Redeem the Time, the time-management initiative commissioned by the Stewardship department of the General Conference (GC) was presented to the treasurers/stewardship directors of the 11 Unions and 3 attached Fields of the Trans-European Division (TED) at the Stewardship Advisory held 4-5 May in Belgrade.
Catherine Anthony Boldeau, British Union Conference (BUC) Stewardship Director introduced the project and outlined the key elements of the 5-module course that was written by authors from within the territory. The brief behind the project was to design a time management resource that supports 1) personal devotional time with God, 2) a more ordered and purpose-filled daily Christian experience, 3) a greater emphasis on Friday as a preparation day, 4) Sabbath – a sanctuary in time.
The six modules that make up Redeem the Time, Stewardship for a balanced worship-filled life use as the foundational scripture Ephesians 5:15,16 (NKJV), “See that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
Modules include, Stewards of the Clock: A Biblical Philosophy of Time, The Tyranny of the Urgent: Principles of Focus, The Toolkit: Practical Strategies for Order, Anchoring the Soul: Prioritising Daily Worship, The Sanctuary in Time: Safeguarding the Sabbath, as well as an short introductory workshop (that can stand alone) and a commitment workshop for those who complete the course and embed the principles of the main modules into their daily life.
Alex Mareniuc, Stewardship and Trust Services Director, South England Conference (SEC) wrote module 3 and presented the concept of the Eisenhower Matrix, a method to organise attention and focus. He stressed that urgent and important will differ for everyone, but the utilisation of the framework will assist in preparation, planning, delivery and execution of projects.
Other authors include David Neal, Stewardship Director (TED), Jimmy Botha, President & Stewardship sponsor, Scottish Mission, Clayton Maurede, pastor of the Cambridge district of churches (SEC) and the writer.
As well as jointly creating the Redeem the Time time-management course, they were major contributors to the 1st quarter 2026 Dynamic Steward Magazine on the topic and some of the articles will also feature in the 2nd quarter’s edition.
Reflecting on the project, Neal said, “There is nothing more precious than time. Once lost – it can never be recovered. The emphasis on Redeem the Time is key to understanding the stewardship principle of God owning and managing our lives. In short, the appeal of Christ to His followers is ‘enjoy life at its best with Me. Enjoy the pleasure of My company in your life. I have time for you.’”
God First
The TED Stewardship Advisory also welcomed Marcos Bomfim, the GC Stewardship Director whose opening presentation encouraged the attendees to focus on ‘faith-raising’ and not ‘fund-raising’. Drawing on personal experiences of faithfulness to and from God, he stated, “you return to God because you receive. You give as regularly as you receive from God.”
In his first presentation he also outlined the stewardship vision for the global church of people putting ‘God First’ – the motto of the department. His thesis was that this is not only a positive translation of the first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3), it covers all areas of our lives, accepts the Lordship of Jesus and is also a spiritual disruptor to selfish living, as well as promoting regular systematic giving.
He continued, “Our ‘God First’ emphasis is opposite to prosperity theology. It puts God at the centre of our giving, not the church, not even the mission – God.”
A word from the TED President
His presentation was entitled, Challenged by the Challenge: Thoughts on Christian Stewardship. Dr Daniel Duda unlocked the topic by beginning with the scripture 1 Corinthians 4:1,2 (ESV), “This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.”
The primary biblical Greek word translated as “manager” or “steward” in the New Testament is οἰκονόμος (oikonomos). Duda emphasised the need for each of us as Christians to see ourselves as oikonomos of Christ. “We need to work in tandem for the church to work,” he said and emphasised that stewardship wasn’t just about managing “things but the opportunities that God has placed in our hands.” He argued that the enemy of faithful stewardship is “grasping, hoarding, creating suspicion, insecurity, trusting no-one and keeping as much as you can.”
Concluding his thoughts on the Stewardship Advisory, Neal said, “It was a privilege to connect with the respective Union treasurers and stewardship directors. What I appreciated most was the dialogue, the listening and the sharing. I believe that we learned from each other about how to encourage the members we serve to grow in their trust and confidence in the Lord. Because after all, Stewardship, at its core, is about faith-raising, not fund-raising.”
