December 31 is just nine short months away, and with it will come year-end giving decisions for many of your parishioners. In addition to reminding them of the tax benefits and various ways they can support the parish, you also need to give them food for thought so their giving is in line with their beliefs. Stewardship A Disciple’s Response is the underpinning document for Catholic stewardship in the United States. Every parish should have a copy!
This week, take some time to review stewardship resources from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and begin planning what you’d like to make available to parishioners. Create a timeline of when and where you will publish these resources and how they will be referenced in announcements and events. Remember, you need to nourish your people with good spiritual content if they are going to be generous for the right reasons. And that cannot come in a flood of info around November 1. Instead, you want to think of these resources as little stewardship meals – bits of nourishment that need to be doled out on a regular basis. Begin by reviewing Stewardship A Disciple’s Response and determining where you’d like to go from there. (And don’t forget about implementing online giving at your parish!)
