Stewardship
Four Pillars of Stewardship
God reveals His perfect and infinite love for us most visibly in His Son, Jesus Christ. A steward makes God’s love visible by imitating Jesus. As the United States Bishops wrote in their Pastoral Letter, “Stewardship is the Response of the Disciple to God’s unconditional love for us”. Stewards bask in the wonder and awe of God’s Love. The more deeply one grows in love for God, the more one grows in heart to see stewardship as a way of life. Stewards see everything good as gifts received from God and they respond in gratitude with the gift of self. (Introduction, Stewardship: A Grateful Response to God’s Love, Office of Stewardship, Diocese of Wichita, 2004).
Four Pillars of Parish Stewardship
Office of Stewardship, Diocese of Wichita, 2004
Below are the Four Pillars of Stewardship from the Diocese of Wichita, Kansas.
Hospitality
Christian Kindness:
When I was a stranger, you welcomed me.
Matthew 25:35
- Is your parish a welcoming and hospitable place of worship?
- How are new parishioners welcomed into your parish family?
- Do long-standing members of the parish feel welcome and involved?
Helpful Resources:
Things we should say to church guests
New member packet contents
How to make someone feel at home
Contact us for a Hospitality Training at your parish.
Prayer
A Heart to Heart with God:
Prayer is as necessary to our souls as food is to our bodies.
Characteristics of a Christian Steward
- Is your parish a place of prayer?
- Is it evident to you that the directions and decisions of the parish are guided by a deep prayer life of the parish community?
Perpetual Adoration
Everything you need to start Perpetual Adoration at your parish.
Perpetual Adoration Resources
Helpful Resources:
Prayers: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Stewardship Prayer
Suggestions for Your Personal Growth in Prayer
Prayer Process from Matthew Kelly (English)
Prayer Process from Matthew Kelly (Spanish)
Formation
Continuous Conversion:
Being a disciple is not just something else to do, alongside many other things suitable for Christians. It is a total way of life and requires continuing conversion.
Stewardship: A Disciple's Response, Pastoral Letter on Stewardship
- Do the mission, vision, objectives and goals of your parish include enough emphasis upon faith formation of parishioners?
- If not, what area(s) in the parish does greater faith formation need to occur?
Helpful Resources:
U.S. Bishops’ Pastoral Letter on Stewardship
Stewardship Book Recommendations
Book Review: 4 Signs of a Dynamic Catholic by Matthew Kelly
Book Review: Forming Intentional Disciples by Sherry Weddell
Service
Love in Action:
Amen I say to you, whatever you did for the least of my brothers, you did for me.
Matthew 25:40
- How do the pillars of hospitality, prayer and formation manifest themselves through the service ministries offered in your parish?
- Are we a maintenance church, looking inward, or a mission church who exists to serve the needs of the parish and community?
Helpful Resources:
Annual Stewardship Ministry Evaluation Form
Script for Updating Ministry Information - Holy Family
Script for Updating or Creating a New Ministry - Holy Family
New Ministry Request Form
Contact:
Rachel Martinez, CFRE
Director of Annual Giving and Grants
817-382-4939
Renée Underwood, CFRE
Chief Development Officer of the Advancement Foundation
817-533-7242
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