Stewardship: A living expression of Christian discipleship

The Diocese of St. Cloud has an active stewardship advisory council made up of both lay people and clergy who provide a foundation for developing stewardship as a living expression of Christian discipleship within the diocese.

Their vision is to help Catholics become more involved in the life of the Church and contribute resources — whether time, talent or treasure.

The Central Minnesota Catholic asked a cross-section of the council’s members to reflect on questions surrounding stewardship practices and local efforts. They include: Darwin and Kay Elmquist of St. Andrew, Elk River; Randy Meyer of St. Mary, Alexandria; Father Patrick Hoeft, the parochial vicar of St. Elizabeth, Elizabeth; Our Lady of Victory, Fergus Falls; and St. Leonard, Pelican Rapids; Dennis Werner of Mary of the Visitation, Becker/Big Lake; and Karen Renaud of St. Mary, Mora.

Here is a sampling of their responses:

Q. How does the gift of one’s time play a role in the life of the Church?

Kay Elmquist, St. Andrew, Elk River

Darwin and Kay: The foundation of the Church is its people. In sharing the gift of time, its members know the Lord in a more intimate way. St. Augustine said, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

Randy: I think giving of one’s time to the common good is what we are all called to do as we were made in the image and likeness of our Creator. There are many opportunities to give of our time in every parish as noted by those who help prepare for our liturgies each week, serve on various committees and service organizations, participate in eucharistic adoration and pray for the needs of our communities, to name a few. When we give the gift of our time, we are supporting each other in our journey while embracing the likeness of our Lord.

Father Patrick Hoeft, parochial vicar, Elizabeth; Fergus Falls; and Pelican Rapids

Father Patrick: St. Paul asks in his first letter to the Corinthians, “What do you possess that you have not received?” He reminds us that our lives and everything we have are a gift from God. Time is a precious commodity and when we give ourselves to worship and service of God, we are acknowledging our gratitude to him for what he has given to us. When everyone does this, the Church flourishes and becomes a sign of our reciprocal receiving from God and giving back to him.

Dennis: One’s time is critical to the role of the Church. I’m aware of this and yet still struggle with giving my time. It’s easy when committed to a career to brush a true commitment of time to the Church until retirement, but deep down know I could give more of my time. I think we all need to find a balance but not lose sight of the commitment of time to the Church. The time you give not only helps fulfill ministries but also inspires the next generation to keep up on those commitments.

Karen Renaud, St. Mary, Mora

Karen: The Church is the people, not the buildings. Each individual’s time, gifted to another — whether a quick hello and smile or many hours spent in service to others and/or the needs of the Church — is what sustains Church life.

 

Q. When people use their talents through various ministries, how does that impact a community and beyond?

Darwin Elmquist, St. Andrew, Elk River

Darwin and Kay: Recently, the Church of St. Andrew held a celebration of community for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The eucharistic celebration included Spanish readings and music, while a traditional Hispanic meal was served after Mass. Through the talents of multiple ministry groups, the event opened the church to a growing Latino population in the area. Through coverage by the local newspaper, area residents were aware of all involved who were shining examples of Catholic Christian disciples who demonstrated outreach to parishioners as well as the broader community.

Randy: Many ministries that utilize and need our talents benefit our communities. Sharing one’s talents at a local food shelf, food drop event or community meal can give immediate comfort to those in need. Giving one’s time and talent to a service organization, a Habitat for Humanity build day or being part of a group that does regular visits for jail ministry can have long-lasting effects as it gives families hope and the opportunity to break unwanted lifestyle changes in many situations. The service we give to others doesn’t have to be big and doesn’t have to be perfect as we know God will grow the seeds planted. There are many opportunities for people to share their talents. If we are all intentional in giving back some of our blessings, we may be able to have even far-reaching impacts in our community.

Father Patrick: We are called to be the leaven in the world. When we use the talents God has given us to serve our parish and community, we draw attention to the Lord and promote the spreading of God’s kingdom. The Church is called to bring the Gospel to all nations. This happens when people of every community use their God-given gifts to serve those around them and point them to Christ.

Dennis Werner, Mary of the Visitation, Becker/Big Lake

Dennis: I like to think that in committing talents through various ministries, I become more a part of the community and, by doing so, help that community become stronger. Is a community of strangers really a community? The diocese is a good example of how multiple communities join together and can share experiences with one another to help build each community — and not just through the Church. It spills out to our local communities as well.

Karen: It has a huge impact. It isn’t just the individual(s) being ministered to and the person(s) doing the ministering that are impacted and blessed. Sharing our talents extends into the community by providing/demonstrating help, encouragement, inspiration, hope, love, faith. We are living our faith when using our talents in any/all the various ministries of our parishes and ACCs.

Q. What is one practical way people can give God the best of their time, talent and/or treasure?

Darwin and Kay: Parish life is full of opportunities to share oneself. A few examples are Knights of Columbus, Council of Catholic Women, involvement in Catholic school, etc. Also, asking your parish priest for needs within the parish is a way to match one’s gifts and talents with a group or activity. If you struggle to remember your envelope when coming to Mass (like us!), electronic giving is available in most parishes to keep your weekly giving on track.

Randy Meyer, St. Mary, Alexandria

Randy: When it comes to giving God the best of our treasure, I think of how to give first fruits. Having a separate “giving” bank account can help in this regard. A portion of each paycheck can be deposited directly into this bank account with scheduled weekly and monthly disbursements to your parish, the diocese and charities of your choice. Remaining funds in the account can be disbursed as God brings these opportunities to your attention. You are a steward of these financial gifts from God and more likely to give in a joyful and cheerful manner if you are giving your best — first fruits.

Father Patrick: Pray every day. All of our work and efforts fall short of what they could be unless we are connected to God. Having a specific time set aside for prayer every single day is essential. Whether it’s a few minutes with Scripture, time spent in eucharistic adoration, taking time thanking God for the gifts of the day, asking for the grace needed to serve the Lord today or just listening in the silence, prayer is key.

Dennis: Besides tithing, involvement in the Mass is one of the simplest ways to start sharing time and talent. A full Mass requires a lot of people besides the priest: altar servers, sacristans, liturgical ministers, eucharistic ministers, ushers, greeters, the choir. This involvement will make connections and open other areas to serve such as faith formation, youth ministry, mission trips, funeral services and more.

Karen: There are so many ways. I think it can take some time to really reflect, think and pray about this, however. It seems to be easier to spend our time, talent and treasure on a multitude of things outside of our faith life. But bringing our gifts back to God and sharing with our church community is so rewarding. It can be giving of our time by helping with Mass, religious education classes or other parish ministries. It can be sharing our talents on church committees or at church/ACC events.
I know it took me a long time, and one of my children when they were young asking me if we were rich, to realize the “middle-class” income we were blessed to have meant we were quite rich when compared to most in the world. We reevaluated our priorities and adjusted our spending. Tithing, our parish capital improvement fund, donations to charities and the Bishop’s Annual Appeal are all ways we chose to share our treasure.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”14″]“I like to think that in committing talents through various ministries, I become more a part of the community and, by doing so, help that community become stronger.” — Dennis Werner [/perfectpullquote]

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‘Believe. Celebrate. Live.’ is theme of 2022 Bishop’s Annual Appeal

The 2022 theme for the Bishop’s Annual Appeal — “Believe. Celebrate. Live.” — describes our response to the Eucharist, the source and summit of our Catholic faith.

A letter from the bishop should be arriving in your mailbox soon, if it hasn’t already. The mailing includes an envelope which you are invited to return with your gift at Mass on Commitment Weekend, Feb. 19-20.

For more information about all the ministries of the diocese or to give online, visit www.stcdio.org.

Ways to live Christian discipleship locally

• Contact your parish and/or school for volunteer opportunities. There is a way for everyone to get involved from helping at Mass to volunteering for faith formation to donating goods or services to those in need and so much more.

• Look for ways to serve in your community. Contact local nonprofits or organizations that reach out to people on the margins such as food banks, shelters, resource centers, etc.

• Connect with the diocese. Assist with TV Mass. Volunteer to help with youth events. Become a listener for the synod. Get involved with marriage and family ministries, ACC planning, promoting vocations and more. Visit www.stcdio.org to connect with various offices.

Getty Images/Cecilie_Arcurs

Author: The Central Minnesota Catholic

The Central Minnesota Catholic is the magazine for the Diocese of St. Cloud.

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