“Almsgiving above all else requires money, but even this shines with a brighter luster when the alms are given from our poverty. The widow who paid in the two mites was poorer than any human, but she outdid them all.”
— St. John Chrysostom
The High Calling of Stewardship
From the foundations of creation, God calls man to be ‘stewards’ of the earth; to exercise benevolent dominion over all creation in godly wisdom and virtue. To be a steward is to mimic the benevolent providence of the Creator Himself. There is no greater example of perfect stewardship than the salvific work of our Lord Jesus Christ. His self-emptying (kenosis) for the life of the world is stewardship par excellence.
A steward and a wealthy man are not the same. A wealthy man keeps things for himself, while the steward, as a trustee, holds wealth for the benefit of others—regardless of his relative wealth. He distributes from his own storehouses with wisdom, discernment, and prayer. Such a man has cultivated the virtue of non-possession, becoming a silent benefactor of the world around him.
“Let nothing be done through self-interest or vainglory, but through a heart of humility. Let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”
— Philippians 2:3-4
“And if your land yields even more bountifully in the future, will you pull your barns down and build again? But what need is there to pull down and build, when you have available to you as divine storehouses the stomachs of the poor which can hold much, and are indestructible and imperishable?”
— Blessed Theophylact
Avenues for Financial Support
Online Donations
Please use the donation form on this page to support our parish online. We accept safe, encrypted credit card payments and bank transfers.
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By Mail
You can mail checks or bank drafts to the parish address:
Holy Apostles Orthodox Church
4358 Smallhouse Rd
Bowling Green, KY 42104
In Person
Checks or cash can be placed in the alms box at the back of the nave, or given to Fr. Terry or parish board members during Sunday fellowship.