Category Archives: stewardship

Gifts Fit for a King

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Three Wise Men GiftsAt the end of January our friends are more eager to make Valentine’s Day dinner reservations than reflect on three wise men from the East bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We understand. But we think you will enjoy the insight.

“When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary his mother, and they fell to the ground and worshipped Him. Then opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matt 2:10-11)

Scripture doesn’t tell us the exact number of wise men or the time of their arrival. St. Dmitri of Rostav believed they could have been present at His birth if they saw the star at the Annunciation and began to arrange for the caravan then. However, the Gospel According to Matthew says that they came to a “house” not a cave or a manger and that Jesus is called a “child” not a “baby” as in Luke’s chapter when the shepherds were to find a “baby wrapped in cloths…”

It’s a tradition of the Christian faith that there were three kings, though there could have been more. The names are also tradition; they were never named in scripture.

Tradition also surrounds the meaning of the gifts. Balthasar was a young man and brought myrrh, a burial ointment, a gift for one who would die. Malchior was middle aged, and brought frankincense, the gift for a priest. Gaspar was an old man and brought gold, a gift for a king. All together, the men represent us, humanity, welcoming Jesus into the world as suffering redeemer, God, and King.

Gaspar’s gift invites me to reflect on the wealth we possess. Gaspar was the first of the magi to kneel before the King of Kings and offer his gift. Because he is older and wiser, he more readily understands the real gift that is present, and is most willing to give up what the world would deem valuable in return for the gift of the redeemer.

Many of you understand that your wealth is truly valuable when you give it to the service of the Lord and His kingdom. In the process, you instill values and legacy to your children and grandchildren. During the last five years, the Stewardship Foundation has enabled your generosity to benefit those organizations on the front lines promoting life, family, and religious freedom.

We look forward to your continued backing and the valuable partners we have developed. Now is the time to set your philanthropic goals for 2015. The Stewardship Foundation has proven it can foster successful, yet morally approved investment strategies for you and the organizations you support. Contact us to ensure that your investments are morally sound and your donations promote the culture of life ushered in by the newborn King and honored by the magi.

College Kids Growing Up Catholic

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Imagine this! Your college-age child or grandchild home for Thanksgiving break wants to talk about his faith – he speaks about the joy of worship, reading the Bible, and meeting regularly with friends for prayer and sharing. Sounds unbelievable? It’s not.

This student is involved in St. Paul’s Outreach (SPO), active on several college campuses throughout the country. Recently, the Columbus chapter serving the Ohio State and Ohio Dominican Universities celebrated its 10th anniversary. At the annual banquet attended by over 700 supporters and alumni, my nephew Andrew Kebe, SPO’s Ohio Senior Mission Director, recounted his past ten years of service to this organization that has empowered and inspired so many young people and made such a lasting impact on college campuses.

The Stewardship Foundation is honored to partner with this inspiring organization. As a leadership mentor, I’ve been personally blessed with my involvement and proud to be a father and uncle to several students impacted by SPO.

Watch the video God Has Given The Growth – Ohio 10 Year Anniversary from Saint Paul’s Outreach:

If you are moved by what you see, please consider supporting SPO with a tax-deductible donation to the Stewardship Foundation’s Donor Advised Fund where 100% of investment returns benefit the Columbus SPO Chapter.

In the donation form, Under Optional Information, enter “SPO” in the Comment box. If you’d like to learn more about this particular DAF, please call me directly at 614-800-7985.

If you have a child or grandchild who has strayed from the faith, you can make your donation to the Donor Advised Fund in their name and we will pray for them – because it’s never too late for the Holy Spirit to enflame a heart.

If you have a college-age child or grandchild who could benefit from this ministry, contact Andrew Kebe.

From the Ohio Mission Center

God has given the growth! As we look back at the 2013-2014 school year, we can truly see the effectiveness of God’s grace upon our work. Here is a glimpse of the impact from last year:

  • More than 225 students were involved in small groups on the Ohio State, Ohio Dominican, and West Virginia campuses.
  • 4 SPO Ohio alumni entered formation for priestly or religious life and 11 more agreed to serve as full-time missionaries with a Catholic ministry. In 10 years, 72 SPO Ohio alumni have served at least one year of full-time missionary work, 21 are currently in religious or priestly formation, and 73 are now married and starting families.
  • SPO Ohio continued to collaborate in close partnership with the St. Thomas More Newman Center at OSU, particularly on building a stronger Catholic Bible Study program and kicking off the school year with Catholic Rush Week.
  • We completed the renovations on our new home on 13th Avenue, bringing our evangelization efforts to a new frontier in the heart of OSU’s off-campus housing and Greek houses.

Read more on our website.

Back to the Lion’s Den

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In Syria and Iraq, Christians are being persecuted by the Islamic State (or ISIS) militants. These Christians have choices: either pay a tax to acknowledge Islam’s dominance over them, be killed, convert, or leave so they are no longer a threat.

They are being targeted simply because they are different, much like the early Christians in Rome who were persecuted because the Romans thought they were “bad” for society, and later because the church was a threat to Jewish identity.

Iraqi Christians persecutedIt seems that we can forget to appreciate the magnitude of these sacrifices that happened so long ago. However, presently we are witnessing the martyrdom of many Christians in Iraq and Syria. Their blood is no less sacred than those lives lost in New Testament times.

History shows us, however, that the Church thrived despite the horrific attempt to destroy it. In fact, it emboldened early Christians to spread the gospel wherever they went, further spreading the faith – the opposite of what was intended.

Undoubtedly the Church will survive in Iraq and Syria and throughout the world because the Lord promised that He would not abandon it. Yet we must take notice of this latest attempt to curtail religious freedom.

When Christians anywhere in the world suffer the loss of their religious liberties, we must take notice and partner with them in mind and prayer. As you know, the Stewardship Foundation is founded on four major tenets, one of which is religious liberty. So it is to advance our faith that we partner with organizations that promote the Christian faith. We are currently working with:

  • Priests and Sisters of the Holy Cross who are looking to expand to Ohio,
  • Lighthouse Treasure Ministries that provide financial support for seminarians seeking ordination, and
  • Franciscan Sisters, T.O.R. whose contemplative spirituality is making a tremendous impact at Steubenville University and the full time soup kitchen they hope to staff to provide frontline support for the poor in their community.

We are happy to announce that in the last quarter, three pregnancy centers in three States have requested the Stewardship Foundation’s assistance in their efforts to pursue major funding.

As you can see, there is much work to be done in shoring up the kingdom of God. We invite you to partner with us in your prayer and your financial support as we assist these and other amazing ministries who are on the front lines living God’s word in their actions and daily lives.

And please join us in fervent prayer for safety, protection and witness of our fellow Christians in Iraq, Syria and throughout the Middle East.