Stewardship is a way of life in which we realize that each is called to be a Christian steward who receives God’s giftsgratefully, cultivates them responsibly, shares them lovingly in justice with others, and returns them with increase to theLord.
The Call to Discipleship
As members of the Church, Jesus calls us to be disciples. This includes making a conscious decision to follow Jesus,experiencing conversion, committing oneself to the Lord, shaping and molding our understanding of life and the way in whichwe live. Christian stewards recognize God as the origin of life, giver of freedom, and source of all things. We are grateful for the gifts we have received and are eager to use them to show our love for God and for one another. We look to the life andteaching of Jesus for guidance in living as Christian stewards. As stewards, we focus upon our stewardship of creation,vocation, and church.
Stewards of Creation
As stewards of creation, we acknowledge that God created the world, and entrusts it to us. Caring for the world calls us toan appreciation for the beauty and wonder of nature, protection and preservation of the environment, respect for human life,and development of this world. Through our work, we build up the world and the kingdom of God. Work is our partnership withGod. We are challenged us to be concerned about our environment, to foster a respect for life from womb to tomb, and towork for social justice in all sectors.
Stewards of Vocation
As stewards of vocation Jesus calls us individually to a new way of life. Our challenge is to understand our personalvocation and to respond generously to this call from God. We are to foster vocations to priesthood and religious life, tosupport those who have chosen the vocation of marriage, and to walk with those who live the single vocation.
Stewards of Church
We are called as stewards of the Church, collaborators and cooperators in continuing the redemption work of Jesus Christ,which is the Church’s essential mission. This mission –- proclaiming the teaching, serving and sanctifying –- is our task. It is the personal responsibility of each one of us as stewards of the Church. As stewards of the Church, we must be acommunity which has quality worship, strong leaders, bringing the Word of God to people of every walk and stage of life.
Obstacles to Stewardship
People who want to live as Christian disciples and stewards face serious obstacles. Our culture frequently encourages us tofocus on ourselves and our pleasures. We can find it easy to ignore spiritual realities and to deny religion a role inshaping human and social values. We know what it is to struggle against selfishness and greed, and we realize that it isdifficult to accept the challenge of being a Christian steward.
Our Commitment
Therefore, we commit ourselves to being a “Stewardship Parish.” We will identify our individual andcommunity giftedness, praise God for what we have received, and share our time, talent, and treasure for the good of others,as an expression of our praise of God. |
