Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God's mysteries.

--1 Corinthians 4:1

When I listen to people speak about doing evangelism, too often I hear them talk as if we  are going out to get something.  We are getting new members, or worse we are getting more people to help us pay the bills.

But outreach is about giving.  It is really part of stewardship.  I once interviewed at a church once where I did not end up becoming their pastor.  It certainly was not because of the people there.

One of the women on the call committee also served as the chairperson of evangelism.  She told me that she personally went to see every visitor to their church.  She observed that when people come to church they are often looking for something.  This woman said she visited them to find out what they were looking for -- and what her church could give to them.

When we look at what we have to give, when we realize how much we have to offer, then doing outreach becomes so different. 

We have this precious gift to offer.  It is the gift of new life.  it is the gift of the knowledge of a profound an abiding love that our creator has for each of us.  It is the gift of fellowship and the knowledge that there are people who care about you.

Whatever we give in food for the hungry or housing for the homeless or even our tithe, we always need to remember that the most precious thing that we have been given is the love  poured out on us by Christ Jesus.  And we cannot hoard it any more than any of our possessions.  We need to give it away.

Lord, We give thanks for all that you have given us, especially the gift of your son.  May we be generous with that gift to a hurting world.  Amen

The Rev. Dana Reardon is pastor at St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church, Warwick, RI.  A lifelong Lutheran, she came to ordained ministry after 21 years in nursing, mostly in pediatric intensive care.  She graduated from Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia in 1998 and served 4 ½ years in Upstate New York before becoming a New Englander.  She is still trying to understand the accent.  While in the Upstate New York Synod she chaired the Stewardship Team.  That began her fascination with what makes stewards -- and more, what makes for generosity. She has three amazing daughters: Pastor Reardon says much of what she knows of life she learned from them.