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STEWARDSHIP
Stewardship
provides a spiritual way of living for all of us – a
way of being in the world, particularly as we
continue to embrace the New Millennium and respond
to the Gospel call to renew the face of the Earth.
Stewardship
is
about the many gifts our gracious God has given us.
It helps us to reflect upon our giftedness; all that
we have which constitutes our treasure: Our
families, friends, time, talents, skills, material
possessions, finances.
Stewardship
is
about reflecting on our faith and on the way we live
and act as disciples of Jesus.
Stewardship
is
about caring for all of God’s creation.
Stewardship is A Way of Life!
As Christians Stewards, we:
- receive God’s gifts
gratefully;
- cultivate them
responsibly;
- share them in love
and justice with others; and
- stand before the Lord
in a spirit of accountability.
Good Stewards have an "Attitude of Gratitude!"
Q
& A
What is Stewardship?
It is
a lifestyle, a life of total accountability and
responsibility. It is the acknowledging of God as
the Creator and Owner of all. Christian Stewards
see themselves as the caretakers of all Gods’ gifts.
Gratitude for these many gifts is expressed in
prayer, worship, offering and action. Stewardship
is a way of life. It is a way of thanking God for
all our blessings by returning to God a portion of
the many gifts (everything we have, for instance,
our time, talent and treasure) that we have been
given. It involves the intentional, planned and
proportionate giving of all we have.
Finally, stewardship encourages everyone to
participate in the task of building the Kingdom of
God. When we explain that God has given each of us
certain things, that these gifts are our
responsibility to care for, and that we are
accountable for what we do with these gifts, then
there is no doubt that everyone should be involved.
Stewardship rejects the notion that we must "have it
all" and instead, demonstrates the value of giving
in love, in service and in justice.
Stewardship is based on the spiritual principles of
the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus Christ.
"Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands
but yours, yours are the eyes through which he is go
about doing good, yours are the hands with which he
is to bless people now…" (St. Teresa of Avila)
What difference will Stewardship make in my life?
The
difference is the motivation for giving. It is so
easy to put our lives on hold and with it all of our
good intentions. "Someday when I have more time" or
"When I’ve reached my goals" or "I’ll give my share
of time, talent and treasure but not right now."
What will we tell those in need of prayer, in need
of a kind ear or the hundreds of other acts of
stewardship that will go undone and the gifts that
the Lord has given us that will go unshared if we
all were to think that way? Stewardship
acknowledges that God is the source of all of our
gifts and talents, and we are the caretakers of
these gifts. Effective stewardship education and
formation relies on leadership by example.
Stewardship encourages us to make a difference and
to become involved.
Challenges individuals and families to re-examine
their relationship with God, each other, the
workplace, the community, and the parish.
Increases awareness and appreciation of the presence
of the Lord in our lives.
Where
stewardship has been implemented, both givers' and
receivers’ lives have been changed. True conversion
has taken place in the hearts and minds of many who
embrace Stewardship as a way of life.
"Boast of tomorrow, for you know not what any day
may bring forth." (Proverbs 27:1)
What does intentional, planned and proportionate
giving mean?
Two
times a year in the Diocese of Rockville Centre,
Stewardship parishes ask people of faith to renew
their commitment to living as Stewards of God's
gifts. In the Fall, people are asked to prayerfully
plan their sharing of financial resources and to
"Take-A-Step" in their level of giving to the parish
and other charities. In the Spring, folks are asked
to pray and reflect and to "Take-A-Step" in the ways
gifts of time and talent are shared at home, in the
workplace, in the community, and in the parish. We
do these things annually because as adult
faith-filled Catholics:
We
need to decide how much our faith means to us; what
is the value of our faith.
Adult
discipleship requires a conscious decision on the
part of those who believe.
We
are a sacramental people who participate in public
actions that reflect inner realities of our faith.
Stewardship renewals, particularly the commitments
that are involved, help illustrate the sacramental
character of our lives as Catholics.
Regular Stewardship renewals remind us of our
commitments and challenge us to think, pray, and
decide how we are going to live our lives as
disciples of Jesus. (Much like annual wedding
anniversaries are a time for married couples to
reflect upon their commitment to each other and
renew that commitment.)
Good
stewards become very conscious of living as
disciples of Jesus each moment of each day.
Jesus
made it clear in the scriptures that being stewards
of all the gifts God has given us (like our time,
talent and treasure) is part of the will of God.
"Put your gifts at the service of one another, each
in the measure he has received… Thus in all of you
God is to be glorified." (1 Peter 4:10, 11)
What is meant by giving of one's time, talent, and
material possessions?
Our
time, our talents, and our material possessions
constitute just some of the treasures we have been
given by our very generous God. Sharing these gifts
involves being with God in prayer and worship, using
our gifts to help build God's Kingdom among our
family and friends, our workplace, and our
communities and parishes. It means becoming
ministers of the Gospel in our communities and
parishes in new (and perhaps not-so-new) ways!
"Men do not light a lamp and then put it under a
bushel basket. They set it on a stand where it gives
light to all in the house. In the same way, your
light must shine before men so that they may see
goodness in your acts and give praise to your
heavenly father." (Mark 5:14-16)
Am
I expected to give all I have been given to the
church?
No.
The church teaches that the primary vocation of the
laity is to transform the world to Christ. We do
this best when we share and use the gifts our
generous God has given us in love and justice first
at home, then in the workplace, then in our
communities and parishes. Certainly, however, the
parish is a focal point for coming together as
disciples of Jesus. It is in the parish that we
join with one another to celebrate our faith, share
in the Eucharist, and become empowered to be
Eucharist (the Body of Christ) in the world. Our
parish is central to our gathering for prayer and
worship, celebrating the Sacraments, meeting for and
planning together the work of the church, and
celebrating the gift of each other. We have an
important responsibility to our parish to plan ways
we can use and share our gifts there, but we must
remember that our sense of stewardship needs to be
kept broad and holistic.
The
life of a Christian steward models the life of
Jesus. It is challenging and even difficult, in
many respects, yet intense joy comes to those who
take the risk to live as Christian stewards. Women
and men who seek to live as stewards learn that.
"All things work for good for those who love God."
(Rom. 8: 28)
What's the difference between Stewardship and fund
raising?
Throughout the New Testament, Jesus specifically
talks about how God wants us to live our lives to
help build God's Kingdom. Scripture talks about
what we should be doing with the gifts that God has
given us. Stewardship is based on Jesus’ challenge
to live as God has planned, not on the monetary
needs of our parish. Stewardship is based on our
need to give out of gratitude to our most generous
God, not on the church’s (or any other charity's)
need to receive.
There
will always be needs of a parish or any other
charity or institution. Fund raising efforts are
built around institutional or charitable needs (a
new roof, a new boiler, renovated buildings, etc.)
Good stewards respond to the needs that fund raising
efforts address, but they always focus on the
primary fact that, as disciples of Jesus who have
been gifted by a most generous God, we need to
give!
From
the "Stewardship and Development in Catholic
Dioceses and Parishes" Resource Manual, page 9:
"Development and fund-raising programs sponsored by
dioceses, parishes, schools, and other
church-related organizations should complement
effective stewardship programs. No development
activity should conflict with stewardship efforts in
the diocese or parish. Instead, as a result of
careful planning, there will be new opportunities
for people to practice good stewardship by
participating in the mission and ministries of the
church."
"Happiness lies more in giving than in receiving."
(Acts 20:35)
On-Line Stewardship Resources
Diocese of Rockville Center (Long Island), NY
www.stewardshipli.org
Contains downloadable graphics, general
intercessions, weekly bulletin reflections and
more. Users may sign up for a free email
subscription to their monthly newsletter –
Connections.
Archdiocese of St. Louis, Missouri
www.archstl.org/stewardship
Has recent and archived editions of two excellent
stewardship newsletters: Stewardship Alive –
for
general parish use (published quarterly) and
Stewardship Seeds – for those who catechize
children
(published three times per year). Both publications
are shared free of charge.
Offers scripture references and parish prayer
services focused on stewardship.
Get information about our lay witness program and
find stewardship oriented prayer services,
formational suggestions for committees and past
issues of the Stewardship Update.
This site is available in English and Spanish. It
includes ICSC history, membership information,
essays by knowledgeable and experienced leaders, a
discussion forum, plus publications for purchase.
To Be A Part of Our Stewardship Committee at St.
John’s, join us on the Second Wednesday of every
month at 7:00pm in the Rectory Meeting Room!
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