Stewardship for Pathfinders:
The Beginning of Many Beautiful Things
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*International Camporee Pathfinders, read through the page and keep an eye out for the code word to get a free limited edition camporee stewardship coin at the Southwestern Union Stewardship booth!

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What is Stewardship?
Some people say that “stewardship is the beginning of many beautiful things.” This big idea means that taking care of things responsibly can make your life richer and more enjoyable. When you learn to see things from God's point of view, it can bring you a lot of peace. It's not easy to think like God because His thoughts are much higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9).

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Learning from God
By spending time reading the Bible and praying, we learn that God is our Creator, Sustainer, Ruler, and Savior. Everything still belongs to Him, and there's a good way to take care of His things. The Bible is full of advice on how to love, laugh, and live better.  Searching for these truths becomes as exciting as going to a river that has gold in its black sands and crevices ready for anyone willing to visit.  

Important Bible Verses and Principles

Here are some important Bible principles for you to think about:

1. Creator: God made everything, and He knows the best way to take care of it.
2. Sustainer: God keeps everything going, and He helps us when we need it.
3. Ruler: God is in charge, and He gives us guidelines to follow.
4. Savior: God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to save us.

How Stewardship Affects Us

When we practice good stewardship, we can see the beauty in life. It teaches us to be responsible, caring, and thoughtful. It helps us appreciate the world around us and the people in it. Taking care of what God has given us brings us closer to Him and helps us live happier, more fulfilling lives.

Remember, stewardship is not just about taking care of money and things but also about taking care of ourselves and others. It’s about making the world a better place by following God’s guidance and sharing His love with everyone.

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Reflect and Act

Think about how you can be a good steward in your daily life. Maybe it’s by taking care of your pets, helping out at home, or being kind to your friends. Every little bit counts and brings more beauty into the world.

Keep these principles in mind as you go about your day, and see how they can make a difference in your life and the lives of those around you.

TERRA: Taking Care of Our Planet

Did you know that the first thing God asked Adam to do was take care of Creation?

When God made the world, He put Adam and Eve in charge of everything. He wanted them to care for the animals, plants, and everything else on Earth. Along with having children and filling the Earth, God gave them three important jobs:

1. Replenish the Earth: This means they should make sure to replace what they use.
2. Subdue it: This means they should take care of it and make it work for them.
3. Have dominion: This means they should be like kings and queens over all living things.

These jobs were especially important because, at that time, people only ate plant-based items. God wanted Adam and Eve to:

1. Save Resources: Not use up everything but leave some behind to grow again.
2. Understand Nature: Learn about all the animals and plants so they could take care of them.
3. Live in Harmony: Rule over all creatures kindly and wisely.

Even today, these things are still super important! We can also take care of the Earth by working in gardens, cleaning up parks, and learning about animals and plants. Spending time in nature is good for our body and mind. It helps us feel calm and happy.

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King Solomon and Nature
King Solomon was a very wise king who loved to learn about nature. He studied plants, trees, animals, birds, reptiles, and fish. His wisdom inspired many people to learn from nature too. God wants us to care for the Earth and learn from it just like King Solomon did.

Fun Facts

• Terra is Latin for planet Earth.
• Going on a nature walk can make you feel amazing! The birds singing can make you feel happy, the green trees and blue sky can help you feel calm, the sun gives you Vitamin D, and fresh air is great for your lungs. So next time you get a chance, take a walk outside and enjoy all the cool things God made!

Remember, we can all be like kings and queens taking care of our planet. Every little bit helps!

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TEMPLE: Taking Care of Our Bodies

Have you ever learned about how our bodies work?

If you have, you might understand why the Psalmist says, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well” (Psalms 139:14). Our bodies are truly amazing in their design. But even more incredible is the idea that the God of the universe cares about us and wants us to be “holy and without blame before Him in love” (Ephesians 1:4). This means God wants to restore the face-to-face relationship that was lost in the Garden of Eden when He would visit Adam and Eve.

Even though we can't be with God face-to-face right now, the Bible says that He is with us when two or three gather in His name (Matthew 18:20). Even more amazing, God became flesh and lived among us (John 1:14), and He can dwell in our hearts (1 Corinthians 6:19). Paul teaches that our bodies are important because:

1. Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, which we have from God.
2. Our body was purchased by the precious blood of Christ.

If your body is the temple where the Holy Spirit lives, then it is not just special but also sacred. That's why it’s important to care for our bodies by following the Scriptures. 1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us to be mindful of what we eat, drink, and do.

Sometimes, people think that the Old Testament is different from the New Testament, but Jesus came to give us life more abundantly in all aspects. Unfortunately, there are many things around us that might look good at first but are bad for us once we take them in. These things are often sold in an attractive way, promising strength, performance, and knowledge that seem better than what God recommends. But don't be fooled! The best for our lives is what God recommends, when He recommends it, and how He recommends it.

When we follow God’s ways, we receive blessings. Stewardship teaches that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and we should care for it in the best way possible as taught in the Scriptures.

Did you know?

Temple = a sacred place; the dwelling or house of a god.
Results in as little as 10 days: Within ten days of following Biblical health laws, Daniel and his friends appeared healthier than their counterparts. Their obedience, personal effort, and God’s blessing made them ten times better than other students and even senior magicians and astrologers in Babylon.
The Pathfinder Law instructs us to “care for our body,” which means being temperate in all things and striving for a higher standard of physical fitness.

Remember, taking care of our bodies is important because they are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Let's do our best to stay healthy and follow God's guidelines for our lives!

TREASURE: Managing Your Resources Wisely

What is Treasure in Stewardship?

In Stewardship, "treasure" refers to the money or income you get from different activities, whether it’s a regular job or something unique.  This could include:  

• Earned income from a job
• Interest from savings
• Selling things online (like on Etsy)
• Making money from a blog or YouTube channel
• Becoming an Instagram influencer
• Walking dogs with Rover or Wag
• Selling your photography
• Babysitting
• Selling old clothes or electronics
• Being a house sitter
• Tutoring

A Warning from Moses

Moses warns us that when an idea becomes profitable, it can be tempting to think that the wealth belongs to us alone, saying, “My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.” But we are encouraged to “remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:17-18). The Bible declares that God claims all possessions as His, from the cattle on a thousand hills to the sea creatures in the depths of the oceans (Psalm 24:1-3; 50:10-12). Heaven is His throne and Earth is His footstool (Isaiah 66:1).

Managing Treasure According to God's Terms

Since God claims all, including our breath, body, health, talents and newly acquired treasure, it is to be managed according to His terms. The Bible presents us with the concepts of 1) tithes and 2) offerings.

• Tithes: A tithe, meaning ten percent (10%) of one’s increase (whether it be money, crops, herds, or flock), was to be surrendered at the designated storehouse. This return is not based solely on feelings of gratitude, generosity, or transparency and integrity from the storehouse managers. It was to be based on principle alone. The tithe belongs to the Lord and is to be returned to Him where He specified. This tithe supports God’s work and workers (Numbers 18:21, 24). Like the Sabbath and other designated items, it was holy and not to be treated as common or trivial (Leviticus 27:30). It was to be deposited in a particular place, God’s storehouse (Malachi 3:10), to make His house a house of prayer for all nations (Isaiah 56:7). Today, this storehouse is one’s local Seventh-day Adventist Church headquarters that we call “the Conference.”
• Offerings: An offering is a gift expressing gratitude for God’s providence, deliverance, healing, mercy, and forgiveness. The amount is directly proportional to the gratitude one has for God’s providence (2 Corinthians 9:7).
• Savings
• Investing

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Stewardship of Treasure

Stewardship of treasure refers to recognizing God as our Sustainer by returning a faithful tithe of all our increase and giving a generous offering of gratitude.

Did you know?

Money can only go so far: A bed but not sleep, a clock but not time, a book but not knowledge, a position but not respect, medicine but not health, food but not appetite, amusements but not happiness, acquaintances but not friendships, obedience but not faithfulness, a house but not a home.

Now What?

Think about how you can manage your treasure wisely. Here are some steps to get started:

• Create a budget: Plan how you will spend and save your money.
• Set financial goals: Have clear goals for what you want to achieve with your money.
• Give back: Remember to give your tithe and offerings as an act of gratitude and faithfulness.
• Invest in your future: Consider ways to invest your money wisely to support yourself and others.

Remember, your treasure is a gift from God. Use it wisely to honor Him and to help those around you.

TALENT: Discovering and Developing Your Gifts

Have you ever heard a music teacher say, “Being a good musician is 10% talent and 90% discipline”?

They mean that mastering a musical piece and playing it well usually requires a lot of hard work and practice. In stewardship, talent refers to a God-given ability that needs to be developed. Having a talent might mean you don’t have to struggle as much with a task.  Talent is like a head start or an advantage in one area, but it still requires effort, practice, training, coaching, and classes to truly shine.

Developing Your Talents

Think of talent like a mountain full of natural treasures. When these treasures are mined and processed, they become valuable metals used in all kinds of machines to serve humanity. Similarly, the Bible says in Ephesians 4:8 that Jesus ascended to heaven after His resurrection “and gave gifts to men.” Ephesians 4:11 expands on these gifts, saying that Christ gave some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.

The Purpose of Gifts

Ephesians 4:12-16 shares the purpose of these gifts:

1. To equip God’s people for ministry.
2. To build up God’s people in faith and knowledge of the Son of God, helping unite Christians.
3. To help Christians mature and grow more like Christ.
4. To help Christians have a firm foundation in what they believe.
5. To strengthen the ties between God’s people and Christ in love.

Talents are valuable and can benefit the person who develops them and the community around them. Like Abraham, we are called to be blessed (personal benefit of bearing that talent) and to be a blessing (society's benefit when a talented person serves humanity and not just themselves). Stewardship teaches that God has made you unique with talents that serve you and others when developed properly.

Did you know…

The code word for the Camporee coin is Grateful

A talent in the New Testament referred to a measure of weight of a precious metal such as gold or silver. This gold or precious metal was to be invested or loaned so that it would continue to increase and generate revenue. One talent was worth about 15 years’ wages of a laborer!

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Now What?
Here are some ways you can develop your talents:

• Arts and Crafts Honors: Learn a profitable hobby.some text
  • Arts, Crafts and Hobbies
• Spiritual Growth, Outreach and Heritage Honors: Learn to provide spiritual nourishment to others.some text
  • Spiritual Growth, Outreach and Heritage
• Vocational Honors: Learn a profitable service.some text
  • Vocational Honors
• Household Industries Honorssome text
  • Household Budgeting Honor

Remember, your talents are gifts from God. Use them well to serve yourself and others, and you'll find both personal joy and the opportunity to bless those around you. Here is a link to all honors offered.

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TIME: Making the Most of Every Moment

Have you ever heard someone say, “time is money”?

This phrase, often said by a parent, leader, or owner, means that time is valuable and shouldn't be wasted. Many Bible authors share insights on the importance of time and its worth. Here’s a summary of some of those teachings.

Time in the Bible

In the book of Genesis, we learn that God set the sun, moon, stars, darkness, and light for signs and seasons (Genesis 1:14-16). On the seventh day, God set time apart to rest, blessing and sanctifying it (Genesis 2:1-3). Jesus explained that the seventh-day Sabbath was made for the benefit of mankind (Mark 2:27). Resting is beneficial for our physical, social, mental, emotional, and spiritual health (John 11:11-15).

The Apostle Peter tells us that God's interaction with time is different from ours (2 Peter 3:8-9). This makes sense when Moses asks God to teach him about the brevity of life, saying, “teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalms 90:12). In Ecclesiastes 3, King Solomon explains that “to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under the sun.” He gives examples of activities that have their proper times, like birth and death, planting and harvesting, weeping and laughing. Solomon also says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity in their hearts” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). This means that when things happen at the right time, they are beautiful, and that we are aware of something greater than ourselves.

In Jeremiah 29:11, the prophet Jeremiah tells us that God has plans for each of us, plans to prosper us and not harm us, plans to give us hope and a future. You don’t have to wait for your life to be in order to give your life to God. The Apostle Paul encourages those who hear God’s call to act on it now (2 Corinthians 6:2). He also encourages us to “make the most of every opportunity” and to understand what the Lord’s will is.

Stewardship teaches that time is a valuable gift from God for us to use wisely for eating, sleeping, working, resting, interacting with others, and connecting with God.

Did you know?

Time facts: In one day (24 hours), there are 86,400 seconds. In a year, there are 31,536,000 seconds.
Benjamin Franklin said: “Dost thou love life? Then do not squander Time; for that’s the Stuff Life is made of. Lost Time is never found again.”
Circadian rhythm: Most living organisms have their own circadian rhythm, tuned to the daily cycle of night and day. Light and darkness have the biggest influence on circadian rhythm, but food intake, stress, physical activity, temperature, and environment also affect our ability to rest. Learn more here.

Now What?

Think about how you can make the most of your time each day. Here are some ideas:

• Plan your day: Make a schedule to ensure you’re using your time wisely.
• Set goals: Have clear goals for what you want to achieve.
• Prioritize rest: Make sure you’re getting enough rest to stay healthy.
• Spend time with God: Make time for prayer and reading the Bible.

Remember, time is a precious gift from God. Use it wisely to live a fulfilling and purposeful life.

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