Stewardship Principles

These are the principles that we at ZPC have found beneficial as we seek to be good stewards of all that God has entrusted us with, including time, talent, treasure, and all of creation:

God owns everything.
God demands accountability.
Stewardship is worship.
God comes first.
Stewardship is strategic.
Our attitudes matter.
Confront the culture.

God owns everything:

Since God is the unique creator and sustainer of the universe, everything belongs to him. The sum total of the personal gifts, financial resources, hours and opportunities that make up our lives are God’s gift to us.

I Chronicles 29:14-18
Psalm 24:1-2
Colossians 1:15-20

God demands accountability:

God has assigned to each of us the responsibility of managing the resources we have been given—including time, money, abilities, and care of the earth. God will hold each person accountable according to the faithfulness of his stewardship.

Genesis 1:27-30
Luke 16:10
Matthew 25:14-30

Stewardship is worship:

Far from being merely an obligation, managing God’s property is an every-minute opportunity to express our thanks to him for his goodness, to affirm our dependence on God in everything, and to return his love for us as our own expression of love for him.

Leviticus 22:17-22
I Corinthians 10:31
II Corinthians 9:12

God comes first:

God’s priorities demand to be the top priorities in every area of life. God rightfully deserves the first share of everything we receive, as reflected in the way we organize our time, distribute our money, and utilize our abilities.

Proverbs 3:9-10
Malachi 3:8-10
Romans 12:3-8

Stewardship is strategic:

God calls us to manage his resources faithfully. More than just giving, stewardship of money is investing in God’s eternal purposes. More than just management, stewardship of the earth is fulfilling God’s original creation mandate.

Genesis 2:15, 19-20
II Corinthians 8:1-9
I Timothy 6:18-19

Our attitudes matter:

God calls us to manage his resources joyfully, sacrificially and with servant hearts, acknowledging that it is a privilege to be stewards of his property. We affirm that sacrifices offered apart from love, no matter how great, gain us nothing. We enjoy a God-provided contentment that he is able to meet all of our needs and the needs of his kingdom.

I Corinthians 13:3
II Corinthians 9:6-7
Philippians 4:10-13, 19

Confront the culture:

The Church is called to be the community of those who put their trust in God, indicting the pervasive materialism and self-centeredness of our culture. Yet even as we stand apart from the world, we choose to serve the world as trustees of God’s good gifts.

Matthew 6:25-33
Luke 12:16-21
James 5:1-6