Stewardship
About
Christian Stewardship is about how we as followers of Christ wisely use our money (the money that has been entrusted to our care) to live in the manner in which Jesus taught us, to bless others in his name, and to participate in Christ’s holy work here on earth.
While stewardship is fundamentally about money, at the same time, however, it is about so much more.
Stewardship is about recognizing that everything we have—our time, our talents and giftedness, our money, our relationships, even the Earth we inhabit—is a gift from God that we are called to care for, protect, and share with others.
One of the main ways we can steward our resources is by sharing them with the church. This includes making a pledge to the church budget, giving regularly through church offerings, giving of our time and presence as we worship and serve, and using our talents to build up River Road Church. The Church is the Body of Christ, and it is through the church that we offer hope to this world, and bring Christ’s Kingdom to earth.
Expanding God’s Kingdom of Grace
Pledge Goal: $1,470,000
The Stewardship Committee of River Road Church is delighted to announce the theme and goal for our congregation’s fall campaign: Expanding God’s Kingdom of Grace, with a pledge goal of $1,470,000 toward the 2026 operating budget.
This year’s theme celebrates two dimensions of God’s amazing Grace: the Grace we have received and the Grace we extend to others in a variety of ways. Our lives have been forever enriched, not only by all the beauty and wonder of this world that God has provided, but also by the love and mercy we receive from God each and every day. We have both a wonderful opportunity and a Christian obligation to extend that Grace and love to others within our congregation and community and, though our Church Budget, literally to the ends of the earth. We have been blessed, and we want others to be blessed.
The goal of $1.47 million is an increase of about 4% above what our congregation pledged last fall for this year’s operating budget.
Thank you for all that you do at River Road Church to expand God’s Grace.
Celebrating the Past and Future Reception
Sunday, October 12, 2025
We want to personally invite you to attend the Celebrating the Past and Future Reception following morning worship on October 12, 2025, sponsored by the Stewardship Committee. It will be a signature Stan Barnett affair in the Fellowship Hall, filled with good food and wonderful fellowship.
Commitment Sunday
Sunday, October 26, 2025
River Road Church, Baptist has a long and strong tradition of pledging support for the church’s operating budget. In 2025, 220 individuals and/or families pledged toward the church’s operating budget. Through August, those who pledged last fall have collectively given $948,589: that is about 94% of the church’s income from individual donors.
This significant pledging effort has a number of advantages:
- It encourages individuals and/or families to establish personal giving goals.
- It is an essential part of the budget preparation process: the budget is created after individuals and/or families indicate how much they will give in the coming year. The more we pledge, the more we can budget to support and grow our congregation’s ministries.
- Pledges give the ministries of the church confidence budgeted funds will in fact be there to support the planning efforts of the congregation’s ministries.
- Pledges provide critical information about the church’s cash flow expectations, insuring the smooth financial operation of the church.
This fall’s Stewardship Campaign theme is Expanding God’s Kingdom of Grace with a goal of $1,470,000, which is about a four percent increase over what was pledged in 2024. We have received God’s amazing grace and have the opportunity to share and extend this grace to others. We are about important work.
Letter from the Stewardship Committee
We are thankful for every expression of support for our church. As we give of time, talent, and treasure, we empower the work and mission of our congregation; we also extend God’s Kingdom of grace to others. Once we have made our pledges, the Finance Committee will establish a Proposed Church Budget and present it for the congregation’s approval. In large measure, the size of the Proposed Church Budget is set based on our collective pledge commitments: the more we pledge, the more we can do.