““The Four Pillars of The Four Pillars of Parish Stewardship”Parish Stewardship”

Blessed Sacrament Parish MissionBlessed Sacrament Parish MissionScottsdale, ArizonaScottsdale, Arizona

March, 2007March, 2007

FOOLFOOL

The Word of GodThe Word of God

““Believe what you Believe what you read.read.

Teach what you Teach what you believe.believe.

Practice what you Practice what you teach.”teach.”

Faithfully living the Faithfully living the Gospel is the focus Gospel is the focus of many teachings of many teachings of Jesus Christ. of Jesus Christ. Parents best teach Parents best teach their children by their children by the daily faithful the daily faithful example of faith, example of faith, hope and love.hope and love.

The Pillars of Parish StewardshipThe Pillars of Parish Stewardship

From Jesus Christ as the From Jesus Christ as the foundation and the foundation and the capstone, four pillars capstone, four pillars arise in a arise in a stewardship parish:stewardship parish:

1.1. HOSPITALITYHOSPITALITY

2.2. PRAYERPRAYER

3.3. FORMATION FORMATION

4.4. SERVICESERVICE

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The Pillar of The Pillar of HOSPITALITYHOSPITALITY

““When I was a When I was a stranger, you stranger, you welcomed me.” (Mt welcomed me.” (Mt 25:35)25:35)

We cannot form We cannot form stewards if the pews stewards if the pews are empty.are empty.

Perhaps a lack of Perhaps a lack of understanding understanding concerning our concerning our sacramental theology.sacramental theology.

““You’re Sitting in My Pew!”You’re Sitting in My Pew!”

How do we as a How do we as a parish family parish family welcome one welcome one another?another?

How do we How do we welcome those welcome those who are visiting who are visiting our parish?our parish?

Do I understand Do I understand hospitality to be an hospitality to be an act of stewardship?act of stewardship?

““What Name Do You What Name Do You Give Your Child?”Give Your Child?”

Significance of the Significance of the name.name.

Holiness of the Name Holiness of the Name of God.of God.

One loses anonymity One loses anonymity when another knows when another knows your name.your name.

Pictorial Directory to Pictorial Directory to match a name with a match a name with a face.face.

We Are Called to Be a ParishWe Are Called to Be a ParishNot a CliqueNot a Clique

When someone moves When someone moves into the parish, how into the parish, how do we welcome them do we welcome them as members of our as members of our family?family?

““When you meet, When you meet, eat.”eat.”

Communion = ‘to be Communion = ‘to be in union with = in union with = common union’common union’

Building Blocks for HospitalityBuilding Blocks for Hospitality

Role of PastorRole of Pastor Pastoral PlanningPastoral Planning InvitationInvitation Called by Name Called by Name

(Pictorial Directory)(Pictorial Directory) CommunicationCommunication Social ActivitiesSocial Activities Direct and Rapid Direct and Rapid

Follow-Up to Follow-Up to InvitationInvitation

The Pillar of The Pillar of PRAYERPRAYER

““Thy Will be done.”Thy Will be done.” Individual and Individual and

Communal PrayerCommunal Prayer Eucharist = Eucharist =

“Thanksgiving”“Thanksgiving” For majority of For majority of

parishioners, their one parishioners, their one hour at Sunday Mass hour at Sunday Mass is their primary is their primary connection to the life connection to the life of the parish family.of the parish family.

Our Need to Thank GodOur Need to Thank God

““You have no need of You have no need of our praise, yet our our praise, yet our desire to thank You is desire to thank You is itself your gift. Our itself your gift. Our prayer of thanksgiving prayer of thanksgiving adds nothing to your adds nothing to your greatness, but makes greatness, but makes us grow in your us grow in your grace.”grace.”

Preface to Preface to Eucharistic PrayerEucharistic Prayer

GraceGrace

Grace is our participation in Grace is our participation in the life of Godthe life of God

Grace is a total gift from Grace is a total gift from God, something that we God, something that we cannot merit or earncannot merit or earn

Grace leads us on our Grace leads us on our journey to the Kingdom of journey to the Kingdom of GodGod

““I Don’t Have Time to Pray”I Don’t Have Time to Pray”

It is not true that so-It is not true that so-and-so has more time and-so has more time than I do.than I do.

It is how I choose to It is how I choose to use the gift of time use the gift of time that God gives me.that God gives me.

The faithful steward The faithful steward must pray daily, must pray daily, especially with especially with prayers of gratitude in prayers of gratitude in the heart.the heart.

Eucharistic PeopleEucharistic People 70-75% of the Catholics in Diocese 70-75% of the Catholics in Diocese

of Wichita attend Sunday Mass of Wichita attend Sunday Mass every week.every week.

20 of the 93 parishes in the diocese 20 of the 93 parishes in the diocese have Perpetual Adoration. Many have Perpetual Adoration. Many others have regular hours of others have regular hours of adoration throughout the week.adoration throughout the week.

34 seminarians studying for the 34 seminarians studying for the diocese this spring semester.diocese this spring semester.

49 priests in the diocese under the 49 priests in the diocese under the age of 50 years old.age of 50 years old.

Prayer is at the heart of a faithful Prayer is at the heart of a faithful steward’s life.steward’s life.

Building Blocks for PrayerBuilding Blocks for Prayer

PastorPastor Every parishionerEvery parishioner Universal Call to Universal Call to

HolinessHoliness LiturgyLiturgy SacramentsSacraments Desire for Desire for

ConversionConversion VirtuesVirtues

The Pillar of The Pillar of FORMATIONFORMATION

““Knowledge is power.” Knowledge is power.” True or False? True or False?

Educating the mind Educating the mind and forming the heart and forming the heart are necessary steps in are necessary steps in the steward’s growth.the steward’s growth.

New emphasis upon New emphasis upon adult faith formation.adult faith formation.

Family is the domestic Family is the domestic Church.Church.

Parents Are The First Teachers Parents Are The First Teachers of Their Children of Their Children

in the Ways of the Faithin the Ways of the Faith

How can parents How can parents teach the faith teach the faith when they feel when they feel inadequately inadequately prepared to do so?prepared to do so?

There is no There is no “graduation” from “graduation” from faith formation! faith formation! Faith formation is a Faith formation is a life-long endeavor.life-long endeavor.

Faith is a Journey:Faith is a Journey:Do We Know the Way?Do We Know the Way?

““The average age of the world’s The average age of the world’s great civilizations has been two great civilizations has been two hundred years. These nations hundred years. These nations have progressed through this have progressed through this sequence:sequence:

From bondage to spiritual faith;From bondage to spiritual faith;From spiritual faith to great courage;From spiritual faith to great courage;From great courage to liberty;From great courage to liberty;From liberty to abundance;From liberty to abundance;From abundance to selfishness;From abundance to selfishness;From selfishness to complacency;From selfishness to complacency;From complacency to apathy;From complacency to apathy;From apathy to dependency;From apathy to dependency;From dependency back again to From dependency back again to

bondage.”bondage.”

Sir Alex Fraser TytlerSir Alex Fraser Tytler

The Disciple’s ResponseThe Disciple’s Response

To To knowknow the the stewardship way of stewardship way of life does not make life does not make one one livelive a a stewardship way of stewardship way of life.life.

Life-long formation Life-long formation of the individual of the individual and the parish is and the parish is critical.critical.

Building Blocks of FormationBuilding Blocks of Formation

Pastor – travels his own Pastor – travels his own journey of formationjourney of formation

Stewardship CommitteeStewardship Committee Lay Witness TalksLay Witness Talks Needs IdentificationNeeds Identification Parish MinistriesParish Ministries Ongoing catechesis Ongoing catechesis

from childhood to adultsfrom childhood to adults Volunteer OpportunitiesVolunteer Opportunities

The Pillar of The Pillar of SERVICESERVICE

““I have come not I have come not to be served, but to to be served, but to serve.”serve.”

Service within the Service within the parish, but also to parish, but also to serve outside the serve outside the parish boundaries.parish boundaries.

Emphasis upon the Emphasis upon the intention of the intention of the steward. steward.

Giving to a NeedGiving to a Needvs.vs.

A Need to GiveA Need to Give

There will always be needs present in this There will always be needs present in this world.world.

Even if there were no needs however, we Even if there were no needs however, we still have a need to give.still have a need to give.

God created us with this need to give. It is God created us with this need to give. It is in giving that we receive.in giving that we receive.

Building Blocks of ServiceBuilding Blocks of Service

Pastor – seek ways to Pastor – seek ways to allow him to do what is allow him to do what is specific to his rolespecific to his role

Parish CouncilParish Council Stewardship CommitteeStewardship Committee Annual Renewal ProcessAnnual Renewal Process Youth Involvement Youth Involvement EvaluationEvaluation

Receive what GodReceive what God

givesgives

Don’t cling toDon’t cling to Don’t graspDon’t grasp

things beyondthings beyond at thingsat things

their timetheir time before theirbefore their

timetime

Accept whatAccept what

one receivesone receives

and generously shareand generously share