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!

The U.S. Bishops in their Pastoral and subsequent Young Adult Statement on Stewardship

1. 1992 Pastoral: "Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response"
2. 2003 Statement Stewardship and Young Adults: An Invitation to Help Change the World tell us that:

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.

Q&A Section

Q & A Section
You've Got Questions...We've Got Answers!

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. bullet Challenges individuals and families to re-examine their relationship with God, each other, the workplace, the community, and the parish. bullet 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 not of tomorrow, for you know not what any day may bring forth." (Proverbs 27:1)

What does intentional, planned and proportionate giving mean?

• We need to decide how much our faith means to us; what is the value of our faith.
• 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, talents, 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 of what I have been given to the church? 
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)


What's the difference between Stewardship and tithing?
In terms of financial resources, Stewardship invites parishioners to give a percentage of their income that represents their sacrifice to the parish and other charities. Tithing is the biblical notion of giving one-tenth (10%) of our money. Good stewards reflect upon their current level of giving, and consider "Taking-a-Step" to a higher level of giving, if possible. The ultimate goal may be to achieve the biblical tithe, or it could be less or more, depending upon what a person/family has concluded through prayer and reflection. The important thing is to take the first step of faith by putting God first.

Ministries/Organization

 

List of Ministries and Organization

Liturgical/Ministry
Altar Server
Arts & Environment
Eucharistic Ministry
Lectors
Music Ministry
Ushers
Autumn Festival Volunteer
Homebound

Organization
FIL-AM
Couple for Christ
Legion of Mary
Ladies Guild
Knight of Columbus
Adoration Ministry 


 

Income-Expense Report

 

Quarterly Finance Report 

 

ADA

 

 ADA 2009

 

By following Christ faithfully in our lives, we “Grow in Faith Together.” We have each been blessed with many gifts and are called to reach out in faith to share those blessings
with one another.