CREATING A
STEWARDSHIP PROCESS IN OUR
PARISH
A Discussion of the Concept
Stewardship is based on the spiritual principles of the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus; and where it has been implemented, both givers’ and receivers’ lives have been changed. Stewardship is a way of living, a way of thanking God for all His blessings by returning a portion of the time, talent and treasure allotted to us.
Stewardship engenders a spirituality that deepens our relationship with the Lord. Stewardship involves intentional, planned and proportionate giving of our time, talent and treasure. Stewardship addresses both individual parishioners as well as parishes themselves.
Stewardship is a high priority in our Diocese under the leadership of Bishop McManus. The U.S. bishops’ pastoral letter of 1992, “Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response” reinforces our commitment to work towards educating and assisting parishes and individuals in adopting this way of life.
Over the past six months I have had the sincere privilege of visiting and meeting with close to 60 pastors and parish councils sharing ideas on Stewardship.
Responses from these meetings have been outstanding! As you may know, Stewardship is life-giving. The Pastoral Letter on Stewardship, A Disciple’s Response states… “it all begins with a conversion of heart and mind.” Our diocese, like many around our country has specific and unique challenges. Many feel it has a lot to do with where we are located as a region; nevertheless, our universal and common link as baptized Catholics while we live on earth is that each of us should strive to be better Disciples of Christ. Stewardship in fact, can be that catalyst for all of us. A renewal, if we choose to allow it, can awaken the soul to radically fall in love again with Christ or to come closer in relationship with Him.
The Office of Stewardship & Development will be happy in assisting a pastor and stewardship committee in this discernment and will provide complimentary materials for implementation and renewal for each process. I will be happy to make a presentation on stewardship to your parish council / stewardship committee simply by calling and inviting me.
Peace,
Michael Gillespie
Stewardship Director
My church is composed of people like me. I help make it what it is. It will be friendly, if I am. Its pews will be filled, if I help fill them. It will do great work, if I work. It will make generous gifts to many causes, if I am a generous giver. It will bring other people into its worship and fellowship, if I invite and bring them. It will be a church of loyalty and love, of fearlessness and faith, and a church with a noble spirit, if I, who make it, am filled with these same things. Therefore, with the help of God, I shall dedicate myself to the task of being all the things that I want my church to be.
Stewardship Considerations
1. What are the objectives of the stewardship process within your parish?
What should be accomplished because of stewardship? Who will be reached within the parish by stewardship? What does the parish community need to know in order to obtain their support? What do you want the parishioners to do?
2. What is the most effective way to teach the parish community about stewardship?
Who understands and participates in stewardship within the parish community now? Can those people assist the parish stewardship committee with stewardship education?
3. Does the pastor understand stewardship and support its implementation and renewal? Is the pastor willing to teach and preach about stewardship?
4. Does the staff understand that “promoting, administering and modeling stewardship is a primary responsibility”? Are they able to support stewardship implementation or renewal?
Three Approaches to Parish Stewardship
The Office of Stewardship and Development in the Diocese of Worcester makes no claim that these three approaches are the only methods of raising parishioner’s understanding of their responsibility as Christians and Catholics to share time, talent and treasure. These three approaches are promoted because they have been practiced successfully by parishes in the diocese and have met immediate and long-range parish stewardship needs.
- Process A: Implementing/Renewing Time and Talent Followed by Treasure
- Process B: Implementing/Renewing Time, Talent and Treasure
- Process C: Implementing/Renewing Treasure Followed by Time and Talent.
These approaches are significantly different and will meet a parish’s most immediate need—whether it is the financial condition of the parish or to emphasize the sharing of time and talent of the parishioners. The question to ask is: “What are the most important stewardship needs in our parish—time and talent or treasure?” The determination as to which approach to use is the responsibility of the pastor in consultation with the parish stewardship committee, parish pastoral council and parish finance council/committee. Practicing stewardship parishes should determine which approach best fits the parish needs and goals.
Process A: Implementing/Renewing Time and Talent Followed by Treasure
- This process initially helps parishes answer the perennial challenge: How do we enable more members to discover, develop and share their unique gifts and talents? All parishioners, whether young or old, have special gifts and talents to share with their faith community. Sharing our time and talents also provides an opportunity to learn new skills, strengthen the parish and make new friends.
- After a specific time of education and reflection on the parish financial situation, parishioners are asked to commit a portion of their income to support the parish and its ministries.
This six-week effort combines committee and staff preparation, parishioner education, lay witness and pastor presentations, printed materials, announcements and follow-up.
Process B: Implementing/Renewing Time, Talent and Treasure
- This process encourages the volunteer and financial commitment of the gifts of time, talent and treasure within one stewardship season. All parishioners experience the same education and reflection on volunteer participation and the financial situation as Process A and Process C.
This six-week effort combines committee and staff preparation, parishioner education, lay witness and pastor presentations, printed materials, announcements and follow-up.
Process C: Implementing/Renewing Treasure followed by Time & Talent
- This process begins with effective communication of parishioners’ responsibilities as stewards whose financial support for the parish is required. Parishioners are provided with thorough stewardship education and assessment of parish finances. After a period of reflection, parishioners are asked to commit a percentage of their income to support the parish and its ministries.
- Time and talent commitment or renewal follows at the most appropriate time for ministries and committees.
This six-week effort combines committee and staff preparation, parishioner education, lay witness and pastor presentations, printed materials, announcements and follow-up.
Three Model Approach
After determining which time, talent and treasure approach to use, the implementation/renewal model must be chosen for the parish. This is accomplished by the pastor in consultation with the parish pastoral council, parish finance council and the parish staff. All three models produce successful results and require three-to-six weeks to conduct. Diocesan parishes that have experience with these models make the following claims:
· Model 1: Every-Member-Visit Stewardship Commitment
This is the most effective model because parishioners are personally invited to become involved. This approach requires collaboration of staff resources and committed volunteers to follow a specific program of planning, education, recruitment of visitors, commitment and follow-up.
It is not necessary to make solicitation of time, talent and treasure the centerpiece or only activity performed during household visit. These visits can be a “pastoral experience” by adding an opportunity for people to update their parish census forms, provide input as to how the parish is meeting the needs of the Church, provide personal comment to the parish staff( in a sealed envelope provided for that purpose), etc.
Typically, first year member visits will double the volunteer base of the parish and provide increases in offertory of over 60%. Succeeding years will increase volunteer commitments and financial commitments at a rate of about 10-15% a year. Parishioners may want to consider an every member visit the first year and then visit one-third of the parish every year thereafter.
· Model 2: In-the-Pew Stewardship Commitment
This model is traditionally the second most effective method used by stewardship committees. This approach follows an outline of implementation and essentially, is committee driven. After the-in-the-pew solicitation is completed, the parish should make an attempt, usually through the mail, to contact the balance of the parishioners who have not made a commitment. Typically, a first year in-the-pew effort will generate an offertory increase of approximately 30% and will add about 10% to an already volunteer basis.
If a parish chooses to use an in-the-pew solicitation followed by household visitation to those who did not respond; visitors should be trained to expect some negative reactions at the door. This is a result of the fact that some parishioners, those who were in church, have already decided not to participate and wonder why they are being visited.
· Model 3: Direct Mail Stewardship Commitment
This model contacts every parishioner during the stewardship season. This approach is a direct, inexpensive and measurable effort that communicates the stewardship message to both active and non-active parishioners. This method traditionally produces the least favorable results of the three models listed.
The advantage of direct mail is that it is inexpensive and much less labor intensive than visiting. The downside is that fewer than half the parishioners may open the mail. Typically, direct mail used alone, will produce increases of 15% in offertory and very few new volunteers.
However, direct mail should always be used as follow-up to either in-the-pew solicitation or every member visits. Direct mail is used to ensure that every household has at least had an opportunity to respond.
Once your parish has decided which approach to use, please choose the most appropriate model for your parish and contact the Office of Stewardship and Development to receive additional assistance.
How To Form a Parish Stewardship Committee
The Parish Stewardship Committee is responsible for planning and coordinating appropriate stewardship awareness, ongoing education, preparation, and implementation and resource development activities in parish life. This committee works with the pastor and parish staff to ensure the successful implementation and renewal of stewardship and provide support to everyone involved.
The Parish Stewardship Committee serves under the sponsorship of the parish pastoral council, which indicates that the committee’s role is greater than merely financial improvement; the development of the human aspects of time and talent and societal stewardship rank equally important.
Parish Stewardship Committee members should include the pastor and parishioners old and young, married, single, widowed and people of different economic levels and ethnic backgrounds who are committed to stewardship, love of God and Church. Ideally these persons demonstrate a faithful and generous sharing of their time, talent and financial resources within the parish. Members must be able to envision where stewardship will take the parish. It is important that members are spiritually motivated, are regular communicants, spend time studying Scripture, are committed to lay involvement and are willing to share their faith with others. The chairperson of the committee will serve as the diocesan contact person to the office of Stewardship and Development.
Experience confirms that the Parish Stewardship Committee will receive greater support throughout the parish if it is firmly grounded in the scriptural and theological philosophies of stewardship and giving. Members should begin their meetings with prayer, scripture study and faith-sharing. The Office of Stewardship in the Diocese will provide stewardship education and preparedness, as well as ongoing education for all Parish Stewardship Committee Members.
The Parish Stewardship Committee’s
Responsibilities include the following:
Facilitate a model of shared responsibility with the pastor, parish staff regarding the implementation or renewal of stewardship. This will enable a busy pastor to let go of the administrative details and empower the committee to fulfill it responsibilities.
Work with other parish leaders to present stewardship as appropriately and prayerfully as possible. Act as liaison with the existing parish organizations and parish staff. Invite parishioners to share their personal testimonies about stewardship.
Determine the kinds of ministries, groups and activities that are presently active in the parish.
Assist leaders of these groups in completing Committee Information sheets.
Prepare a Time and Talent list or catalogue of parish activities and organizations based upon the information from each committee.
Assist in the development of welcoming and hospitality programs for parishioners.
Work with all committee leaders to coordinate the training of volunteers.
Carry out an annual process for parishioner’s commitment of time and talent and treasure.
Encourage and support for stewardship throughout the year by using stewardship reflections in bulletins/newsletters, Prayers of the Faithful and Sunday homilies.
Review and evaluate past year’s accomplishments and make annual report to the parish.
Encourage the creation of a Volunteer Ministry Coordinator position within the parish.
How To Welcome the Stranger
One of the things we do least well in the Catholic experience is welcome newcomers. Too often registration is with the parish secretary. The name is placed on a card or registration form and most of the folks eventually join the inactive or the liturgically active but socially and ministerially uninvolved categories.
To remedy this situation and welcome the stranger, consider these suggestions:
· Hold registration for new parishioners after liturgies on the weekends. Or, invite people to drop by the parish or the parish center during the week.
· Assign a parish staff member to meet with new parishioners and arrange a home visit.
· Dispatch a welcoming team, made up of members of the Parish Stewardship Committee and pastoral staff to visit all new members within the first month of the registration.
· Provide each new parishioner a folder of information of materials about the parish which includes the following:
· A letter of welcome from the pastor that is inviting and introduces the stewardship message.
· Statements about the sacramental life of the parish and registrations, information for each sacramental preparation program.
· A facility floor plan and explanation of the church’s artifacts and the art objects, along with a liturgical explanation of their location.
· A listing of staff members and leaders with accomping photographs.
· A current calendar of social events with an invitation for the new parishioners to be a guest at the next event.
· Newsletters and bulletins and a copy of the diocesan calendar.
· Lists describing parish ministries and organizations and information about how to get involved in them.
National Catholic Stewardship Council!
Consider joining the National Catholic Stewardship Council (NCSC)
“The primary goal of the National Catholic Stewardship Council (NCSC) is to promote Christian Stewardship theology as a way of living for all Catholics. Through its seminars, publications and annual conventions, the NCSC emphasizes that all members of our family of faith are called to be Christian stewards and share their gifts of time, talent and treasure, in proportion to the blessings they have received from God,” from the National Catholic Stewardship Council Manual. Membership fees vary. Contact the Office of Stewardship for details, 508-929-4368.
Honor volunteers!
One of the greatest gifts of Christ to a parish are the people who offer themselves to lead or help with various parish functions—so use them! Prepare them for their ministry or activity. Acknowledge their involvement by sending them a letter of thanks. Honor them by listing their names in the bulletin or on the bulletin boards.
Study Stewardship
The Stewardship Committee should meet once a month to assist the parish community in the unfolding of stewardship as a way of life. Seasonal small groups can be created to study stewardship theology, catholic social teaching and the U.S. bishops’ pastoral letter Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response.
Respond to stewards!
Parishioners deserve a personal reply to the generous sharing of their abilities and their financial resources. Nothing hurts more than to be unintentionally neglected by a committee or a pastor. Failure to respond to a stewardship pledge sometimes leads a parishioner to experience feelings of frustration or anger directed at the parish and the Catholic Church. Please do everything possible to respond quickly to every offer of stewardship! Recognize, acknowledge and apply the individuals’ gift.
Communicate Stewardship
Parishioners deserve frequent reminders of the continuing activities of stewardship throughout the parish. Written communications stimulate a parish’s stewardship vision and encourage parishioners to continue their participation. Opportunities for involvement are announced and publicized. A monthly newsletter providing reports of stewardship and stewardship literature in the parish booklet rack are good ways to support stewardship participation. Public recognition of participation is appropriate within a newsletter.
How Pastors May Influence Stewardship
Pastors have their hands full. The parish staff is overworked and heavily burdened.
Most priests find it necessary to talk about money with greater frequency. Constant preoccupation with parish life, dwindling cash reserves and rising costs take a toll on the daily life and mission of the Church. Fear and worry sometimes influences a pastor’s ministry and outlook on parish life. Pastors wonder how they can find the time or the energy to implement a stewardship program or process.
In the diocese of Worcester, pastors in parishes that cultivate and nurture stewardship do not worry as much about paying bills, cutting expenditures and staff, or cultivating and operating ministries. Pastors have fewer hassles in parishes when comprehensive stewardship is practiced because parishioners assume greater responsibilities. Stewardship generates sufficient funds and an abundance of talented people in ministry. Most important, pastors find more time to shepherd, to give spiritual guidance only they can give, to carry out the ministries singular to priests.
Pastors come to recognize their obligation to model and practice stewardship in their own lives. The pastor plays a vital role in the stewardship process because stewardship is not only personal; it is theological and spiritual. The best programs in the world will not work without a pastor’s support and leadership. Establishing a parish stewardship committee, under the sponsorship of the pastoral council will foster responsible stewardship awareness and renewal—and free the pastor from the details of managing the stewardship process.
Pastors are agents of change. They encourage parishioners to discern their giftedness, to develop and share talents and to understand that everyone has a responsibility to one another. Pastors are encouraged to be steward-leaders and servant-leaders in the tradition of Jesus Christ. The Lord’s leadership and His ministry were geared toward freeing people, making them wiser, helping them grow.
Priests must teach and preach good stewardship theology because stewardship enables lay Catholics to put Christ first in their lives and participate fully in the life of the Church.
Sometimes, a new pastor will come from a parish experience that did not practice stewardship. He may stress other priorities and be non-supportive of stewardship. The pastoral council, finance council, pastoral staff and stewardship committee are encouraged to introduce the new pastor to the benefits of stewardship within the parish. The new pastor can study the bishops’ pastoral letter on stewardship and talk to the parishioners about their own commitment to this way of living. It is important that the parish community support the new pastor while he internalizes what stewardship will mean in his own life.