Everything we have is a gift from God. Every single thing.
It is our joy and our job to take care of the things God gives us, and to share what we have with others.
Would it surprise you to learn that the Bible contains “roughly 500 verses on prayer and faith, but well over 2,000 verses on money, and approximately 40% of Jesus’ parables deal with money”? (Read more from Rose Publishing at TRIVIA: How Many Verses in the Bible Are About Money?)
Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” Matthew 6:21. *
Martin Luther paraphrased this verse in his quick-witted style: “Show me where a man spends his time & money, and I’ll show you his god.”
What we do with our money is a surefire way to show the world who we really are. We believe, teach, and confess that we are to use our earthly resources to show the world Whose we really are!
The importance of stewardship is taught and modeled for CUWAA students through daily Chapel, faculty and staff leading by example, and even by participating in a fun-filled “Day of Giving” to inspire philanthropy on campus.
As I serve The LORD at Concordia by connecting alumni and donors with our mission and ministry needs, I am continually inspired by the generosity by people who have their hearts in the right place!
People like the Appold family. All four siblings attended Concordia Ann Arbor, which was made possible by the financial sacrifice of their loving parents. All four of those siblings have devoted their lives to professional church work for a combined 155 years of service so far! To honor their parents’ memory, they created a legacy gift by establishing an Appold Family Scholarship Endowment to pave the way for future CUAA church workers.
People like those who loved Dr. Jakob Heckert and his pastoral heart. When large groups of people pool their resources together, it’s amazing what can be accomplished! A new Pastor Heckert endowment to support CUAA pre-seminary students was recently established to remember his pastoral heart, and to emphasize and foster this quality in our future pastors. We have received countless gifts from so many alumni, churches, and friends; when we reached out to ask a few of them why it was so meaningful to provide support, this is what they said: Why I gave to the Pastor Heckert Endowment.
People like you. We are so grateful for all of our alumni and friends who have such generous hearts for Concordia shown through gifts of time, talent, and treasure. You help to build the kingdom by training generations of students to serve Christ in the Church and in the world. Well done, faithful servants!
*Dr. Rich Luker, 2001 Outstanding Alumnus award recipient, used this verse as a basis for his commencement address for CUAA’s Class of 2001. He is currently working on a podcast project to ask those graduates, “Where’s Your Ten?” Look for the story in our upcoming edition of Hearts Together.
Looking for Synod support materials on stewardship? Check out the LCMS website for stewardship ministry resources
—Linda Sproul, Director of Donor and Alumni Relations
—
If this story has inspired you, why not explore how you can help further Concordia's mission through giving.