I am a Steward

I am a Steward is a series of 24 videos focused on growing viewers’ understanding of stewardship by using personal stories. The videos emphasize the different aspects of stewardship. I am a Steward is a creative expression of redemptive grace and means that every dimension of who you are reflects Whose you are; physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and financially. This series will equip and inspire the church by providing them with visuals that communicate stewardship through real-life stories.

 

Chef Chew from the VegHubHow to best use the talents God gave you – Chef Chew

Watch this great testimony to learn how to use the talents God gave you. Chef Chew went from aspiring to be a track athlete to sharing God’s goodness with individuals who frequent his Oakland, CA restaurant, VegHub. Chef Chew uses his talents for God. We each have talents God gave us for His work.

 

Justin KhoeKnowing God’s will and plan for your life – Justin Khoe

Justin Khoe, That Christian Vlogger, shares his journey from unbelief to faith and how this belief affects every area of his life. Justin is a steward because God is real. Watch the video testimony to learn how God gave him his life.

 

 

Kevin and Angelia MeierHow to trust God’s plan – Kevin and Angelia Meier

Kevin and Angelia had plans to be missionary pilots. Changes in health changed their missionary destination to the family farm. They have a honey bee business which brings them into contact with others and opportunities share their faith. They have learned that God will provide for their needs right when needed. Watch to learn why Kevin and Angelia have decided to be stewards with what God has entrusted to them and have peace that God will be faithful to His promises to them.

 

Irene HwangHow to serve God by serving others – Irene Hwang

Irene spent six months helping residents of a leper colony in China. She did very simple things most of the time, sweeping the floor, saying hello, and giving massages. She found it very easy to the hands and feet of God while there in the leper colony because quite literally the people there were missing hands and feet. After her time there, fast-forward to Irene now in Dental school at Columbia in New York City. She still felt this desire to serve others but wasn’t sure how. She looked around and everything had everything anyone could possibly want. But as time went on she realized that though at first her time and China and being in New York City seemed very different that there were similarities. Because people were there, and people all feel the need to be listened to, emotionally supported, and God has given Irene a heart for that.

 

Heidi CarpenterFinding joy in God – Heidi Carpenter

Heidi grew up in a home with parents who taught her to love God and were good role models of being stewards themselves. Heidi worked at developing a relationship with God for herself. At first, she says “it was like eating dry shredded wheat. But then as time went on it became like eating ice cream.” Heidi shares her journey of following God’s leading and growing in faith.

 

Kyle BergenReasons why we should take care of the Earth – Kyle Bergen

Kyle is a water resources engineer from Calgary, Alberta, who, check this out, designed the flood retaining wall at the world-famous Calgary Stampede grounds. Kyle’s professional experience in protecting the earth adds weight to his conviction that stewardship of the earth is a Christian response and shares how integrating his eating choices is part of his decision to be a steward. As Adventists, we believe in Heaven and the New Earth. Our home, Earth, right now, God has placed in our care.

 

Jonathan DysingerCan God turn things around? – Jonathan Dysinger

As a teenager, Jonathan used his talents to invent equipment for harvesting lettuce. A seed company sold his product, but one day told him that they would no longer be carrying it. He was devastated. But soon after his business started growing, because he was now selling direct to the customer, and the seed company was forwarding all their previous customers of the product to him. What had looked like a terrible turn of events ended up being a blessing. Jonathan’s company has found opportunities for sharing their faith and being a steward with what God has given them.

 

Katherine RodriguezDare to be different – Katherine Rodriguez

Katherine is a clinical social worker, and a trauma therapist for children and adolescents, and also a forensic interviewer. Katherine says “We come across people every Sabbath, and we don’t know what they’re going through, we don’t know what they’re struggling with, and it is our duty to be able to meet them, and talk about these subjects that are so difficult to talk about.” Watch her story to learn more about her story.

 

Nye SimmonsWhy give back to God? – Nye Simmons

Nye lives and works in New York City, the financial capital of the world. Nye comments that “the money that you make determines so many things: where you live; what you do; even who you hang out with in some cases.” In this money-driven environment Nye discovers the joy in systematically giving his money away.

 

Alex NicalescuFollowing God’s call – Alex Nicalescu

Alex is studying at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan, he’s never had an issue dropping his life in the States to step into gaps of need around the world. Like the time he followed the World Cup to Brazil–praying and inspiring others to be a redemptive difference in the devastating world of human trafficking. God as a giver motivates Alex to experience prayer as heaven’s currency for guidance, power and transformation in a world that desperately needs it. Like Isaiah, we say, “Here am I. Send me!”

 

KayGod is My Judge / God is my Vindicator – Kay

Kay is an employment law attorney. Kay recognizes that God is a perfect fulfillment of mercy and justice. In her practice, she tries to look to Him and use Him as a model of how she advises her clients.

 

 

Joe ValenteWhat does it mean to be a Christian entrepreneur? – Joe Valente

As an entrepreneur, Joe likes having something of his own that he created and that he has control over. Joe recognizes that to be a steward we realize that all of this is not ours and that God owns it all. We are taking care of it, we are managing it, we are developing it, and improving it for somebody else. This is counter-intuitive and counter-cultural.

 

Alexis HurdGod is an adventure fulfiller – Alexis Hurd

Alexis was able to fulfill her long-held dream of working at an Adventist Center of Influence when in 2013 she was asked to work with the Syrian refugees in Lebanon. During her needs assessment, she realized that education was an important area of need and set to work to meet that need.

 

Hannah SmithSharing God’s love through caring for animals – Hannah Smith

Hannah’s desire at five years old was to be a veterinarian. Hannah says “When I was first newly graduated, I had to diagnose a yellow lab with terminal lymphoma. The owners took it very hard. They told me that their sons had just both died in a car accident and the man himself was also diagnosed with terminal cancer.” Watch the video to find out how Hannah responded.

 

Tad WorkuWhen your dream is not enough – Tad Worku

Tad’s dream was music. He says “I had spent all of my time after college working my way up to get to a point where I could become a successful musician, become a somebody in the world of music. I had finished a full pop-soul album. I had applied for tour funding. Locations were set. In that moment it was like I could look into my own future and I saw myself getting everything that I wanted. I saw myself on stages accepting awards and the first question that I asked was, then what? It’s not enough.” Watch the video to learn more about Tad’s story and why he says “I am a steward because God is the author of my story.”

 

Darlye InnocentIs God a prude? – Darlye Innocent

In today’s culture, there is a misunderstanding of God’s view of sexuality. God created sexuality! And through His gift of marriage, we are given the means to enjoy a healthy and joyful expression of it. Watch the video to find out why Darlye believes a healthy expression of our sexuality is part of what it means to be a faithful steward.

 

Ruben HarrisBeing successful God’s way – Ruben Harris

Ruben created his own path into the finance world but turned social entrepreneur in San Francisco, California. Ruben pivoted from his stable career because of a realization that if you help people everything else comes. Ruben is making a redemptive difference inspired by the promise the meek shall inherit the earth. This promise inspired him to begin a platform leveraging tech opportunities by empowering people via coding boot camps. He’s gone on to form a career accelerator that is driven by plugging in people with peers, coaches, and mentors that help transform people’s trajectory.

 

Rina RitivoluGod’s beauty is healing – Rina Ritivolu

“We as musicians we have so much to offer this is the gift of God but we are often stuck in the practice room or perform in a concert hall. But I believe that we need to go beyond this bubble and go into the local community where there is so much need.” Watch the video to learn what Rina’s belief in the healing power of music led her to do.

 

Randy BanGod as communicator – Randy Ban

Randy Ban does marketing for Nike. Nike spends millions on market research (which is really just listening.) Randy reflects on how God communicates with us. “He knew what happened, yet he still asked and gave [Adam and Eve] a chance to respond. And I don’t believe that he was just doing that to go through the motions. But I think he wanted to hear their heart.” Randy believes active listening is crucial to being a believer and applies this to his life as a father, a husband.

 

Sophia RaynorParenting the way God parents us – Sophia Raynor

Sophia tells us more about her own family. “So you’re trying to help your child to develop to be the very best person that they could be. Each stage of their development requires different styles of parenting. The stage that they’re currently in 10 years and above, I do a lot of listening, and think of ‘How do I connect with their heart and really hear what they’re saying?’”
Watch the video to learn why Sophia parents the way she believes God is being a parent to us.

 

Seth and Heather DayDiversity is God’s plan – Seth and Heather Day

“I just believe that we are stewards because diversity is God’s plan, and we get to live this out in our marriage. We are really passionate about standing together as human beings and if we do that and we can work together, Satan can’t pick us off.” –Heather Day

 

AndrewGod expects great things – Andrew

Andrew was interested in start-ups from a young age and would spend his free time learning more about them. He developed an idea for his own startup and went through the same accelerator used by Airbnb and Dropbox. In that process, he learned how fast things can change and seeing companies and their leaders grow. Watch more of Andrew’s story to learn why he says “That applies over to all areas of your life. Including your spiritual walk. That you can improve at massive rates that you don’t really think are possible until you’re like, right in that… in that intense situation.”

 

David MachadoGod is my purpose, peace, and power – David Machado

When David was about nine-years-old he was almost abducted from his own home right in his front yard. David says “From that experience, I developed a lot of fear, anxiety and was really trying to find anything and everything that would try to replace that fear, numb that fear, and so, I began clubbing, and partying and trying to numb this fear that I had for many years, but nothing seemed to take it out.” Watch the rest of his story learn why David says now that “God has helped me get victory over the fears of my life, over the doubt over feeling like I’m worthless.”

 

Daniel HosfordI am part of God’s story – Daniel Hosford

Daniel Hosford’s mom had this incessant desire to go to Europe and see the places where the reformation happened. At first, he and his brother did not want to go. Daniel says of their trip “As we were on the field seeing the very places where all our lives we had heard these stories, it clicked, and I’m like, ‘wow, these people were incredible. What they stood for, what they died for, how much they were willing to suffer for the truth that I have.’ And I realized this is a story that I need to tell, this is something that has changed me and I know it can change others as well.”


I am a Steward - Media Kit

Introduction I am a Steward is a promotional campaign for the AdventistGiving app. The campaign will increase awareness of the AdventistGiving App and grow viewers understanding of stewardsh…

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