Stewardship Toolkit
Stewardship as a way of life has its foundation in the conviction and the attitude of heart that life, and every aspect of life is a gift from God. We can then find in ourselves a response of gratitude and self-surrender to the call to discipleship in the Gospel.
(Bishop Emeritus Sylvester Ryan, foreword Grateful Disciples)
Overview
How to Use This Toolkit
1. Follow the process by working your way down this page. Forming your team and drafting a plan typically take four meetings. The agendas for these meeting are provided for you. Please note that some parishes will need more than four meetings to complete this, while others may need less.
2. It is important that you follow the steps/meetings in the order in which they are placed. There is a building process throughout the steps/meetings that will benefit from this recommended order.
3. Each of the four steps described above have resources to accompany them. These resources have been divided into the following categories:
4. This toolkit can also be used to access its stewardship resources. Choose the most relevant of the four sections from the descriptions given and explore its resources.
5. At any time in this process, the Office for Parish Life and the Development Office of the Diocese of Scranton are available to help. Please contact them if you have questions or need assistance in using this toolkit.
2. It is important that you follow the steps/meetings in the order in which they are placed. There is a building process throughout the steps/meetings that will benefit from this recommended order.
3. Each of the four steps described above have resources to accompany them. These resources have been divided into the following categories:
- QUICK TRIP - only those resources needed for each of the four meetings, including the agenda, relevant chapters from Grateful Disciples and the discussion guide;
- CLOSER LOOK - resources for those users who want to learn more; and
- DEEP DIVE - more in-depth resources for those who want to thoroughly immerse themselves in the material.
4. This toolkit can also be used to access its stewardship resources. Choose the most relevant of the four sections from the descriptions given and explore its resources.
5. At any time in this process, the Office for Parish Life and the Development Office of the Diocese of Scranton are available to help. Please contact them if you have questions or need assistance in using this toolkit.
- Office for Parish Life: 570-207-2214
- Development Office: 570-207-2250
Explore and Decide Whether to Create
a Stewardship Culture in Your Parish
An Introduction to Stewardship
The "Grateful Disciples" video (9 minutes) and the "Stewardship for Pastors" video presentation (1 hour, 40 minutes) provide a introduction to stewardship. (For additional resources, review the QUICK TRIP, CLOSER LOOK, or DEEP DIVE sections.)
Grateful Disciples |
Stewardship for Pastors |
The Benefits of Stewardship in Parish Life
- Bring joy and contentment to parishioners who will experience the benefits of stewardship in their personal lives
- Movement toward even more “fully participative parishes” demonstrated in active engagement of parishioners in all aspects of parish life
- Energized parish efforts to put their pastoral plans into action, with increased member response to ministry needs and new initiatives
- Serve as the foundation for enhanced parish-based giving - increased offertory appeal, parish capital campaign, planned giving – rooted in the heightened awareness of shared responsibility for the mission, now we promote participating in securing the “means for the mission”
- Linking the increased offertory to the parish’s desire to achieve newly articulated ministry goals and to develop the leadership required to sustain these ministries
- Positioning for more effective partnership initiatives because of common language, value placed on collaboration in the name of the mission, and the leavening energy of conversion
Identify, Invite and Form Team Members
1. Identify Potential Members: The Stewardship Team and the pastor will lead the stewardship journey for the parish. Members might be drawn from the parish pastoral council, finance council, or other leadership positions in the parish.
b. Follow a more in-depth formation, as suggested on page 23 of Grateful Disciples, namely, to study the U.S.
Bishops' pastoral letter on stewardship using Sharon Hueckel’s study process. (The password is
prayerfulstewards.)
- Review the Roles of the Stewardship Team
- Read pages 22-24 in Chapter 2 of Leisa Anslinger’s Grateful Disciples: Your Parish Stewardship Guide
- Decide whether you will
b. Follow a more in-depth formation, as suggested on page 23 of Grateful Disciples, namely, to study the U.S.
Bishops' pastoral letter on stewardship using Sharon Hueckel’s study process. (The password is
prayerfulstewards.)
- Ensure all team members know the goals and objectives of the parish pastoral plan where one is available. Discuss stewardship’s connection to the pastoral plan.
Step/Meeting 1: Forming Grateful Disciples
This step/meeting focuses on beginning to form yourself, your team, and your parish in this new and expanded understanding of stewardship. There will be an opportunity for you to reflect on the place of stewardship in your own life and faith journey, and to share that with your fellow team members. Additional discussion will be encouraged, to begin unpacking the team’s response to Leisa’s conception of stewardship and how that may differ from what you have come to expect from that term.
An exciting portion of this step will be the chance to begin discussing the ways in which your parish community already reflects the goals of Grateful Discipleship, as well as the opportunities for growth which you might identify. Some of the thoughts and ideas generated by this discussion may very well find their way into your parish’s eventual stewardship plan.
An exciting portion of this step will be the chance to begin discussing the ways in which your parish community already reflects the goals of Grateful Discipleship, as well as the opportunities for growth which you might identify. Some of the thoughts and ideas generated by this discussion may very well find their way into your parish’s eventual stewardship plan.
- See Step/Meeting 1 resource menu QUICK TRIP section for all essential resources, including the agenda, relevant chapters from Grateful Disciples and the discussion guide.
- See Step/Meeting 1 resource menu CLOSER LOOK and DEEP DIVE sections for additional and supplemental resources pertaining to Forming Grateful Disciples.
Explore the Components of a Stewardship Plan
Step/Meeting 2: Communicate the Message of Stewardship
This step/meeting focuses on how your parish may choose to share the message of stewardship with the parish community overall. This expanded understanding of stewardship includes, but also stretches beyond, the traditional ideas of time, talent, and treasure with which many of our faithful are familiar.
A vibrant communication strategy will help spread the stewardship message throughout your parish community, by utilizing varied platforms. These communication platforms can include one-to-one personal witnessing, lay witness talks at mass, pastoral homilies, bulletin inserts, web based and social media, etc. The possibilities are endless!
A vibrant communication strategy will help spread the stewardship message throughout your parish community, by utilizing varied platforms. These communication platforms can include one-to-one personal witnessing, lay witness talks at mass, pastoral homilies, bulletin inserts, web based and social media, etc. The possibilities are endless!
- See Step/Meeting 2 resource menu QUICK TRIP section for all essential resources, including the agenda, relevant chapters from Grateful Disciples and the discussion guide.
- See Step/Meeting 2 resource menu CLOSER LOOK and DEEP DIVE sections for additional and supplemental resources pertaining to Communicating the Message of Stewardship.
Step/Meeting 3: Welcome and Engagement
This step/meeting focuses on how your parish may choose to embrace the ideas and goals of welcome and engagement within the parish community overall. Becoming a more welcoming parish, one which is comprised of engaged parishioners, is a pastoral plan goal or desire for many of the parishes within our diocese. Our focus in Grateful Disciples for this step of the process is contained within Chapter 4, pages 38-46.
- See Step/Meeting 3 resource menu QUICK TRIP section for all essential resources, including the agenda, relevant chapters from Grateful Disciples and the discussion guide.
- See Step/Meeting 3 resource menu CLOSER LOOK and DEEP DIVE sections for additional and supplemental resources pertaining to welcome and engagement.
Draft a Stewardship Plan
Step/Meeting 4: Creating the Plan
This step/meeting focuses on how your parish will bring stewardship to fuller life within the next year. Chapters 5-6 in Grateful Disciples may be helpful for this meeting.
Your team will review the thoughts and ideas generated throughout previous meetings; this review will guide them in choosing the steps which can be taken this year to enhance stewardship in your parish. At this meeting, your team will make a plan and delineate which steps will be taken, how they will be accomplished, and which minsters will be responsible for bringing them to life!
Your team will review the thoughts and ideas generated throughout previous meetings; this review will guide them in choosing the steps which can be taken this year to enhance stewardship in your parish. At this meeting, your team will make a plan and delineate which steps will be taken, how they will be accomplished, and which minsters will be responsible for bringing them to life!
- See Step/Meeting 4 resource menu QUICK TRIP section for all essential resources, including the agenda, relevant chapters from Grateful Disciples and the discussion guide.
- See Step/Meeting 4 resource menu CLOSER LOOK and DEEP DIVE sections for additional and supplemental resources pertaining to Creating the Plan.