Our Purpose
Helping People Live Generously
When we define this as our purpose we are making a statement of hope for the Church – for the institutions and for the members. Living generously is about more than making gifts to fund ministry. To live generously is to view the world not through a series of transactions — as pieces of a pie or coins in a jar — rather as a pattern of opportunities and impacts. When we look about us and see abundance, we recognize the hope that God has for all of Creation. When we look about us and see possibility, we understand that our work in the reign of God has consequence, impact, results. Living generously defies the culture of scarcity and fear-driven decision-making. Living generously is living gracefully.
TENS Mission Statement
By providing resources and training at low or no cost to clergy and lay stewardship leaders, the mission of The Episcopal Network for Stewardship is to transform stewardship leaders, preparing them to raise money for ministry, to nurture awareness about and to teach the way of generosity, and to promote the full participation of church members through the giving of their time, talent, and treasure.
Vision
TENS’ vision is to provide training and resources for stewardship leaders across The Episcopal Church and beyond, around the following core competencies:
- Training clergy and lay leaders in the spirituality of money, and the skills required to address questions of money in the congregation;
- Mentoring a new generation of stewardship leaders, with special attention to youth, young adults, Generation Xers, and newly ordained clergy;
- Developing and utilizing methods of providing resources using web-based and other electronic techniques.
- Creating tools and curriculæ for seminarians on stewardship best practices, the theology of money, and congregational financial standards
To live generously is to view the world not through a series of transactions -- as pieces of a pie or coins in a jar -- rather as a pattern of opportunities and impacts.
