Saint Andrew’s Net | December 2005 | Vol. XV No. 10 | Page 3

By DEBBIE CALKINS

Stewardship is a word that has hopefully been on all our minds a great deal lately. As we prayerfully consider our financial commitment to Saint Andrew’s, I hope that we are also thinking about how we can use out time, talents and gifts to represent Christ here at Saint Andrew’s in Irvine.

At our Annual Meeting on Jan. 29, we will elect several new members to serve on the Bishop’s Committee, the twelve-member body that provides lay leadership for Saint Andrew’s. Having served on the Bishop’s Committee myself, I can safely say that it was an experience that deepened my relationship with Christ and with my friends in this congregation. It also broadened my understanding of the Episcopal Church. I hope you’ll consider taking on a leadership role at Saint Andrew’s.

Members of the Bishop’s Committee are expected to . . .

• be regular attendants at worship;
• support our common life by participating in church events and encouraging others to participate;
• be contributing members and accept the tithe as the Biblical standard by which to measure financial commitment;
• make time for the work of the Bishop’s Committee (monthly meetings, committee meetings and the annual retreat);
• be willing to chair or be a liaison to a ministry area in the mission;
• support Saint Andrew’s statements of mission and vision (our vision statement is, “Building a community of faith, serving Christ, and caring for one another”—it’s printed every Sunday on the back page of our bulletins).

The Bishop’s Committee is the body within our congregation that leads our mission. Please give serious, prayerful consideration to this calling. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Bishop’s Committee—or in leadership of a ministry area—please contact Carolyn Ybarra at 949.262.0515 or ybarra2004@yahoo.com, or Russ Hedman at 949.559.6333, or rlhedman@yahoo.com.

This article has been adapted from one appearing in the December, 1999 issue of The Net.