Stewardship During the Summer

As you move through the summer months and enjoy a change in pace and temperature, vacations and longer days, don't forget your local parish.

This is a good time to remind parishioners of the need to keep pledges to their churches current during the summer months. Many congregations have a difficult time in maintaining their budgets when income decreases at this time of year. When members leave on vacation or spend time at a summer residence, pledges fall behind and parish treasurers struggle. We urge church members to be sure their pledges are up to date during the summer months. Like any organization, churches have salaries and benefits to pay, bills that are due, and other needs that may arise.

Keeping pledges current is good stewardship.

Stewardship Questions and Answers

Stewardship Questions and Answers

“Dearest lord, teach me to be generous; teach me to serve you as you deserve; to give and not to count the cost.” - Ignatius of Loyola

Q. What is stewardship?

A. The concept of Stewardship is receiving God’s gifts gratefully, cultivating them responsibly, and embracing a spiritual relationship with God. It is not a program, but a spiritual consciousness or way-of-life, based in Scripture, which holds that all we are and all we have flows from God's varied grace. In turn, we serve as spiritual caretakers of our and worldly blessings.

Q. What makes one a steward?

A. We are already stewards. Each of us manages our time, talent and income carefully, so as to fulfill our individual and family responsibilities. As Christian stewards, we receive God’s gifts gratefully, and cultivate them responsibly. We do this in the same way that we provide for the material needs of our family, as we also have a responsibility to help provide for our parish, our faith community.

Q. How can I become a better steward?

A. Stewardship is living a life of gratitude by the sharing of one’s time, talent, and treasure and making daily decisions that glorify God. Give daily thanks for the blessings you have received from God, and ask yourself what you can do to help in your parish community. Being a good steward also means leading a generous, accountable way of life rooted in Christian discipleship.

Q. How can I learn more about stewardship?

A. Learn more about stewardship and what you can do to serve your faith community by contacting your parish priest. If your parish already has a set stewardship program in place, you may be able to offer your time, talent, and treasure to it. If your parish does not already have a program, you have the wonderful opportunity to help establish stewardship as a way of life in your own parish. In that case, please contact Danielle Parish, Administrator of Stewardship and Development for the Diocese of Gaylord at (989) 732-5147 or dparish@dioceseofgaylord.org for assistance.

Contact:	Danielle Parish
Phone:	989.732.5147