Catholic Stewardship End of Fiscal Year



As we approach the end of the fiscal year, think about doing a big 'Thank You' to your parishioners for their support of the parish. We suggest a bulletin announcement and perhaps a pulpit announcement.

You could include a recap of how the parish is finishing the fiscal year.  Maybe you could frame it in the context of Stewardship and how the parish has been a good Steward of the parish budget which includes the donation commitments of your parishioners... being sure to thank them for their generosity.  Please also thank them for volunteering in ministry and praying for the parish.  In so doing, you are reinforcing that Stewardship is not just about money, but Time and Talent as well.

This is also a good time to send out those 2nd quarterly letters of the year. We have been told by many that they appreciate the quarterly letters because it helps them stay on top of their commitment.  It also shows that you are practicing good Stewardship by being fiscally responsible.


The Office of Parish Stewardship wants to extend our thanks to all you parish staff members for the terrific job you do in promoting Stewardship throughout the Archdiocese of Seattle!



Any practices or suggestions you would like to make?  Leave us a comment by clicking on ironically, the words 'no comment' at the bottom of this post.  A text box will pop up that you can type your comment in.

Stewardship of Time and Talent Follow Up

 

Many parishes did a Stewardship of Time & Talent Commitment Renewal in these weeks around Pentecost.  If your parish was one of them, congratulations & we hope all your hard work has yielded much interest in your parish's ministries.

 

Don't forget:

• Enter your data ASAP.  It can be easy to let the paperwork sit, if you are busy focusing on all of your regular responsibilities.
• Get the data to your ministry coordinators immediately for follow up.
• Remind them weekly for the next few weeks of the need to contact the folks who signed up for their ministry.
• In the Thank You letter you send to all those who returned a commitment card, make sure you include a line letting them know that if they don't get contacted by the ministry coordinator in the next couple of weeks, to let the parish office know.
• Consider having one of the parish staff, or a very trusted volunteer in the parish office, contact all those who are NEW volunteers (not repeat sign ups) so that these very crucial folks are contacted.

As we celebrate the birth of the church, it's fantastic to see some of the excitement in our own parish over people who are enthused enough about ministry to volunteer!



Stewardship of Prayer at a Catholic Church

Prayer Fair at St. Augustine Parish in Oak Harbor, Washington

A big thank you to St. Augustine Parish for sharing their excellent information about holding a Prayer Fair Weekend in the parish.  They had theirs on the weekend before Lent (this year that was February 22 and 23) and it was very successful.  It was sponsored by the Stewardship Commission to help parishioners explore ways to deepen their relationship with God.  Barb Dumit was kind enough to share a complete template on planning, holding, and follow up for a Prayer Fair.  If you would like a copy, just email parishstewardship@seattlearch.org.  For a sneak peek, see some of their suggestions below:

• Hold Mass in Parish Hall
• Set up identical booths on either side
• These booths include all prayer ministries, books including the Little Black Book for Lent, and some new ideas that involved interaction with the youth in the Parish (see below)
• After the Homily, Father had parishioners get up and 'shop' for new ways to Pray (he gave them 10 minutes)

This interactive approach was carried forward in the follow up steps with a big cross built by  the youth.  Parishioners were invited to write the 'burdens of their hearts' on sticky notes and attach them to the cross.  The youth, prayed for these 'burdens' throughout the following week.  Over 300 prayer notes were attached to the cross.  What a beautiful way to involve youth in sharing, caring and praying and being Stewardship of Time models for the whole community.  Congratulations, St. Augustine Parish for this inspirational and practical way to be good Stewards of Prayer.  For more ideas and a complete template don't forget to email parishstewardship@seattlearch.org. 

Comments welcome.  Click on the words 'no comments' and a text box will pop up for you to type in your response.

Catholic Stewardship of Time and Talent

Archdiocese of Seattle Stewardship of Time and Talent

The date is fast approaching when our parishes will be called upon to begin their Stewardship of Time and Talent campaign.  We are excited about this pairing and look forward to seeing how our parishes customize their materials to incorporate both.

Speaking of materials….we are rolling out our new artwork during this Time and Talent opportunity.  We hope all of you notice our new text drawn from John 3:16.  We welcome your comments. 

Click on hyperlink below image for more info and to order your Time and Talent materials.

 

http://clients.printwest.net/customers/seattlearchstewardship/

Choose Username from Drop Down Menu

Password is:  ps2014