Stewardship ~ A Way of Life

“Charge them to do good, to be rich in good works and generous, sharing what they have. Thus will they build a secure foundation for the future.”
1 Timothy 6:18-19

We invite you to take time to prayerfully consider God’s presence in your life. Ask yourself, what gifts has He entrusted to me and what am I doing with those gifts?

Good Stewards….

Receive God’s Gifts Gratefully
We recognize God as the origin of life, giver of freedom and source of all things. We place God first in our lives. We are grateful for these gifts and eager to use them to show our love for God and one another.

Use God’s Gifts Responsibly
As stewards, we see ourselves as caretakers of all God’s gifts. We carefully cultivate our time, talent and treasure, using our gifts to love and serve God and our neighbors.

Share God’s Gifts with Others
As stewards, we share God’s gifts in justice and love with others. We have each received different gifts from God; all of us must share our gifts for the benefit of others.

Return God’s Gifts in Fullness
As stewards, we return God’s gifts with increase to the Lord. We give freely of our gifts out of a sense of gratitude and joy. We prayerfully plan our giving and return the first and best portion back to God.

What can I do to be a good steward?

To be a good steward of your time:
Attend Mass regularly; read the Bible; spend time in prayer; join a Small Christian Community; participate in some of the prayer experiences described in this handbook; volunteer your time helping with parish projects; or by joining one of our many outreach, fellowship and guidance and service ministries.

To be a good steward of your talent:
Help with our liturgies by participating as a Hospitality, Lector, Music or Communion Minister; share your faith by being a member of the RCIA or Bible Study teams or a Faith Formation catechist; join the Social Concerns Committee to actively participate in community outreach and service; and help bring life and fellowship to the community by attending or helping with the events sponsored by the parish or our social groups.

To be a good steward of your treasure:
Get to know what God’s Word has to say about the Godly use of money; study your spending habits to determine what is important to you; share your treasure with St. Charles by giving monthly and contributing to our building fund; give generously to support our community through parish food and clothing drives; and, share your treasure with non-profit agencies, the annual Bishop’s Appeal and special collections throughout the year.

Stewardship Faire

“Much will be required of the person entrusted with much and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”
Luke 12:48

Annually in the Fall, the Stewardship Council holds a weekend Ministry Faire to kick off the parish’s stewardship and ministry sign-up campaign. Tables are set up in Borromeo Hall with ministry and committee representatives available after every Mass to meet people, help with sign-ups and answer questions. Sign-ups continue for two weeks during our annual Stewardship period. Look at our Ministry Board during this time for ministry listings and descriptions. Parishioners expressing an interest in a ministry will be contacted by that ministry leader soon after the completion of the ministry sign-up campaign. Liturgical ministry members are required to attend a ministry training day, usually scheduled within one month of the Stewardship Faire. Other ministries offer an orientation or training session, as needed. Dates for the Stewardship Faire and ministry training day will be announced after masses, in the weekly bulletin and posted on the monthly calendar.

Stewardship Prayer

O God, our loving Creator and Giver of all good gifts, bless our parish, strengthen our faith and grant us the spirit of Christian stewardship so that we may give generously of our time, talent and treasure to the spreading of Your kingdom here in our parish, our Church and throughout the world. This we ask through Jesus Christ, Your son, Our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever.
AMEN