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Stewardship

2.1 Stewardship – Formation of Associated Team Members

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Leading people to embrace stewardship as a way of life relies on substantial formation of leaders.

Stewardship Reversed

“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)

Once your Stewardship Core Team has had time to focus on its spiritual formation, it is time to share the stewardship message with other key leaders, starting with your Family Leadership Team (FLT) and Family staff members. 

To-do: Continue stewardship formation and education for parish leaders, especially through a retreat focused on the spirituality of stewardship.

2.2 Stewardship – Formation of Parish Leaders

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Leading people to embrace stewardship as a way of life relies on substantial formation of leaders. 

Stewardship Reversed

“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)

Having begun the process of formation for your Family Leadership Team (FLT) and staff, your Stewardship Core Team can start to offer retreats and/or speak at Family leaders’ meetings, particularly those of your Family Pastoral Council (FPC), Family Finance Council (FFC) and ministry leaders.

To-do: Continue stewardship formation and education for parish leaders, especially through a retreat focused on the spirituality of stewardship.

2.3 Create Prayer and Discernment Opportunities

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Now that you have begun to form your leaders as stewards, it is time to share the stewardship message with parishioners. 

Stewardship Reversed

“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)

Stewardship education and formation takes many forms. Begin to share the stewardship message through homilies, in your bulletin(s), on your website(s), in emails and at parish meetings.

To-do: Begin or continue stewardship formation and education for parishioners.

Stewardship Overview: Phase 2

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Imagine your Family of Parishes filled with people who live as disciples, are filled with gratitude for their abundant blessings and generously share their faith, lives and resources — not only within the Family but also in all aspects of their everyday lives. Your Family would be transformed through such living faith! This is truly possible when your Family of Parishes embraces stewardship as a way of life. 

During Phase 2, your pastor, stewardship champion and Stewardship Core Team will discern the vision for your Family — the future you will work toward as you bring stewardship to life in your Family of Parishes and among your people.

Discerning your vision naturally flows from leaders who live and grow as good stewards. Therefore, Phase 2 includes time for stewardship formation — first among the Stewardship Core Team, Family Leadership Team (FLT) and pastoral council, then among ministry leaders and those who are involved in ministries and organizations within your Family. Laying this solid spiritual foundation will ensure that stewardship is not viewed as a program that will run its course or as a thinly veiled means for increasing financial giving. The spirituality of stewardship is a deeper, lasting way of seeing and responding to God’s grace in our midst. 

0.1 Stewardship – Confirm Vision Assessment Complete

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To prepare for Visio Day, it is beneficial to have an understanding of where your Family of Parishes stands in relation to each of the vision points in the Stewardship principle. Use the Family Vision Assessment Tool to isolate which vision points are strengths and which need attention as part of establishing a comprehensive vision for your Family. See the Vision Assessment Tool.

0.2 Stewardship – Reinforce from Phase 1

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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

“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. The Grateful Disciples formation programs in the materials tab provide this formation.  

In the fall of 2023, the Center for Parish Vitality will be hosting parish cohorts and stewardship teams in Grateful Disciples training. Details will be shared later in 2023.  

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