Three Global Perspectives on Stewardship & Spiritual Gifting
TOKYO, JAPAN
A few years ago, as we prepared to start Hope Alive Church, we visited area churches and saw Japanese pastors boldly proclaiming the gospel. We asked how they raised up leaders in their churches. The answer was always the same. Leaders are developed through prayer. They told us they prayed for leaders, so we began praying for God to send local leaders who felt called to pastor.
One of the main answers to this prayer has come through internship. People serve for a year, learn about ministry, try different roles, discover their gifts, and experience what daily ministry looks like.
Masatoshi was a translator at our church. One day, he told me he felt God calling him to pastor, so he began the internship. One of his responsibilities was leading a small group. We assigned him a few guys for a discipleship group, and he asked if he could invite more. The group has grown. They meet every other Saturday night, cook a meal, and study God’s Word together. The group has become a source of real encouragement for everyone involved.
One of the participants is not a believer yet, though he has been at our church for a while. At an outreach event, someone asked him why he joined a discipleship group if he was not a believer. He said he is part of the group, but it is more than Bible study. It is a study about life, and it gives him courage for the week.
This is the answer to our prayers — people responding to the gospel and local leaders helping others follow Jesus. We celebrate answered prayers as leaders are developed and as they share the gospel and help others grow.
We have been entrusted with many blessings as followers of God. As we minister in Japan, we want to be faithful stewards of all our resources, using them to encourage, teach, and train others in growing and supporting the Body of Christ.
— Heath Hubbard
APLPEDRETE, SPAIN
In mid-December 2021, a middle-aged Spanish couple walked into the Alpedrete Church — the first Protestant church they’d visited. They were on a journey, searching for God and the truth. After attending a short time, they asked my wife Lea and me to visit their home and explain what it means to be “born again.”
Not long after, they came to understand Jesus Christ and the Word of God held the answers to their search. On June 11, 2023, they publicly identified with Christ through believer’s baptism.
Lea and I continue meeting with them for home Bible studies. We often spend a couple of hours around the table learning what it means to be a disciple of Christ and discussing their many thoughtful questions. It’s such a joy to see God at work in their hearts, bringing about true transformation.
As their faith and relationship with the Lord have grown, so has their desire to serve in their local church. José Luis and Rafi beautifully demonstrate what the often-overlooked spiritual gift of helps looks like in our context.
For the past few years, Rafi has volunteered at Vacation Bible School, assisting and even leading children’s snack time. Though she and her children never experienced VBS growing up, she helps the church carry out this ministry with joy and dedication.
José Luis is also eager to serve in practical ways. He faithfully ensures the church is stocked with cleaning supplies, paper goods, and ink cartridges. He takes responsibility for turning off lights and locking up after services. With his flexible morning schedule, he’s often available to run errands or meet repairmen for the church’s needs.
Recently, our church launched a new ministry — a welcoming team. I knew right away José Luis and Rafi would be perfect for it. They are compassionate and understanding toward those who are searching for truth like they once did. It’s inspiring to hear them share with others the scriptural truths that have changed their lives.
Deeply touched by how the Alpedrete congregation embraced them like family, they sincerely want others to experience the same love and belonging. After serving just one Sunday each of the past two months, they’ve both expressed how much they love being part of this ministry — greeting everyone with a smile, helping visitors, and building relationships within the Body of Christ.
We look forward to seeing how God continues to use José Luis and Rafi as they serve the church through their gift of helps, and how He will continue to develop new gifts in them for His glory.
— Anthony Edgmon
NANTES, France
When most people hear the word stewardship, they immediately think of money, time, or talents. Sermons often focus on giving generously, managing resources wisely, or investing our abilities for God’s glory. These are important, but stewardship is far broader. At its heart, stewardship is about faithfully managing everything God entrusts to us — including spiritual gifts He provides for the building up of the Body of Christ.
Paul’s letters (Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:7-10, 28-30; Ephesians 4:11) remind us these gifts are diverse, and each is important. Some, like leadership or prophecy, are often spotlighted. But others, quieter and less celebrated, are no less essential. These less-noticed gifts often sustain the life of the church and encourage weary hearts.
I think of Ophélie, a woman who, despite having an established life and a child, chose to follow Christ in a society where doing so is far from easy. One of the first gifts we noticed in her was a heart for service. Even as a new believer, she quietly took the church keys and cleaned the building — without telling anyone or expecting anything in return. Today, she continues to dedicate much of her Sundays to serving, despite being a mother of a young child and working all week. Her weekends are not about herself. They are devoted to God.
Tim also serves with great enthusiasm. Whenever I mention something needs repair, he shows up with his tools and a solution. His eagerness to help is truly encouraging. Tim plays the drums in the worship team, teaches Sunday School, and when asked to volunteer in the youth group, immediately agreed. When we thanked him, he replied, “I should be thanking you for the opportunity to serve and for the trust you’ve placed in me.”
Stories like these remind me stewardship is not about managing resources alone. It is about recognizing, nurturing, and deploying the gifts God has placed in His people. Encouragement, teaching, and service may not draw attention, but they sustain the life of the church.
As a missionary planting a church in western France, these people are vital. French culture does not emphasize verbal encouragement, yet we are deeply strengthened by the devotion believers demonstrate. Their faithfulness creates a culture of serving essential for growth. (Nevertheless, we have been blessed to hear, “If you hadn’t become missionaries, we would never have heard the gospel,” or “If it wasn’t for this church, I don’t know if I would still be following the Lord.” That is part of what helps us keep going when things are difficult.)
These brothers and sisters putting their gifts to work encourage me to steward my own gifts faithfully, but also to steward the gifts of others, creating space for them to flourish, affirming their value, and celebrating their contribution.
Stewardship is the church at work as ordinary people use God’s gifts in extraordinary ways, so His Kingdom advances.
