" ... Give to the Most High as he has
given to you, generously,
according to your means ... "
~ Sirach 35:8-9
Most of us are not used to giving the "first fruits" of our labors back to God. Responsible Stewardship causes many Catholics to be upset at first. We have maintained the habits of a simpler time.
Tithing is a very spiritual program! Those who have embraced the practice of giving more responsibly to the Church have changed their whole sense of belonging to the Body of Christ. The programs, parish spirit, and pastoral planning soon take on a deeper meaning. We begin to care about how our parish is doing spiritually and materially.
In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the priest and the Levite passed by the unfortunate victim beaten by the robbers. As we apply the powerful message of the gospel story to our parish program of responsible Stewardship, let us invoke the Lords help to realize our calling to be truly caring in our willingness.
God rewards us for our faithfulness and love.
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The Good Samaritan
An Analogy of Stewardship
"Take care of him, and if there is any expense over and above, I will repay you on my way back" ~ Luke 10:35
These familiar words of the Good Samaritan capture the true spirit of Stewardship ~ our responsible caring for the Church.
Taking care of our Lord in the person of our sisters and brothers is at the heart of what the terms "Church" and "Parish" are all about. Our charity truly does begin at home. And then, in the spirit of true Christian love, we are called to responsibility for the rest of our community, especially for the poor.
Yet, there is so much confusion and even embarrassment when it comes to addressing the idea of stewardship, another name for our financial obligation, to our Church and parish. The questions: "How much should I give? ... How often? ... Why?" are sometimes painful to ask and difficult to answer.
In the Catholic Church we have relied in the past on large numbers of people to support our growing parishes. We thought the Church could survive on the "leftovers" from our purses and wallets. For fear of criticism, pastors refrained from preaching on the "forbidden topic" of money. It is true that fundraising should not have to be a frequent topic of homilies.
Times have changed! With the advent of so many new parish ministries, activities and programs, the need for responsible stewardship has increased dramatically in recent years.
The Good Samaritan not only took the beaten man from the side of the road and "poured in oil and wine," but he actually followed through and continued to give! He challenged the innkeeper to take care of the poor beaten man until he returned. he promised to repay the innkeeper!
As members of the parish, the challenge of caring for the Body of Christ, the Church, is the responsibility of each one of us! We are the "Samaritans," the stewards, the caretakers of our parish, our faith community.
Many of our people have already realized the urgency of our parish's needs. Their generosity to Christ and the Church makes us deeply grateful. God knows the sacrifices made to "build up the Body of Christ" (Eph 4:12). How can we all help?
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Responsible Stewardship
Responsible Stewardship is essential for the life of our parish community. In today's active parish, our pastors and their pastoral planning committees are continually challenged to respond to various needs. On the one hand the Gospel must be proclaimed, and on the other, the very real spiritual and material needs of the people of God must be addressed. As new and improved ministries and programs are developed, staff ~ paid and volunteer ~ must also be expanded to meet these new responsibilities. In addition to the spiritual focus, each parish must be concerned about necessary repairs, improvements, ongoing maintenance and, of course, the ever rising costs of utilities! The parish is our spiritual home! We need to take care of it and to nurture the spirit of love for that home in the hearts of all of us.
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Our Community
Each parish is a FAMILY. Our Lord calls each of us into this community of Faith and Love. Just as our family at home experiences different stages and particular needs, so does our faith community. We rejoice and struggle through every time and season. In the parish setting, our community gathers to celebrate the living presence of the Lord who is made present through the Mass and Sacraments. We also celebrate through the proclamation of the Word and through one another, especially when we reach out in love for our sisters and brothers.
Since we look to the future, we give special attention to our children and young people. In a confusing world, we endeavor to give them the example of our own faith and love for Christ. Stewardship for Christ's Body, the Church, says, "I love you," to the Lord and to each of the members of our community. That concern extends as well to those who feel themselves "outside" our community. Stewardship is symbolic of our compassion, a way of "pouring oil and wine" upon the sick, the suffering, and those who simply need to hear the Word of God and experience the beauty of Christ's love.
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Our Gratitude
During the Sacred Liturgy, we give thanks to the Lord Our God for "It is right to give Him thanks and praise." Responsible Stewardship is our way of saying "thank you" to the Lord, who is the source of all our earthly blessings. We give back to the Lord a portion of all our gifts and material blessings. Sometimes we receive a sudden bonus or raise or an unexpected gift. In the spirit of gratitude, we remember the Lord when we experience these blessings. Our monetary "thank you" should be sincere offerings given in joy.
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Our Gift to the Lord
Responsible Stewardship is understood better when we reflect upon the idea of gift-giving. Birthdays, anniversaries and the celebration of Christmas are great times of love for family and friends. We express that love through thoughtful gifts. Each Mass is a prayer of thanksgiving to the Father, the source of all gifts. At the Offertory, through our generous donation of money, we express our personal love for Christ and help to build up the Community of faith.
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Our Envelopes
We wrap special gifts and carefully choose a card to fit the person we love. In the same way our parish envelope is an external sign that this gift is a holy sacrifice freely given to our Lord. That envelope signifies a commitment that enables the parish to budget for the future and the envelope serves as a reminder of our responsible Stewardship. Even when we are away from the parish for a particular weekend, sending our envelope insures that the parish can continue to serve the needs of the community. Consistent use of the parish envelopes by all parishioners is a tremendous testimony to our caring. Envelope use is essential to the success of our stewardship program. It lends dignity to our offering during Mass. In most parishes, about three quarters of the Sunday offerings are given through the envelopes.
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Our Promise
Pledging ~ why do we need a pledge card? Well, the use of a pledge card serves three very practical purposes:
1. It enables each parishioner to plan ahead exactly how much will
be given to the parish and to charitable works.
2. It enables our pastor and/or the Finance Council to budget parish
funds so that all our pastoral needs can be addressed efficiently.
3. It serves as a reminder of our responsible Stewardship so that our
gift will be proportionate to our income and, therefore, a sacrificial
gift to the Lord.
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Suggested Offertory Donation Guide
Upon examination of the suggested guide below, no doubt there will be discussion and reflection as we are all challenged to readjust our manner of giving sacrificially to the Lord! Your generosity is what makes excellent ministry at St. John the Baptist.
|
Giving 6%
Parish/Charities |
Giving 8%
Parish/Charities |
Giving 10%
Parish/Charities |
$100.00 |
$3/$3 |
$4/$4 |
$5/$5 |
$300.00 |
$9/$9 |
$12/$12 |
$15/$15 |
$500.00 |
$15/$15 |
$20/$20 |
$25/$25 |
$800.00 |
$24/$24 |
$32/$32 |
$40/$0 |
$1000.00 |
$30/$30 |
$40/$40 |
$50/$50 |
Click here for the online TITHE CALCULATOR
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Electronic Funds Transfer
You can have your Stewardship of Treasure contribution to St. John's processed automatically!
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With the Automatic Payment Plan, your contribution can be made without writing a check. There's no need to change your present banking relationship.
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You authorize monthly payments from your account. Your financial institution transfers the pre-determined amount either from your checking or savings account to St. John's account.
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We withdraw your contribution from your bank account on the 5th, the 20th or both the 5th and 20th of each month. If either of these days of the month falls on a weekend or a bank holiday, your contribution is processed on the next business day.
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The Automatic Payment Plan saves both you and the parish time and money becuase you write fewer checks and you have peace of mind knowing your payment was made on time. Your monthly bank statement (or your on-line balance) will show proof of your payment. In turn, the parish benefits by reducing processing time.
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You can authorize the Automatic Payment Plan wuickly and easily. Simply fill out the bottom of this form and mail it to the parish office, drop it at the office or in the Sunday collection basket at Mass.
Click here for the EFT Form
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