Why Stewardship?

A Summary of the U.S. Bishops’ Pastoral Letter
A Disciple's Response

In the early 1990s, the United States Catholic Bishops collectively prayed and reflected on the hallmarks of Christian discipleship.  With many solid biblical foundations, the bishops concluded that a disciple of Jesus is truly a thankful, responsible and generous caretaker of God’s many blessings.  In short, Jesus’ disciples practice authentic stewardship.

While the New Testament does not provide a total portrait of the Christian steward all in one place, elements of this image abound in its pages.  Based on several parables and the many apostolic instructions, Jesus’ disciples understood they were to share their gifts with others.

Guided by Scripture, we believe that the Christian steward is a person whose prayer leads to a constant awareness that God is the creator of all blessings in life — spiritual and material.  Jesus presented the ultimate gift to God — the gift of his life — and we, too, are called to follow in Jesus’ footsteps by:

• Receiving God’s gifts gratefully

• Cultivating them responsibly

• Sharing them lovingly in justice with others

• Returning them with increase to the Lord.

God has entrusted to Catholics the gifts of material creation, individual vocation, and the Church.  Gratefully caring for these gifts leads to these tangible examples of stewardship in our daily lives:

• Stewardship of Creation:  Respecting life, protecting the environment and developing our world through noble human labor

• Stewardship of Vocation:  Faithfully carrying out our unique individual roles in God’s plan

• Stewardship of the Church:  Prayerfully sharing our time, talent and treasure to fulfill the mission of the parish, diocese and universal Church.

Stewardship as a way of life has astonishing implications for our relationships and daily lives.  We can experience life-shaping changes of mind and heart as we commit ourselves to the Lord.  Recognizing God as the origin of life, we are grateful for the gifts we have received and are eager to use them to show our love for God and one another.

The journey of discipleship is one of intense joy, fulfillment and peace.  As Mary the mother of Jesus lived her ministry in a spirit of fidelity and service, we can find the same favor with God by living as authentic stewards of our world, our vocation and our Church.

What is the Stewardship Council?

The Stewardship Council is the name we have for our stewardship vision and program.   Stewardship is the name the church gives to the attitude of generous discipleship called forth by our Gospel.  It refers to the counter-cultural notion that as Christians, we are grafted onto the very Body of Christ and with that, the very mission of Christ to spread the Good News, to reach out to the lost and forgotten, and to serve the world.

Stewardship of Treasure

The Sunday Offering and other monetary contributions to the Church are referred to as Tithing. The whole belief that underlies Tithing is that God is the Giver of every gift we have in life--our life itself, our faith in Him, our family and friends and loved ones, our health, our jobs, our personalities, the different gifts and talents that each one of us have--all of these are God's gifts to us. Tithing is About Giving God the First Fruits.

Click HERE for Frequently Asked Question on Stewardship of Treasure

GET INVOLVED

August 21/22, 2010 - Lay Witness Sunday

Lay witnesses speak during the homily of every

 Mass on how answering God’s call through stewardship of time and talent has changed

 their lives. Click here for to read the talks from 2009, 2008 and 2007.

August 28/29, 2010 - Commitment Sunday

Commitment Sunday is a wonderful opportunity to become involved in the ministries here at St. Francis. This is a great chance to reflect upon the talents we have received and discern faithfully as to how God wants us to use those talents here at St. Francis.

Volunteer Opportunities

Whether you are in middle school, needing hours for Confirmation, in high school, needing community service hours toward a scholarship award, or an adult looking for ways to serve the parish community, there are many volunteer opportunities available at St. Francis of Assisi.  Click HERE for a list of opportunities.

Information Table Committee

Welcomes all new parishioners that join our church.

• Contact: Jim & Lillian Burke
• Phone: (972)731-6247
• Email:burkefam6625@sbcglobal.net

ABOUT US

St. Francis is a Stewardship parish! This means that we see every gift we have as coming from God and are dedicated to share those gifts to build his Kingdom. We are committed to be a Christ-centered and Holy Spirit guided community of faith.

Stewardship Chair:

Melissa Silvestro
Email:  Melissa Silvestro

Staff Liaison:

Mark Smith
Email:  Mark Smith