Stewardship and the Gift of Desperation

By Pastor Ryan Fletcher 

Beginning my new role as the Synod’s Director for Evangelical Mission (DEM), I have been surprised by the number of building conversations that I have had. Leaders have asked questions about creative building use, imaginative community partnerships, and more. Stewardship is part of what I do, so I am grateful for the engagement. I am especially grateful that leaders encountering the decline of inherited institutions are choosing curiosity and mission over the temptation to despair.

Standing in the temple beside tables freshly overturned, Jesus says, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). It is easy to imagine Jesus, still flush with anger, chest heaving from the strenuous labor of rebuking the faithless. For church leaders living in this age of crumbling temples and fear of decline, the threat of falling stones is all too real. Jesus’ zeal for mission and ministry is wonderful, but what are leaders to do with the temples they have inherited? What does Jesus say to church councils and committees looking to steward gifts of property and wealth for the sake of his mission in this world?

 

At a recent ELCA gathering focused on newly revitalized and thriving churches, the presenter was asked to name the essential gift that these vibrant communities shared. Without hesitating, he smiled like a Cheshire cat and said, “They have the gift of desperation. They have all discovered the freedom Christ leads us into when our inherited institutions begin to fall.”

Listening to communities that have reimagined and reinvented themselves, the fullness of Jesus’ words is revealed. He comes not simply to rebuke and tear down. He comes to raise up and rebuild. He comes to people with the gift of desperation and frees them to dream new dreams and pursue new visions. Stewardship is the practice of holy imagination. It is the faith to believe that in Christ, our desperation is a gift.

Leaders often approach the stewardship of property and wealth as a conversation that takes place within their community. This inward focus tends to overburden leaders and limits creativity. My goal in promoting stewardship, as the DEM, is to connect leaders and help communities grow their capacity for holy imagination. There are great resources like Rooted Good’s Futures Accelerator that can help churches approach building use playfully. And I recommend Stewardship for All Seasons, a comprehensive two-year stewardship program for congregations that begins in May.

Beyond decline, Christ calls us to steward our gifts with creativity and imagination. This is work that we do best together. If you are looking for resources or simply have the “gift of desperation,” I would love to talk with you more.