 | Mission Statement | |
To be co-responsible with Jesus Christ in the building of the kingdom of God and to promote discipleship and spiritual growth through hospitality, prayer, formation, and service.
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 | Upcoming Events | | |
FREE Webinar: Forming People of Disciples and Stewards
Date: Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2010
Time: 12-1 p.m. or 5-6 p.m.(Mountain Time)
Presenter: Leisa Anslinger
Fall Conference
Plan to attend Best Practices in Parish Stewardship
Date: Sat., Sept. 18, 2010
Time: 2:15-3:30 p.m.
Place: Bishop Kelly High School, Boise
FREE Webinar: Working Together: How to Create Joint Ministries with Nearby Parish
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2010
Time: 12-1 p.m. or 5-6 p.m.(Mountain Time)
Presenter: Lorene Duquin
Diocesan Stewardship Days
Dates: October 25-27, 2010
Time: 7-9 p.m. (Mountain Time)
Speaker: Scott Bader, Director of Stewardship, Archdiocese of Seattle
Places: St. Pius X, Coeur d'Alene (Oct. 25); St. Mark's, Boise (Oct. 26); and Holy Spirit, Pocatello (Oct. 27)
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| Stewardship Links
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Below are diocesan and publisher websites that contain resources on stewardship for use in your parish. Some of these materials can be downloaded, while others must be ordered.
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| Stewardship Prayers of the Faithful | | |
We recommend that every week in every parish, a stewardship intention be included in the "Prayers of the Faithful." Below are sample intentions for each week from the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Please share this section with the person who writes your weekly intentions.
September 5, 2010
That we may come to more fully realize that everything we have is a gift from God and we are called to generously share these gifts with all who are in need.
September 12, 2010
That we may learn to see ourselves as God's beloved children who have a responsibility to work in God's kingdom and spread God's love throughout our world.
September 19, 2010
That we may find more time to pray, to thank God for all of His gifts and to ask God how He wishes us to use the gifts that He has entrusted to our care.
September 26, 2010
That our eyes may be open to the needs around us and our hands and hearts may be open to sharing our gifts to make this world a better place for all of us.
October 3, 2010
That we may remember to start each day by asking God to give us the love and the courage to use our gifts in a way that is pleasing to Him.
October 10, 2010
That, like the one leper who returned, we may regularly take time to thank God for all the blessings He bestows on us.
October 17, 2010
That we may be persistent in our stewardship, even when it is not convenient.
October 24, 2010
That we may kneel before God every day, humbly recognizing that everything we have is a gift and asking God to guide us in the ways we use and share His many gifts.
October 31, 2010
That we may joyfully share the abundant gifts God has given to us.
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 Stewardship News & NotesA newsletter for those promoting the gifts of time, talent and treasure
September/October 2010
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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Traditionally, since the days when we all started school, we think of Fall as a time to start a new adventure. Our calendars will soon fill with all sorts of afterschool activities for our families. Parishioners will be more likely to sign up for new parish ministries in the Fall, with the summer behind them, and the rush of the Holidays not yet upon them. Also, the Gospel readings during the Ordinary time of Fall often have strong stewardship messages and more parishioners are in their own parishes.
You may say, "We have so much going on in our parish. How can we possibly add a stewardship effort?" Stewardship is not just "one more thing to do." Stewardship is the total way of life that will sustain your parish and keep it strong and viable. The question should not be: "How can we find time to do this?" Rather, it should be: "How can we afford not to do this?"
 It is recommended that every Parish Council have a Stewardship Committee. It is the responsibility of that Committee, in collaboration with the pastor, to plan and implement an ongoing stewardship effort in the parish. If you need help establishing one in your parish, please call Jim Hughes, Director of Stewardship and Development, at 342-1311 for guidance and suggestions. This council is also here to help guide and mentor you, so please feel free to contact one of us. Members of the council will also be available at the upcoming Fall Conference on September 18th for a discussion on Best Practices in Parish Stewardship.
We hope this issue of Stewardship News & Notes will provide you with ideas and resources to either establish or renew your stewardship efforts this Fall or whenever it is the best time of year for you to teach stewardship education, but we hope you will at least provide stewardship awareness in some way, if at all possible, such as the release of an annual report, bulletin article, or stewardship prayer.
Sincerely yours in Christ, Steward Council: Chairperson: Val Allen, St. Mark's, Boise Debbie Gallegos, Holy Spirit Catholic Community, Pocatello Clyde Brinegar , St. Mark's, Boise Dan Makley, Superintendent of Catholic Schools Father Jesus Camacho, St. Mary's, Boise Gail Estes, All Saints Catholic Parish, Lewiston John Hart, Holy Apostles, Meridian Deacon Mike Eisenbeiss, Sacred Heart Parish, Boise Stewardship and Development Office Staff: |
| Choosing the I AM over iThings
by Jim Lamm, Director of Stewardship, St. Louis King of France Church, Austin, TX
Have you been keeping up with the latest news from the technology world? Apple has released the new iPad and its latest version of the iPhone. Microsoft, not to be outdone, has released a new phone of its
own called the KIN. There are also 3G and 4G networks, larger and higher definition TV's, Blu-Ray DVDs, and satellite and HD radios. With all these new gadgets, and the advertising blitz that goes along with them, it seems we cannot be satisfied without these great new things. Whether all this rapidly evolving technology really makes our lives easier or simply consumes more of our time is a debatable question. One thing is clear, however - no technology, no new device, or no "thing" can satisfy us or
bring us closer to the one person who can fully satisfy us as human beings - God.
Like the words from the Waylon Jennings song, "we are looking for love in all the wrong places." We search for satisfaction in things, in possessions, hoping that these will bring us happiness and contentment. What fools we are! Jesus himself tells us in the Gospels that he alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Light. Why do we waste our time, energy, and lives chasing after things that give us fleeting satisfaction? St. Augustine had it right when he wrote, "Our hearts are restless until they rest in you, O God." While our society may be telling us to store up riches and possessions on earth and to live for the moment; our Christian faith implores us to store up riches in Heaven because our earthly lives are short and this world is only temporary. Jesus warns us, "Take care to guard against greed, for though one may be rich, one's life does not consist of possessions" (Luke 12:15).
To be truly satisfied as Christians and make the claim to be Jesus' disciples, we must free our lives from our dependency on "things" and become dependent on God. We must place God first in our lives, ahead of everything and everyone else, including ourselves. While we may search in vain for a "God app," our iPhones, iTunes, iPads, and other possessions are no replacements for the I AM.
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A Stewardship Prayer for Hard Times
Lord, help me to be grateful
for all the small things you give to me,
especially when life is challenging.
Help me to be grateful
for all the great, majestic things you give me,
especially when life is so busy.
Help me to be grateful
for all the beautiful things you give me,
especially when life seems dark and gloomy.
Help me to be grateful
for all the sufferings you give me,
especially when my life seems separated
from you.
Help me to be grateful
for all the understandings you give me,
especially when life seems so difficult to
comprehend.
Help me to be grateful
for all the love you give me,
especially when life seems so hard.
Lord, help me to trust you
through this dark time to the Light.
Amen.
This prayer is from the ICSC July, 2010 Parish Stewardship Newsletter
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 ObituaryThe following is a clever way to encourage more people to complete your annual Stewardship Intention Card. Follow it up with detailed information about when they will receive the Intention Card and when they are to return it.
Our parish was saddened to learn this week of the death of one of our most valued members, Someone Else. Someone's passing creates a vacancy that will be difficult to fill. Else has been with us for many years and for every one of those years, Someone did far more than a normal person's share of the work. Whenever there was a job to do or a meeting to attend, one name was on everyone's list, "Let Someone Else do it." Whenever leadership was mentioned, this wonderful person was looked to for inspiration as well as results: "Someone Else can lead that project." It was common knowledge that Someone Else was among the most liberal givers in our parish. Whenever there was a financial need, everyone just assumed Someone Else would make up the difference. Someone Else was a wonderful person; sometimes appearing superhuman. Were the truth known, everybody expected too much of Someone Else. Now Someone Else is gone! We wonder what we are going to do. Someone Else left a wonderful example to follow, but who is going to follow it? Who is going to do the things Someone Else did? When you are asked to help this year, remember -- we can't depend on Someone Else anymore.
-Author Unknown .
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FREE Stewardship Webinars
The Development and Stewardship Office is purchasing a diocesan-wide registration each month that allows any parish staff or volunteers to attend webinars offered by Our Sunday Visitor at no cost. There is no limit on the number of attendees from our diocese or your parish. The one-hour sessions are offered at two times on the second Tuesday of each month, except during the summer months of June, July, and August when they are only offered at one time.
Our Sunday Visitor has assembled nationally acclaimed speakers to present a variety of stewardship topics for these webinars. Below are descriptions of the upcoming webinars for September and October. The parish link to register is:
Once parishes register on the link above, Our Sunday Visitor will send them the "Join" link for them to join the webinar. The registration deadline is the day before the scheduled webinar.
 Forming People as Disciples and StewardsDate: Tuesday, September 14, 2010 Time: 12-1 p.m. or 5-6 p.m. (Mountain Time) Presenter: Leisa Anslinger Description: "Mature disciples make a conscious, firm decision, carried out in action, to be followers of Jesus Christ no matter the cost to themselves. Stewardship is an expression of discipleship with the power to change how we understand and live out our lives." These brief sentences from the U.S. Bishop's Pastoral Letter, Stewardship: A Disciple's Response, help us to understand the nature of a lifelong commitment to live as a disciple and steward. Explore and share key themes, strategies, and processes for catechesis that will foster a willingness on the part of individuals and parish to embrace stewardship as a way of life.  Working Together: How to Create Joint Ministries with Nearby ParishDate: Tuesday, October 12, 2010 Time: 12-1 p.m. or 5-6 p.m. (Mountain Time) Presenter: Lorene Duquin Description: When parishes work together, amazing things happen! This session will explore the ways parishes can work together on important ministries like bereavement, support for people who are divorced or separated, assistance with the annulment process, support for caregivers, RCIA, adult education, and much more!
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Check out this new book: Making Stewardship A Way of Life
That famous stewardship duo, our friends and colleagues, Fr. Andrew Kemberling and Mila Glodova of St. Thomas More Parish in Centennial, CO, have put their widom and experience into print, courtesy of Our Sunday Visitor. Their book, subtitled 'A Complete Guide for Catholic Parishes,' is a comprehensive guide to parish stewardship. This is definitely a good resource if you are starting out in Stewardship. Fun to read, this book is just like listening to Fr. Andrew and Mila speak! And it's available online at www.osv.com.
-review by Scott Bader, Archdiocese of Seattle.
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| Q&A
This article can be used in your parish bulletin or newsletter to promote greater stewardship.
No Need to Pledge?
The story is told of a wise pastor who went to get a hair cut. The barber, who also happened to be a parishioner, took the opportunity to tell the pastor all the reasons why the barber was not going to complete his stewardship pledge card.
"I don't think we should have to promise to give money to God. We should give what our heart tells us at the time. I like to be able to just put in the collection whatever I have that week."
The pastor listened carefully and after his haircut he handed the barber $1 for the $10 haircut, saying, "I like to give what my heart tells me - just whatever I have in my pocket at the time."
"Father," the barber protested, "I can't pay my rent, take care of my expenses and run my business successfully if everyone would do that."
"Neither can God," the pastor replied.
Copyright Archdiocese of St. Louis. Reprinted with permission.
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A Message for All Ages
At their November 2007 meeting, the US Catholic Bishops issued a very warm and friendly message to Catholic teenagers entitled, Stewardship and Teenagers: The Challenge of Being a Disciple. That statement included many recommendations that are important for our young people and for Catholics of all ages. Here are just a few of the Bishops' recommendations.  - Choose a time every day for prayer, by yourself or perhaps in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Find the time that seems most sacred for you, and take that time to spend alone with God.
- If possible, attend the Eucharist more than once a week. Trust us! God is always there, waiting to hear from you and wanting you to know of his unconditional love for you.
- Seize every opportunity to show God's love through your random acts of kindness: an encouraging word, a pat on the back, a helpful hand.
- Be present to the people in your life, especially your family. Offer to help. Practice saying "yes."
- Seek opportunities to participate in your parish or faith community as a greeter, altar server, lector, extraordinary minister of Holy Communion or assistant in the religious education department.
- Decide to give a certain percentage of money to your parish each week. As you live with this decision, you will grow into a lifelong habit of generosity.
Those who wish to read the Bishops' entire message may access it by going to www.usccb.org and searching "Stewardship and Teenagers." Copyright Archdiocese of St. Louis. Reprinted with permission. |
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