The United Methodist Foundation of Michigan recently honored four new Barrett Steward Leaders for their exemplary stewardship ministry and culture of generosity.
JAMES DEATON
Content Editor
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, spoke candidly about money and our management of it as it relates to our discipleship as good stewards. In his sermon “The Use of Money,” he lists “three plain rules” we should follow regarding money: gain all you can, save all you can, and give all you can.
There is movement in this spirit of stewardship as it flows out from the heart, and Wesley said we cannot stop by just gaining and saving resources. “All this is nothing . . . if [we do] not point all this at a farther end.” We must give it away, not throw it into the sea or bury it in the earth.
The United Methodist Foundation of Michigan (UMF) recently honored four Michigan United Methodist churches that live out this Wesleyan spirit of stewardship and possess a vision of generosity beyond the sanctuary’s four walls.
Bethel UMC in Flint, Community UMC in North Muskegon, Grand Blanc UMC, and West Berlin UMC in Allenton were recently recognized as Wayne C. Barrett Steward Leaders and awarded each a $2,500 grant. This award is presented annually to up to four congregations. These churches plan to use the grant to further their mission and vision as faith communities committed to extravagant generosity.
For over a century, Flint: Bethel UMC has been a cornerstone in the community, and many people rely on the church for essential services. Through the church’s Help Center, the church provides food for community members. The church has also been generous with its facilities in various ways, including housing two alternative schools for high school students (Peckham and Mt. Morris), being a voting site, and holding multiple resource fairs and community engagement activities.
The church has received several awards and recognitions for its service to the community, from the City of Flint, the State of Michigan, the Flint Housing Commission, and the Metro Community Development.
The Michigan Conference currently operates one of its Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) Freedom Schools at Flint: Bethel UMC each summer. This six-week summer literacy and cultural enrichment program is designed to serve children and youth in grades K–12 in communities where quality academic enrichment programming is limited, too expensive, or nonexistent.
Flint: Bethel plans to use the grant funding to continue its outreach to the community, providing items such as clothing and diapers for children, donations to facilities for the unhoused, and community resourcing and information. Some money will support its weekly Help Center.
Community UMC in North Muskegon believes that education is the key to becoming a leader in financial stewardship. They believe this begins with transparency at all levels and is lived out through a rigorous communications plan that utilizes various print, digital, and spoken tools. Through education powered by an effective communications plan, they have stabilized their income flow after a sharp decline during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The congregation has a heart for service. Each year, they raise $10,000 to send a team of volunteers to Appalachia to work on homes. For the Christmas angel tree collection, they gave out 70 gifts. Most recently, their mission committee, which raises awareness for persons and organizations in need, helped collect nearly $3,000 for a family who lost their home to a fire.
Supporting local youth is also a way Community UMC has become a leader in the community. With financial support from local corporate sponsors, they offer local high school students free pizza lunches. They’ve given over $500 to a local school for supplies. Church facilities are used for activities like Girl Scouts, public school events, and a weekly youth group with a free meal.
Church leaders planned to use the $2,500 grant to fund their Vacation Bible School this summer. They hoped to purchase JUST Like Me, a new inclusive curriculum in which “kids celebrate their identity as God’s beloved creations just as they are!”
For Grand Blanc UMC, promoting vision invites extravagant giving. They continually present dreams and visions for the church, creating a ministry environment where “What would they even do with my donation?” is no longer a question that members must ask.
The fall 2023 financial stewardship sermon series focused on the dreams and vision for ministry and how their excitement for what the church can be leads to acts of generosity. As a result, they had an increase of 21 pledges for 2024, along with 10 new pledges.
One way Grand Blanc UMC’s vision as a church is driving mission and action is through its Free Community Dinner, which is on the first Wednesday of each month. This monthly dinner is free and advertised broadly in the community. To date, they regularly feed between 70 and 100 people, nearly half of whom have no other relationship with the church.
The $2,500 grant will allow the church to continue growing this ministry, making it possible to feed more people in the community at no charge every month. The church is committed to disciple-making, which begins with building relationships with community members.
West Berlin UMC lived out its commitment to stewardship by replacing all eight windows in the fellowship hall this past year. This facility improvement will lower heating and cooling costs. The project was funded by money set aside for building improvements and generous donations from the congregation.
Although a small, rural church, West Berlin UMC thinks big as it lives out its generosity. In June 2022, the church started a food distribution ministry to provide food to area households during the summer when they could not rely on food at schools. The ministry has grown thanks to grants and funds from local businesses and individuals. To date, they have provided 11 food distributions to 150-225 households receiving food at each distribution.
The church plans to use the grant money to pay for more food distributions as it works to ease food insecurity in the area. West Berlin hopes to have a distribution monthly through the end of 2024 and, with enough funding, continue into next year.
Each of these four United Methodist congregations has created its own culture of generosity in different ways, and each was awarded a $2,500 grant to continue its mission as Wayne C. Barrett Steward Leaders.
This award was established by the United Methodist Foundation of Michigan board following the retirement of Rev. Dr. Wayne Barrett as president and executive director. Barrett’s passion was stewardship education, and he served more than 1,000 congregations with programs and consultations on planned giving, capital funding, and stewardship development.
The award is presented to those who embrace a larger view of church finances. It is meant to recognize leaders who look beyond budgets and building projects. The foundation wants to hear stories of serving, giving, and investing in the community. They want to see how a church encourages others to see God’s generosity and love.
Application for the 2025 Wayne C. Barrett Steward Leader Awards will open next year with a deadline of March 15. Visit their website (click here) to find more information.
Last Updated on August 19, 2024