ADVENTIST YOUTH HONORS

STEWARDSHIP
Definition:
(a) Stewardship is a privilege given to us by God for nurture in love and the victory over selfishness
and covetousness.
(b) The word „steward‟ means manager. God empowers us to be managers of the blessings He gives
us.
QUALITIES OF A GOOD STEWARD
 A good steward is faithful.
 A good steward is trustworthy
 A good steward is loyal
 A good steward is accountable

1. Discover the Bible principles of stewardship by answering the

following questions.
a. What does 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 say about the stewardship of the body?
1 Corinthians 6:19,20 (World English Bible)
Or don‟t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have
from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your
body and in your spirit, which are God‟s.

b. What does Matthew 25:15 tell us about the stewardship of talents?

Matthew 25:15 (World English Bible)
To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his own ability.
Then he went on his journey.

c. What does Colossians 4:5 say about the stewardship of time?

Colossians 4:5 (NIV)
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.

d. What does John 3:16 tell us that God gave?

John 3:16 (World English Bible)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should
not perish, but have eternal life.

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e. What does Genesis 1:26 say about who is the steward over the earth?
Genesis 1:26 (World English Bible)
God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the
fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over
every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

f. What does Proverbs 3:9 say about who is always first?

Proverbs 3:9 (World English Bible)

Honor God with your substance,

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 with the first fruits of all your increase

g. How do we know that tithe means a tenth? Genesis 28:22

Genesis 28:22 (NIV)
"And this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will
give you a tenth."

h. Who does Leviticus 27:30 say the tithe belongs to?

Leviticus 27:30 (World English Bible)
All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is God's. It is
holy to God.

i. How does Malachi 3:8 say that God is robbed?

Malachi 3:8 (World English Bible)
Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me! But you say, „How have we robbed you?‟ In tithes and
offerings.

j. What does 1 Corinthians 9:13,14 say about the use of the tithe?
1 Corinthians 9:13, 14 (World English Bible)
Don‟t you know that those who serve around sacred things eat from the things of the temple, and
those who wait on the altar have their portion with the altar? Even so the Lord ordained that those
who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News.

k. How do we know that the tithe is different from offerings? Malachi 3:8
In this verse, tithes and offerings are referenced individually. See the reference in section i for
the text.
l. What does 1 Corinthians 16:2 say about how we are to give our
offerings?[
1 Corinthians 16:2 (World English Bible)
On the first day of the week, let each one of you save, as he may prosper, that no collections be
made when I come.

m. What does Matthew 6:20 say about where to keep our treasures?

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 Matthew 6:20 (World English Bible)
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where
thieves don‟t break through and steal;

n. What does 2 Corinthians 9:7 say about our attitude in giving? |

2 Corinthians 9:7 (World English Bible)
Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart; not grudgingly, or under
compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.

o. What promised blessing is given in Malachi 3:10?

Malachi 3:10 (World English Bible)
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in
this,” says God of Armies, “if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a
blessing, that there shall not be room enough for.

p. What does Psalms 24:1 tell us about who owns the earth?
Psalms 24:1 (World English Bible)

The earth is God‟s, with its fullness;

the world, and those who dwell therein.

2. Read and discuss with your counselor or pastor the following:

Section IV (pp. 111 to 130); paragraph 1 and 2, p. 14; and
paragraph 1, p. 66 of Counsels on Stewardship written by Ellen
G. White
This book is available on the Internet, though not with a direct link. Go
to https://egwwritings.org/ and look for a "Books" in the left pane. Then select "Counsels on
Stewardship."
You can also purchase the book
from http://www.adventistbookcenter.com/catalogsearch/result/?cat=&q=Counsels+on+Steward
ship

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3. Learn what is done with the tithe in your local church, your local
conference, your union, and the General Conference.
This working policy, published by the General Conference describes how tithe may and may not
be used by the local churches, local conferences, unions, divisions, and the General Conference
itself. It would be good for you as the instructor to download and read it in its entirety, but a
short summary is provided below.
Tithe is to be collected by the local churches, and all of it is to be forwarded to the local
conference. Local churches are under no circumstances to retain any portion of the tithe. Local
conferences in turn take a portion of the tithe for the uses listed below, and forward the
remainder to the union. The union does the same, forwarding the remainder to the division, and
the division forwards the remainder to the GC.
Acceptable Uses
1. Support of Pastors, Evangelists, Ministers
2. World Missions
3. Soul-winning Support Personnel
4. Conference/Mission Operating Expense
5. Literature Evangelist Benefit Fund
6. Subsidies for Specified Activities (such as youth evangelism
camps)
7. Evangelistic and Conference/Mission Office Equipment
8. Bible/Religion Teaching and Support Personnel in Schools
9. Retired Employees
Unacceptable Uses
1. Capital Expenditures for Buildings and Churches
2. Equipment (other than for conference/mission use)
3. Local Church Operating Expense
4. School Operating Expense

4. From your pastor, church treasurer, or elder learn about your church
budget, what finances your church must meet and the purpose of each item
listed on your church tithe and offering envelope.
Ask for this information well ahead of time so that the pastor, treasurer, or elder does not have to
scramble to gather the information for you. Adventist churches generally have a budget which is
approved by the local church in business session. If they a copy of the budget is not handy, this
information can also be gleaned from a finance report presented by the church treasurer during
regular church board meetings.

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5. Keep a chart on how you spend your time for one weekend and one week day. In this chart make a
list of how much time you spend in the following areas: a. Work for pay b. Family time c. Personal
devotions d. Public worship e. Family worship f. Fun things g. Reading h. Television i. Meals j. Sleep k.
Personal needs l. Class time m. School study n. Travel o. Music lesson p. Music practice q. Home chores
r. Shopping.
For each of the three days be sure your time adds up to 24 hours. After completing the
chart, discuss with your pastor or counselor your responsibility in the steward ship of your
time.
If you find yourself spending time on things that do not fall in the categories above (such as the
Internet), make an additional category. The discussion aspect of this requirement can be met by
having a group discussion with the honor instructor. Encourage all to participate.

6 Do one of the following

a. If you have an income-producing job or an allowance, make a list of how you
spend your money for one month.
b. If you are not in the category above, make a list of how you would spend an
income of $50 a month in the following categories: (1) Clothes (2)
Entertainment (3) Eating out (4) Gifts (5) Personal items (toiletries) (6) School
supplies (7) Tithe and offerings (8) Transportation
From your list determine what percentage of your total income is spent on each item. After
completing the chart and percentages, discuss with your pastor or counselor the
advantages of a budget and how to stay within a budget.
The advantage of a budget is that it allows you to think objectively about your priorities and
record them. It is difficult to be objective in the store when you're looking at the latest electronic
"must have" gadget. Budgeting helps to control impulse buying, and if the budget is followed, it
ensures that your spending is in line with your priorities. It also helps avoid the problem of
running out of money before payday, because you know ahead of time how much to keep back
for essential items (such as food and gas).
When making a budget, the essential expenses (including tithe!) are dealt with first. Be sure to
include money for expenses that occur on a larger time scale than the budget period. Examples
include income taxes and insurance payments. These are often due annually or semi-annually,
but you should set aside money every month for them so that when they are due, you don't have
to take money out of the budget elsewhere to cover them.
After the essentials are taken care of, discretionary spending can be added. It's also a good idea
to budget for savings and investments.

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 After making out a new budget and trying to live with it for a month or two, it may become
apparent that you forgot to budget for something. If this happens, adjust the budget (but do it in
writing!) Do not adjust the budget on the fly (especially when you are in a store considering a
purchase). The key to sticking to a budget is resisting purchases that are not on the budget. If you
see something you've "got" to have, and it's not in the budget, stop! don't buy it! Save your
money for it, and buy it only after you have the money in hand.
Many Christians find it easier to stick to a budget if they have made it a subject of daily prayer.

7. From the Bible and the writings of Ellen G. White determine what instruction
has been given concerning the variety and use of God-given talents.
The material presented in requirements one and two summarize this topic very well.

8. List three talents or skills that you have, such as building things, mechanics,
gardening, painting or drawing, writing, speaking, music, teaching, sewing, etc

If none of the examples listed in this requirement inspire your group, take a look at all the other
honors available for Pathfinders to earn. All honors are intended to develop some skill or
knowledge that can be used to benefit others. Look especially in the Arts and
Crafts, Outreach, Outdoor Industries, and Vocational categories.

9. Choose one of these three talents and do a project to help develop your talent
further. Your project must follow these guidelines.
a. The project is to be a benefit or outreach to others.
This precludes club fund raisers, unless the point of the funds raised is to go to a humanitarian
cause (such as a mission trip, or disaster relief). Fund raisers for a new club trailer or camping
equipment do not qualify.
b. The project is to be a new endeavor not previously accomplished.[
One interpretation of this requirement is that the Pathfinder is not to try to count something that
has already been done. Another is that the activity be something new to the Pathfinder -
something that he or she has never done before. The program can, however, be something that
you were already planning to do.
d. Spend at least five hours in the planning and implementation of the
project.
Five hours seems scary at first, but if you look at the things you have done in the past, you will
find that there are several fun activities that take more than five hours. Remind your Pathfinders
of this. Our club recently earned the cake decorating honor during a lock-in. We stayed up well

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 past midnight decorating more cakes than we would be able to eat ourselves in two weeks, and
we did this all in one night. The next morning we delivered the cakes to a shelter, where they
were gratefully received.
e. Present a written or oral report to your counselor about your project.
This presentation could be part of the opening exercises of a regular club meeting, or it can be
presented to the instructor. It should be done after the activity has been completed.
For more project ideas, see the Adventurer for Christ, Personal Evangelism, and Bible
Evangelism honors. There is nothing that says you can't use the activity to count for the
requirements of more than one honor or AY activity. For instance, the Voyager curriculum
requires that a party for the handicapped by planned and executed. This would be a perfect way
to meet the requirement of this honor, one (or more) of the others listed here, and the AY
requirement as well.

References
Book:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Witnessing Master
Award
Book:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Honors
Book:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book
Book:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Skill Level 2
Book:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Honors Introduced in
1986
Book:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Outreach
Book:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/General Conference
Book:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Completed Honors

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