 | 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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 | 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 Prayer | | |
Oh Lord, giver of life and source of our freedom, we are reminded by the psalmist that Yours is "the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it." We know that it is from Your hand that we have received all we have and are and will be.
Gracious and loving God, we understand that You call us to be the stewards of Your abundance, the caretakers of all You have entrusted to us.
Help us always to use your gifts wisely and teach us to share them generously. May our faithful stewardship bear witness to the love of Christ in our lives.
We pray with grateful hearts, in Jesus' name.
Amen
-Thanks to Sharon Hueckel
Reprinted from International Catholic Stewardship Council Parish Stewardship e-Bulletin |
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 Stewardship News & NotesA newsletter for those promoting the gifts of time, talent and treasure
March/April 2011
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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Sometimes, we may view our parish as a place to fulfill our personal needs--Mass . . . Check! . . . 1st Communion . . . Check! . . Religious ed for the kids . . . Check!--rather than a place to form a personal relationship with Christ. Read Fr. Michael Troha's article Is your Parish a Family or a Gas Station? to learn about the difference between the two. Then, read on to find ideas and resources in the other articles in this issue of Stewardship News & Notes to help build upon your parish stewardship efforts to make it more of a family.
Look for updates on the upcoming Region XII Stewardship Conference now themed Answering God's Call and begin making plans to bring a parish team to this 2-day conference scheduled for Aug. 4-5, 2011.
May your Spring season be filled with meaningful stewardship efforts.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Diocesan Stewardship Council: Chairperson: Val Allen, St. Mark's, Boise Debbie Gallegos, Holy Spirit Catholic Community, Pocatello 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
Let us help you! |
Stewardship 10 Best Practices
The Church of the Sacred Heart, Boise
By Deacon Michael Eisenbeiss
1. Visitors/guests are asked to raise their hands at the end of Mass and they are presented with a coffee mug with the parish logo and information brochure. We don't have them introduce themselves because many are too shy to do so.
2. Parish furnishes children's envelopes to record their good deeds and to include a monetary gift. The envelopes are given to school to use at the school Mass. A basket of blank envelopes are available in narthex to be used for weekend Masses. This teaches children to use envelopes and serves as example to their parents.
3. Before the regular weekend Offertory collection, the children are asked to . . . Read More
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Is Your Parish a Family or a Gas Station?
By Fr. Michael Troha
Several years ago, while serving in the Diocese of Cleveland's missions in El Salvador, we celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation with the auxiliary bishop of the diocese. One of the missionaries asked him, "How do the people here look at the Church?" He replied, "They look upon the Church either as a ladder or as their mother." In other words, some look upon the Church as a means to get something; others look upon the church as a personal relationship.
We all could ask the same question about our own parish. How do you look upon the parish? I might offer the response that we look upon the parish in a similar way that the Salvadorans look upon the Church. Some look upon the parish as if it is a gas station; others look upon the parish as a family-a place to form a personal relationship with Christ. In which category do you fit? . . . Read More
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Giving Gifts During Lent
By James Lamm, Director of Stewardship, St. Louis Catholic Church, Austin, Texas
Christmas is the time most of us think about giving gifts. The three Magi in the Christmas story gave gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These gifts represented the infant Jesus as God, as High Priest, and as the Sacrificial Lamb who died on the cross for us. During the season of Lent we are also called to give gifts. The gifts of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are the traditional gifts of Lent. Unlike the gifts from the Magi, however, the gifts of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are . . .
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Stewardship and Confirmation
Confirmation is a perfect time to teach young Catholics about the call and responsibility of stewardship. Yet, often Confirmation is so focused on the "service project" that the vision of stewardship as a total way of life is not adequately shared with the students. When we teach students to give service without also helping them see that their service must flow from their connection with Jesus, then we are really just teaching them to be good volunteers, not faith-filled stewards.
To help Confirmation candidates grow into mature Disciples of Christ and stewards of God's goodness, it is important that . . . Read More
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FREE Stewardship Webinars:
March 8 - Stewardship in a Cluster
April 12 - Hospitality: More Than a Greeting
The Development and Stewardship Office purchases a diocesan-wide registration from Our Sunday Visitor that allows any parish staff or volunteers to attend one-hour webinars offered every 2nd Tuesday of the month at no cost. There is no limit on the number of attendees from our diocese or your parish. You may participate from your own personal computer or at the office.
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 . . . Read More |
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For Your Bulletin:
Q & A: With our current financial obligations, I don't know how it would be possible for us to convert to giving away a full tithe of 10%. Are there any other options?
Even if giving a full tithe is not immediately possible for you, it is important to work towards this goal. You can begin by committing to giving a gift that is planned, proportionate and sacrificial. Most Catholics do not even know how much they give back. When they take the time to calculate that amount they are often surprised and discomforted. We often think we are very generous yet despite the strong urging throughout sacred scripture to give back 10%. The average Catholic today gives less than . . . Read More
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For Your Bulletin: Giving First Fruits
- "The choicest first fruits of your soil you shall bring to the house of the Lord, your God." - Exodus 23:19
- "All the male firstlings of your animals shall belong to the Lord." - Exodus 13:12
- "Honor the Lord with your wealth, with first fruits of all your produce." - Proverbs 3:9
- "Throughout your generations you shall give a contribution to the Lord from your first batch of dough." - Numbers 15:21
The message was clear throughout sacred scripture. We are called to . . . Read More
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We Just Need a Bump
By Eric McArdle
There are many different reasons why pastors and lay leaders become interested in developing stewardship in their parish. Many are good, but many others fall short.
It's always great for me to assist a parish looking to develop stewardship as a way of life in order to deepen the faith of each individual parishioner. They don't usually know this at first, but it is focusing on evangelizing the individual parishioner that truly leads to long-term stewardship success.
Read More
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Find It on Our Web
The Stewardship and Development Office website pages now carry a wealth of information and resources. However, sometimes it might take a few clicks to get to what you need. Here are some areas you might want to explore . . . Read More
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Answering God's Call
Northwest Regional Stewardship Conference
"The promotion of the practice of stewardship is important for the mission of the Church and for the spiritual well-being of each individual Christian. Everyone benefits from the sacrificial gift one makes of his time, talent, and treasure."
-Pope Benedict XVI
The Diocese of Boise will be the host diocese for the International Catholic Stewardship Council Region XII Stewardship Conference on Thursday, August 4 and Friday, August 5, 2011. It will . . . Read More
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