Stewardship as Gesture

Giving the gift of time

BY KATHLEEN WILSON

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.

Ephesians 4:11–12 (NIV)

IN 2017, I was blessed with the opportunity to practice stewardship in a non-fiscal, way through the work of Canadian Baptist Women of Ontario and Quebec (CBWOQ). I joined CBWOQ’s board that year and it became an opportunity to make an impact.

During the early years of being on the board, I also experienced Uptick, connecting with and journeying alongside fellow female leaders from across Canada and the U.S. It was a time of meaningful pruning and re-growth which helped me truly understand the tremendous impact that time and talents can have within the scope of one’s ministry.

Coming out of my Uptick experience, I began to co-lead Uptick Baptist Women alongside Laura Matthews, CBWOQ’s events coordinator and Uptick Baptist Women founder. At the heart of Uptick Baptist Women is our belief that each woman has a voice ordained by God to speak with confidence and conviction – to speak truth to situations through the lens of love and compassion.

Building a Discipling Culture by Mike Breen has been our study guide. Breen uses the concept of lifeshapes to illustrate various spiritual practices and disciplines every leader can leverage within their own contexts. The Pentagon lifeshape talks about building up the body of Christ and emphasizes the need for those with varying capacities to respond as their abilities allow. This can be applied to how each of us navigates stewardship – how we respond to the needs of the Church by investing in its relational and missional capital through our own God-given gifts. We all have much to offer. God has designed us for this. We are called to be faithful to the needs of the Church, financial or otherwise.

In reality, I don’t always have the ability to offer financial stewardship in the way that I feel would make the most impact. However, what I know makes an impact is the gift of time. Being a CBWOQ board member, co-leading Uptick, and taking part in various ministry initiatives have all allowed me to respond to a call from God to contribute not only to the work of my own church, but also to the broader work of Baptist Women in Ontario and Quebec. What a privilege and a joy.

We Remember

Each generation has the opportunity to fuel mission for the next. We are thankful for the following gifts:

IN HONOUR OF Dorothy Gerber, Peterborough, 100th birthday

IN MEMORY OF Marguerite Burns, Ottawa

Florence Costerus, Niagara Falls

Queen Elizabeth II, England

Gary Hill, Niagara Falls

Isabell Kinch, Smith Falls

Judy Lumley, Sarnia

Marion Smallwood, Campbellford

Janet Spittal, Whitby