of Stewardship is to promote spiritual growth and strengthen faith. As Stewards, we affirm that every aspect of our lives come as a gift from Him.
Stewardship uses our time, talent and treasure for the benefit of grateful acknowledgement of Christ’s love. It is our care for the needs of others, offering one’s self to God as He offered Himself to us, or what a person does after saying “I believe…” as proof of that belief.
Becoming a “steward” is a formal way of being recognized as a member in good standing of a Greek Orthodox parish. A godparent for a baptism or a sponsor at a wedding would need to verify that they are stewards of their local parish.
Saint Mark Stewardship Committee
John Koutsoupis, Chairman
Dawn Riger, Parish Administrator
Contessa Mastorakis
Yvette Koutsoupis
Stella Pores
Stewardship FAQ's
Why is money needed?
Money is a necessary tool to fulfill the Saint Mark ministries and the mission of our Faith in general. Our stewardship pledge affords us the privilege of being instruments of the Lord's work of salvation on earth. We are called upon to commit ourselves to bear our fair share in the financial support of our ministries at Saint Mark, our Metropolis and Archdiocese.
The Saint Mark operating budget for the calendar year 2025 is approximately $2,200,000. The Parish Council has set a goal of $1,200,000 for Stewardship giving. The expenses of our Saint Mark Parish are vital for our Church, and are for: Worship, Ministries and Education; Maintaining our Buildings; Those Who Serve Us; Communicating with You; Our Total Commitment to the Archdiocese and Metropolis. The quality of our service as a parish and Archdiocese depends directly on the level of our giving.
What do the scriptures say about stewardship?
RETURN TO GOD HIS OWN GIFTS: "No one shall appear before the Lord empty-handed, but each of you with as much as he can give, in proportion to the blessings which the Lord God has bestowed on you." (Deut. 16:10, 16-17)
Proportionate Giving
The Old Testament laid down the standard of the tithe or 10% of one's income. This provides us with the principle that giving should be proportionate with our income. Stewardship is returning to God a fair pro- portion of the resources He has given to us.
The more we are given, the more is expected of us. "Everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required." (Luke 12:48) Stewards determine what percentage of their income will be committed to Christ and the Church.
Giving Regularly
St. Paul tells us: "On the first day of every week, each of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income." (1 Cor. 16:2) Every Sunday we should be pre- pared to make our Stewardship contribution to the Church in accordance with the Lord's generosity to us personally. Sup- porting the Church should be a priority for every Orthodox Christian and performed on a regular and consistent basis.
Consider how your expenditures on personal entertainment compare with your Stewardship pledge. Is your Stewardship simply a token donation? Or is your Stewardship pledge a personal manifestation of "Giving Thanks to the Lord" for all your blessings from Him?
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