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Stewardship |
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What is Stewardship?
Stewardship is recognizing your life and talents
as important gifts from God, to be accepted with an attitude of gratitude, in a
responsible and accountable manner, and returned with
increase to God. As stewards, we follow the principles of the Bible and
the teachings of Jesus by making God an active priority in our lives.
“The measure of your own free will offering
shall be in proportion to the blessing the Lord, Your God, has bestowed on you…
No one shall appear before the Lord empty handed but each of you with as much
as you can give.”
- Deuteronomy 16:10, 16-17
Reflection Questions:
What are my gifts?
How have I used my gifts?
Do I yearn to go deeper in my faith?
Is there an area of parish life that I am called to?
Have I given of my ‘first fruits’?
Stewardship at St.
Joseph
As baptized members of this faith community,
we embrace the teachings of Jesus in a spirit of gratitude and service.
Our experience, interests, and abilities are
all gifts from God. Our gifts are meant to be shared, to create a better
world. We know that stewardship begins in the home and so we witness to
our children the importance of volunteering and giving financial support to our
parish and other charities.
In the past year, our vibrant faith community
came together to celebrate:
6 Masses each weekend
3 Masses during the week
55 Baptisms
56 First Communions
51 Confirmations
13 Weddings
15 couples prepared for Marriage through our
sponsor couple program
26 Funerals
7 Adults welcomed into our faith
295 children in our Elementary Religious
Education Programs
135 Middle School Youth
95 High School Youth
Did you know…
The parish supports various community
organizations that do work in social outreach and justice. They include:
PRISM, Loaves & Fishes, Dinner at Your Door, and emergency assistance for
rental, electric, and other needs. Much of this money is allocated from
the Social Ministry budget and from money collected each month at the Food and
Funds collection. For the fiscal year of 2006-2007, St. Joseph Parish
donated over $20,000 and countless food, clothing, quilts, gifts, school
supplies, cell phones, personal items, and much more!
24/7/52—Things to consider
The benefits of volunteering are many.
They include:
- Serving your faith community.
- Meeting new people.
- Learning new skills.
- Feeling more apart of the parish.
We are all given 24 hours each day, 7 days a
week, 52 weeks in the year. How will you spend yours?
Did you know…
That last year the following number of
volunteers gave their time and talent in:
Liturgical Ministry—300
Catechetical Ministry—100
Middle School Youth Ministry—60
High School Youth Ministry— 60
Adult Spirituality/Education—100
Pastoral Ministry—100
Social Ministry—200
Administration—50
Thank you to everyone who has helped, especially in more than one area!
24/7/52—Treasure—Consider your weekly gift
We all have money to live on. We all
have organizations we like to support. A 10% tithe can be broken into 5%
for my parish and 5% for other organizations. How much am I able to
contribute to support my parish?
|
Yearly Income |
1%
pledge per week |
2%
pledge per week |
3%
pledge per week |
5%
pledge per week |
|
$20,000 |
$4 |
$8 |
$12 |
$19 |
|
$40,000 |
$8 |
$15 |
$23 |
$38 |
|
$60,000 |
$12 |
$23 |
$35 |
$58 |
|
$80,000 |
$15 |
$31 |
$46 |
$77 |
|
$100,000 |
$19 |
$38 |
$58 |
$96 |
Electronic Funds Transfer Program
Need a way to save time? Need a way to have
one less thing to do each week? Use the electronic funds transfer
program!
It automatically deducts the amount you want
to give to
This easy way also helps make stewardship a
priority by giving of your ‘first fruits’. Many of us have our Roth or
IRA amounts taken out of our paychecks first. Often times we never miss
it since we never see it.
If you have any questions contact John Olson
in the parish office or one of the Stewardship committee members.
Stewardship Committee
Frank
Brantman Fr. Terry Rassmussen
Giles
Kobilka
Pete Somers
Bob
Hartnett
Marlyn
Johnson Jason Wittak
Stewardship Prayer
Lord God,
You alone are the source of every good gift,
of the vast array of the universe,
and the mystery of each human life.
Everything we are and everything we have
belongs to You and is Your gift.
Fill our minds with Your truth
and our hearts with Your love.
Bring us together as a community of faith,
a parish family,
a caring people.
In the name of the spirit of Jesus,
help us to be good stewards
of the gifts You entrust to us.
Guide us as we go forth to serve as Your disciples,
sharing freely of our time, talent,
and material gifts to glorify You,
acknowledge Your abundant blessing,
and care for each other as Jesus taught us.
Amen.