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Stewardship

3.1 Formation and Initial Steps for the Core Team

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Just as your pastor, staff and parish leaders needed time to become familiar with stewardship as a way of life, so will your Stewardship Core Team, as this team will be key to the establishment of this spirituality in your Family of Parishes.

Stewardship Reversed Icon

“More than a program or once a year report to the parish, stewardship is fostered as a spiritual way of life and becomes an expression of discipleship.” (Stewardship vision point)

Forming parishioners and your Family to live and grow as grateful disciples who are good stewards requires intentional, consistent leadership. It is crucial that stewardship is carried out in the spirit of servant leadership, as an expression of discipleship. Taking time to form your Stewardship Core Team with a deep foundation of the spirituality of stewardship is sure to bear great fruit in the life of your Family of Parishes in the future.

To-do: Begin stewardship formation and education for parish leaders.

Forum_Prompt

Let’s Discuss: What are ways that you can grow in servant leadership?

2.2 Identify and Invite Parishioners to Serve on the Stewardship Core Team

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Your Stewardship Core Team is a key leadership group for your Family of Parishes and will:

  • Be continually attentive to ways to form your Family in the spirituality of stewardship.
  • Seek ways to enhance welcome and hospitality in your Family.
  • Build on the engagement efforts of the Pathway Team (and likely partner with the Pathway Team on new initiatives).
  • Find ways to increase participation of parishioners in ministry.
  • Coordinate the annual time of stewardship renewal and commitment when your Family is ready to establish it.

Discerning the core team is one aspect of Phase 1 milestone:

“The pastor and staff participate in stewardship formation. Identify a staff point person for a parishioner-based Stewardship Core Team.”

Because many parishes have not previously fostered stewardship as a way of life, your parishioners might initially be reluctant to serve on your Stewardship Core Team. Formation of prospective core team members is important, as is a period of discernment so that those who emerge as core team members have a clear grasp of the model of stewardship as a way of life and the potential impact of stewardship on your Family of Parishes.

To-do: Discern your Stewardship Core Team.

Forum_Prompt

Let’s Discuss: Why is it important to have a Stewardship Core Team?

2.1 Include Stewardship Formation and Education for Parish Leaders

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Once your pastor and staff have begun to embrace stewardship as a way of life, it is time to include stewardship formation and education for all parish leaders. It is important to be mindful at this stage that, because this is a spirituality, one is never finished – the pastor and staff can be honest in telling others in the Family that they are new to this broader understanding of stewardship and that the Family will be on this journey together.

A natural result of embracing stewardship is a deeper awareness of one’s vocation and a greater willingness to accept and answer God’s call in one’s life.

Stewardship Reversed

“The Family of Parishes forms people to hear and respond to God’s call in their lives – from the individual moments of each day to their overall purpose of living out their vocation … Every Family of Parishes will actively promote vocational discernment.” (Stewardship vision point and parameter 17)

At the heart of the spirituality of stewardship is a greater awareness of God’s grace in our midst. When we become attentive to and grateful for our many blessings, we grow in the desire to give our talents, time, gifts, faith and resources in ministry within our parish and beyond it. Forming all parish leaders in this spiritual way of life transforms your Family of Parishes, as leaders begin to value the reality that they all have been given abundant gifts and grow in their desire and ability to draw others into this way of life.

To-do: Begin stewardship formation and education for parish leaders.

Forum_Prompt

Let’s Discuss: How is your Family of Parishes beginning to establish greater understanding of stewardship as a way of life among parish leaders?

1.2 Identify Parish Staff Member(s) to Champion Stewardship Formation and Serve as a Liaison to the Stewardship Core Team

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Parishes throughout the U.S. and world that actively foster stewardship as a way of life reveal the importance of having a designated staff member who embraces stewardship and champions stewardship in his or her Family of Parishes. This person will also be the liaison to the Stewardship Core Team.

Identifying a staff liaison is one aspect of Phase 1 milestone:

“The pastor and staff participate in stewardship formation. Identify a staff point person for a parishioner-based Stewardship Core Team.”

Sometimes the stewardship champion is the person who is responsible for community life or communication or who coordinates the many ministries that are part of the life of the parish. Some parishes believe stewardship is so important that they have a staff person who is dedicated to this essential ministry. Regardless of the role of the stewardship point-person, he or she must genuinely appreciate stewardship as a way of life and be committed to growing as a good steward himself or herself while championing stewardship in his or her Family of Parishes.

To-do: Begin to discern your stewardship staff liaison/point-person, and schedule an introductory session focused on identifying your staff liaison.

Contact the Stewardship Team
Forum_Prompt

Let’s Discuss: Who is/are your stewardship leader(s)?

1.1 The Pastor and Staff Become Familiar with Stewardship as a Way of Life

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Fostering stewardship as a way of life in your Family of Parishes begins with your pastor and staff. Since many parishes have previously only referred to stewardship when speaking of financial giving, embracing stewardship will rely on your leaders’ understanding and appreciation of the spirituality of stewardship and its impact on themselves and the potential impact on your Family of Parishes. The Stewardship principle states:

Stewardship Reversed

“Families of Parishes are communities of grateful disciples. Recognizing God’s gifts, they use their talents, skills and resources to build up the Church and live as Christ’s Body in the world.”

One way for your pastor and staff to engage in spiritual formation is to invite the Pastoral Center Stewardship department to come and facilitate a day of reflection on stewardship at your introductory sessions, Family staff meetings and occasional staff or leadership retreats.

To-do: Begin stewardship formation for your pastor and staff.

Forum_Prompt

Let’s Discuss: How can you broaden your understanding of stewardship?

Stewardship Overview: Phase 1

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“Stewardship is an expression of discipleship, with the power to change how we understand and live out our lives.”[1] This simple yet compelling statement from Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response captures the impact of understanding that each person is a steward. Those who have been touched by this spirituality of stewardship recognize that everything we are, all that we have and all that we will ever be is pure gift from God. Through that recognition, we grow in gratitude for our many blessings: our lives, faith and relationships; the capacity to love and show mercy; our talents; the minutes, days and weeks of our lives; our financial and material resources. With this deep and abiding gratitude, we learn to say thank you to God by sharing our lives and resources, living as people of service and mission and reaching out with Christ’s love in our lives at home, in our town or city, our Family of Parishes and the world. We find ourselves consuming less, prioritizing our time and activity based in who we are as God’s blessed people and sharing more with others.

What a blessing such a life is! As our bishops note, this way of life is transformative. It helps us find meaning and purpose in life, move beyond selfish impulses toward the needs of others, find abundance everywhere and share the richness of Christ’s life and love as grateful disciples. This spiritual way of life transforms the lives of individuals and the life of our faith community.

The Stewardship principle calls your Family of Parishes to foster stewardship as a spiritual way of life. During Phase I, you will discern a staff liaison or coordinator, as well as a Stewardship Core Team of parishioners who will guide the establishment of a culture of stewardship in your Family of Parishes.

[1] Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response, Introduction (Hereafter, quotes from this pastoral letter will be noted in the text as SDR).

“The pastor and staff participate in stewardship formation. Identify a staff point person for a parishioner-based Stewardship Core Team.”

I am convinced that Beacons of Light, born of great hope, will enable us to form stronger parishes, centered on the Eucharist, that radiate the love of Christ and joy of the Gospel… God has abundantly blessed our first two centuries and will certainly bless the next.

— ARCHBISHOP DENNIS M. SCHNURR