Stewardship

Authentic Stewardship

Authentic stewardship is not about money.

It is about being a disciple of Jesus Christ. Some people have in their minds that to be a disciple one needs to go to Africa and spend their life teaching about Jesus. But normal people who belong to a church and raise a family are also disciples. The question is, how do we live it out? Stewardship is a way of life with Christ as our greatest model.

Jesus Christ is the greatest steward.

Jesus Christ, the second person of the Holy Trinity, has received everything from God the Father. His Father is the source of all things. And He trustingly wants his Only Begotten Son to take care of it all. “The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him.” (John 3:35)

A steward is someone who takes care of someone else’s stuff.

A daycare worker takes care of your children. A broker takes care of your money by investing it on your behalf. A mail carrier takes care of your mail until it is delivered.  A neighbor takes care of your pet if you go on vacation. In essence, though we seldom use the word steward in our day and age, everyone practices stewardship in day to day life. At times we all take care of someone else’s stuff.

What is stewardship?

In a contemporary sense, authentic stewardship is the ability to recognize and receive God’s gifts gratefully, to cultivate his gifts faithfully, to share his gifts generously, and to return the gifts to the Lord with increase. It all begins with recognizing that every blessing is a gift from God and being thankful. When we take care of God’s stuff, we are practicing stewardship.

We take care of God’s stuff.

God made time. He created everything from the galaxies in outer space to the sand on the seashore. God is the giver of your health, your family, your abilities: God is the source of your very life. Psalm 139:13 says, “You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb.” We are called to take care of ourselves, to be good neighbors, to use time wisely, and to respect everything in our lives as gifts from God.

Four Pillars

There are four pillars of stewardship.

Hospitality, prayer, formation, and service are pillars of stewardship in parish life. They are concepts on which we can build a life-giving Catholic community.

Hospitality is first.

When building a community it is important for people to sense that they belong. Whether it is a smile, a handshake, or an invitation, there are many ways we can help others feel welcome.

Prayer is central.

The main point of being church is to grow closer to God together. Unless we take time to have conversation with Jesus, to praise Him, and to seek His will for our lives, we are not being Christian.

Formation is vital.

We have to learn about God, about what Jesus did, and about what He teaches us. Without getting educated in our faith, we will not be very good disciples. Did you know the word “disciple” literally means “learner.”

Service is proof.

When we do service within our community it is evidence that we are trying to love others like Jesus. We don’t want to be hypocrites by saying one thing and doing another. If we are going to talk about loving our neighbor, we have to actually love our neighbor. “The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve …” (Matthew 20:28)

Time • Talent • Treasure

Time is a gift.

We are all given the same amount of time. For all of us there are 12 months in a year, 4 weeks in a month, 7 days in a week, 24 hours in a day, 60 minutes in an hour, and 60 seconds in a minute. How we use our time matters. Do we waste it? Unlike money, we can never get time back. Do we use it to love God and to love others? That is why God has given us time. The two most important things we can do with the time given to us is spend it with God and with family. Prayer is the greatest way we give time back to God.  Family time is the best way we love our closest neighbors. “There is an appointed time for everything.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Talent is from God.

He has given us our strength, our intellect, our 5 senses, our ability to live, move, and breathe. We may develop our skills with learning and practice, but ultimately they come from God. Do we use our talents to help others, to serve around church, or to glorify God? These are the best ways to show God our gratefulness, by using our talents with His purposes in mind.

Treasure is a tool.

Whether it be money in our wallet, a vehicle in our driveway, or the toys in our back yard, all the stuff we have is part of our material treasure. All of it belongs to God. More specifically, everything our stuff is made out of was made out of what God had already created. A dollar bill is made out of paper that came form a tree which God grew in a forest somewhere. How do we use these gifts in our lives for God?  Do we tithe at church? Do we give to the poor? Do we help out our neighbors and friends? Or do we hoard our stuff as something to be possessed instead of something that is meant to be shared for the good of others? “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” (Matthew 6:21)

Fostering a Stewardship Way of Life in Our Parishes

We have a Stewardship Committee.

There are a dozen people, give or take, from our Area Catholic Community who meet every month. They study principles of stewardship and how to implement them in our parishes. They plan a number of projects and events. The committee is the driving force behind developing stewardship as a way of life.

Our monthly Newsletter highlights stewardship as a way of life.

Many people appreciate reading about various ministries within our parishes. The people we meet in those pages help us feel connected with our faith community. It is especially important to our homebound members.

The Stewardship Renewal is essential for building parish life.

For three weekends we preach about stewardship, hear spoken testimonies about how stewardship has changed parishioners lives, and use commitment cards to make concrete the ways we will use our gifts to enhance the life of our parishes.

We host an Annual Retreat for spiritual growth.

Usually starting with Mass at 9:00AM on a Saturday morning members of our parishes will gather to visit, hear a few short talks, and pray. We often have a visiting speaker share their insights from the Bible, church teaching, and personal experiences with us. Ending the retreat about 3:30PM everyone will have had a chance to grow closer to God.

Our Thank You Banquet celebrates those who give of themselves.

Once a year parishioners from all six churches are invited to a free meal and short presentation in honor of all they ways they contribute to parish life. It is especially well received by those who are most involved. St. Paul reminds us, “Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17)