For forty years our stewardship program was embodied in the St. Andrew's Plan of Christian Stewardship. The St. Andrew's Plan, characterized by a "faith budget," placed a strong emphasis on individual responsibility with a focus on the tithe. Following several difficult financial years, the vestry in January 2001 felt "that the plan's effectiveness, relevance and vibrancy were not apparent at the present time at St. Andrew's" and voted not to reaffirm the plan. This was a bold step and a call to action for the parish. The vestry formed a twelve member Stewardship Advisory Board, including clergy, members of vestry and leadership from the parish at large, in April and charged it with the responsibility of formulating recommendations. In August 2001, a special parish meeting voted to set aside the St. Andrew's Plan.

Rather than trying to replace the St. Andrew's Plan with a St. Andrew's Plan II, the Stewardship Advisory Board helped our parish implement a multifaceted and comprehensive stewardship program. "The goal of stewardship is to help the members of our church understand and live out the reality that we are all trustees of God's gifts." This program is not be set in stone, but is dynamic in nature to allow for changes and growth that our congregation will naturally experience. The theme is focused on "thanks-living" centered around "friend-raising," "faith-raising" and then, and only then "fund-raising" programs.

Our stewardship program is based on these realizations:

Stewardship is better "caught" than "taught."

Through stewardship we grow in our faith and through stewardship we demonstrate our faith.

Our stewardship program is designed to recognize the diversity of our parish and our parishioners.

Our stewardship program is ongoing throughout the church year. The emphasis is on encouraging and challenging our parishioners to recognize their various gifts, "talents," and to utilize these "talents" through the giving of their "time" in activities designed to provide growth and unity for both the individual parishioner and our parish.

Our stewardship program is designed to take our parishioners/parish from where we are to where we want to be.