Life Management

As Christians, God has designated us as His stewards. We are the managers of his gifts here on earth. God is the owner; we are his managers. Equipping, encouraging, educating and empowering people to manage all areas of life is the purpose of Life Management.

The Who, What & Why of Giving
Recently, as members of Trinity, we all gathered together as one church to celebrate God’s love for us, and to make pledges for our future giving. In making these pledges for the future, it is also important to consider our current giving. The ‘who, what and why’ of giving may seem like questions that have simple answers. While they can be answered in very simple terms, these are questions that I have given great thought to, and ask that you do the same. I wanted to share with you some reflections in pondering these questions.

The first question of “Who” is probably the simplest to answer, but has several components. Who should give, who is giving and who will give? Who should give would be you and I. We could also look at this from the perspective of who should not give–if not you and I, then who? The needs of the church can not be supported solely by those who are currently giving of all their gifts, as the needs are greater than that. It is the responsibility of all of us. Who will give are those who accept the shared responsibility of the needs of the church, and believe that God works through each of us.

What to give is more of a challenging question. This is not just a question of merely how much to give financially, but also what is it that I have that is worth giving? We all have talents and gifts from God that we can use. Yes, the church has financial needs that we all share a responsibility in, but it also has needs for us to use our talents. What we each have to give is ourselves. Other times, the “What” question can take the form of, what is in it for me? If I give, what do I receive in return? It is through faith that we can make this move from focusing on ourselves to see the impact God’s work can have on others through us, and in return receive the feelings of joy from His love.

The last question is, “Why” should I give? The answer to this may vary for each person, and some of the answers can be found above. It may be due to having a sense of shared responsibility in meeting the needs of the church. Another may take the view of giving is a way of meeting the greater good, beyond the needs of oneself. Yet another may feel that giving is part of believing and trying to meet the expectations that God has given us in giving ourselves to him. It is within this last answer that we can encompass all the reasons as to why we should give.

Finally, I hope that each of us spends some time to consider the “Who, What & Why” to give. Through this thoughtful consideration we can see that it is through giving that we will actually receive.

David Boehnke, Life Management Team

Contentment & Generosity

"I've learned by now to be quite content, whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am." (Philippians 4:12-13 The Message)

How’s your contentment factor these days? We have a tendency to worry over the stock market, the elections, our job security and our pile of bills stacking up. But the truth is, God never stops providing for us. He’s always there for us, giving us just what we need at just the right time.

One way to keep our contentment factor high is to be a channel of God’s blessings to others. When we keep blessings to ourselves they become unfulfilling. But when we allow God to bless others through us, God does a work in our heart that multiplies blessing upon blessing.

Were you able to worship at the Ritz Charles on Nov. 2nd? What an awesome way to spend time together as God’s family. It was also a time when we were called to be generous and to make our pledges for the coming year. Because of what God’s done for us, all we can do is offer ourselves and all that we have back to him for his use, knowing that what he will do with our gifts is far more than anything we could ask or imagine. Turns out our contentment factor is directly tied to our generosity factor.

Hmm…how content are you?

From the Stewardship Committee

Ten Guides for Giving
From Paul’s Second Letter to the Christians at Corinth

1. Give yourself – 2 Corinthians 5:8
Giving always begins with the dedication of ourselves.

2. Excel in your giving – 2 Corinthians 8:7
Paul urged the Christians at Corinth to excel at three things: faith, love & giving.

3. Let Christ be your example – 2 Corinthians 8:9
God is the supreme giver. We are God’s followers.

4. Put your faith to work – 2 Corinthians 8:11
Don’t just talk about what you’d like to do. Do it! Act on your faith.

5. Give proportionately – a percentage of our income – 2 Corinthians 8:12
We are to give according to our resources, “as the Lord has blessed us.” Money is a trust; we are trustees.

6. Give what is honorable in God’s sight – 2 Corinthians 8:21
It’s another reminder that we live our lives in the presence and sight of God and that he is to be honored in all things.

7. Give what is honorable in the sight of others – 2 Corinthians 8:21
Our giving is an expression of our faith. It’s a witness to others to strengthen and encourage.

8. Give as proof of your love – 2 Corinthians 9:6
Talk is easy and often cheap. Paul asks us to let our giving (not our talking) prove our love.

9. Giving leads to blessings – 2 Corinthians 9:6
While this isn’t the highest of motives, it’s a promise of God and the experience of many.

10. Give cheerfully – 2 Corinthians 9:7
Even when money is given begrudgingly, the church makes good use of it and Christ’s mission is served. But when we give cheerfully, we are blessed ourselves.

Spiritual Gifts & Resources
Discover the spiritual gifts that God has given you with a Spiritual Gifts Inventory. Contact Pam Castrey for more information. Strengthen your spirit through regular worship, Bible study, prayer, involvement in a small group, spiritual retreats and personal devotions.

Physical Gifts & Resources
Care for your body with regular checkups, ongoing education, balanced nutrition and regular exercise. See Trinity's Health Ministry for more information.

Time and Abilities
Use your time and abilities for the furtherance of God's Kingdom. Complete the Involvement Survey as a way to find out all the ways in which you can contribute your time and abilities. Contact Pam Castrey for a survey. Manage your time so that you balance your life with time for devotions, time for prayer, time for rest, time for work, time for self, time for family and time to volunteer.

Financial Resources
The Life Management Commission sponsors regular Life Management classes on Sunday mornings, such as the popular “Master Your Money” class. Being a steward of financial resources means things like giving regular offerings (tithing), responsible financial planning, controlling your debts, and giving to memorials, special fund campaigns and other special gifts.

Simply Giving is a systematic means of giving your offering to Trinity on a regular basis. Through Simply Giving, your gifts are made through a pre-authorized withdrawal from your bank account. You determine the frequency of your automatic gift – weekly, semi-monthly or monthly – the option is yours. Your gift is deposited into Trinity’s bank account on the same day it is withdrawn from your account. Simply Giving is a reliable, safe way to move your stewardship plan into action. It allows you to share your gifts through planned giving and activates your generosity into ongoing stewardship. Because your gift is given consistently, you won’t need to play “catch-up” at year-end or worry about forgotten checkbooks or missed Sunday offerings. However, you’re not the only one that benefits. Trinity benefits from steady, more predictable revenues throughout the year, more efficient bookkeeping, and greater confidence in meeting our financial commitments. For more information, contact Dianna in the church office at (913) 432-5441 or by e-mail

Biblical Principles for Life Management
For sound biblical guides to life management, read 1 Cor. 4:2; 1 Cor. 6:19-20; 2 Cor. 8:11-12; 2 Cor. 9:7-8; 2 Cor. 5:14-15.

For more information, contact Iva Schlatter at 913.649.0346.