Miguel Costa Pinheiro, Stewardship Director, South American Division
Summary: Stewardship Director Miguel Pinheiro is motivated by the text, Joshua 3:5, and has directed its emphasis towards morning devotionals. Last year’s results have shown the validity of the same principle in his territory.
Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.” Joshua 3:5
The Lord commanded the new leader directly to convey this order to the people. The command was fulfilled, and the miracles and wonders were seen in Joshua’s leadership. Motivated by this subject and other teachings of this nature, the Stewardship Ministry of the SAD, has directed its emphasis towards morning devotionals. Last year’s results have shown the validity of the same principle in our territory.
Spiritual Enrichment Seminar
The main tools used are: SES?Spiritual Enrichment Seminar, Financial/Spiritual Diagnosis, and Week of Prayer.
The SES has been the mainspring of the ministry. The basis of the movement is the promotion of daily intimacy with God, and its goal is to develop and consolidate the habit of searching God first thing every morning. In each seminar, two phases are employed: one aimed at developing the habit over 40 days, and the other aimed at consolidating it in 180 days.
In the entire process, different materials are used: a handbook for the preparatory seminar (7-8 hours), another for the practical 40 day journey, and the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy for the 180 days. Every two years the emphasis evolves depending on the feedback, but the basis is also maintained. More than one million people participate actively in this movement and have routinely put their lives at Jesus’ feet before any other task at the beginning of each day.
The financial/spiritual assessment comes immediately after the SES. After acclimating to searching for God as a lifestyle, comes the process of education and commitment with the maintenance of the Great Commission, from the local church. The process is very simple. The finance committee meets and analyzes the frequency (not numbers) with which each member that has income has given tithes and offerings.
After this analysis, objectives, goals, and strategies are established to reach the desired future. Within the vision of the SES, the member is taught that infidelity in tithes and offerings is not a financial problem, but a spiritual one. Thus, the whole process is conducted within the vision of salvation and the redemption of the spiritually sick brother.
Week of prayer
The week of prayer is another relevant element in the work program. The difference of this week, besides the preaching, is the use of testimonies from within the entire territory of SAD. This is an outstanding event, and it is anticipated with joy by the church.
Other work fronts
Besides, in the other work fronts, one looks for doing a Christian stewardship aimed at the usual intimacy with God. It is very difficult to measures spirituality, but it is possible to know the degree of rising trust in God and in the leadership of the church through the growth of tithes and offerings over the last few years, according to what is seen below:
Growth of tithe from 2005 to 2009: 116.33%;
Offerings from 2005 to 2009: 128.71%.
When faith is daily exercised and developed, fidelity will be something natural, for the converted person will do everything the Lord asks them.
