Hi everyone!

Our parish has been talking about stewardship for the last month or so. Our pastor has a vision of our parish becoming a "stewardship parish". This involves much much more than giving money. It is about tithing your time, talent and treasure. My husband and I both attended a stewardship presentation that was given, and we are both excited about where the Holy Spirit is leading our parish!

One thing that was mentioned in the presentation was that there are other parishes around the country that are called "stewardship parishes". I would like to know if anyone here belongs to such a church, and if you do, what are some things that your parish is doing that a characteristic of being a stewardship parish?

Also, what does stewardship mean to you (whether or not you belong to such a parish)? How do you involve the idea of stewardship in your everyday life?

To kick off the discussion I will give an example of my own. I have realized that I haven't been a very good steward of my time. Everyone says, "with 5 kids, how do you ever have any time?" and I've let that become an excuse for me. I didn't sign up to help with things at the church or school, because I just felt I had no time for it. When I realized how disorganized and unprioritized my time was, I realized just how much I was wasting, and some of that was on some very selfish things for myself. I would justify it by saying, "oh, I'm going to do this for me, because I have to take care of me." It IS true that I have to take care of me, or I'm not a very good mom or wife (the old idea of putting on my own oxygen mask, and then I can help others), BUT what I was doing was NOT taking care of me in a healthy way. Too much tv, too much internet time, etc. And worse, I would say, I just don't have time to pray!

It's hard, because I'm not a very organized person by nature, but I'm finding that when I get my priorities straight, and put God first, it really flows better, and I have more than enough time, and time enough to do work at the church and school, and I also take care of myself in a healthy way.

Now I have a very thick skull, and old habits die hard, but I really am trying to be a better steward of my time.

So now let's hear from others. What do you think about stewardship, and about stewardship parishes.

cksunshine

-- cksunshine (cklrun@hotmail.com), September 28, 2001

Answers

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-- (cklrun@hotmail.com), September 28, 2001.

My parish is just such a parish. Our web site is located at

http://www.st-louis.org/home.htm

and is full of good information about our parish. Please, take a minute and look cksunshine! It's easier than me trying to enumerate here.

Peace and all good Melissa

<')))><

-- Melissa (holy_rhodes@earthlink.net), September 28, 2001.

Cksunshine,

You have 5 children and, you are still looking for more to do with your time? Wow! I grew up in a very big family. My Mom's job never ended, and Mom always has plenty of Love for all of us! I know how hard your work must be!

God Bless You.

David S

-- David S (asdzxc8176@aol.com), September 28, 2001.

Hi David!

Thank you for your blessings! I have to admit that no, I'm not necessarily looking for more to do with my time (I even (jokingly) asked the doctor the other day for a prescription for a vacation!). I'm just starting to realize that my time is a gift from God, and how does He want me to use it, rather than how do I want me to use it. God is so good, and wants me to have relaxing time (to which I say a heartfelt THANK YOU), it's just that I was realizing that the ways that I was choosing to use that time were not in line with his will, and were actually pretty unhealthy for me. Also if I better organized my time, I would have a less chaotic, but not necessarily less busy life.

Thanks for your kind words!

cksunshine

-- cksunshine (cklrun@hotmail.com), October 03, 2001.

Dear Melissa,

Thanks for the link to your parish's website. It is fascinating!! In the stewardship presentation that I attended, I believe that your parish was mentioned as an example of a stewardship parish. It is so cool to make this connection! Thanks for sharing this with us all!

cksunshine

-- cksunshine (cklrun@hotmail.come), October 03, 2001.

Hi everyone!

I wanted to write a short bit about something that our pastor talked about in regards to stewardship, and living it out in our every day lives.

He said (and rightly so, IMHO) that we have become a people of entitlement. We feel that we are entitled to the good life and all that goes with it, and when we don't get what we feel that we are entitled to, then we are a victim. (This is not to trivialize anyone who truly is a victim, please understand the difference). He challenged us to realize that ALL, EVERYTHING, that we have is a gift from God, not just our salvation, and even the bad things that happen to us can be gift from God in that he never lets something bad happen in that he can bring something good, some blessing, from that bad thing.

I know that this is hard, maybe particularly hard in light of the events of September 11. But whatever your circumstances in life, maybe today you can think of one or two things that you have felt entitled to, and try seeing it as a gift from God. I think the results will suprise you!

Must go, the baby is crying.

cksunshine

-- cksunshine (cklrun@hotmail.com), October 03, 2001.

What a small world, cksunshine! I'm surprised our parish was mentioned, but pleased. We are actually smack dab in the middle of our annual stewardship campaign right now.

BTW, where do you live, if I may ask? If ever you are in Austin, TX, you should come visit St. Louis.

Peace and all good

Melissa

<')))><

-- Melissa (holy_rhodes@earthlink.net), October 03, 2001.