A reflection by Leisa Anslinger, primary presenter at May 11 Grateful Disciples Orientation
Let’s be clear, there is no magic bullet, no one-size-fits-all program that will change your Family of Parishes overnight. There are proven practices, however. The six guiding principles of Beacons of Light point to the crucial areas that must be addressed if we are to bring about the sort of life that we seek in our parishes for the future. Among the principles is stewardship, a way of living as disciples that has the potential to transform people’s lives and the life of the parish.
First, let’s name what stewardship is and is not:
- Stewardship is not just a fancy way to convince your people to give more money to their parish. While financial giving is part of stewardship, it is not the whole of what stewardship is about.
- Likewise, stewardship isn’t completely captured in the phrase “time, talent, and treasure,” although those things are important in helping people become better stewards.
- Stewardship is a way of life. In fact, it is deeply spiritual. Stewardship helps people see God’s grace in their many blessings and gifts, grow in gratitude for them, and give them back in grateful response.
We bring this up now because there is an upcoming opportunity for you and your people to learn more about stewardship and the potential impact for your Family of Parishes. Here are some steps you can consider:
Come to the Grateful Disciples orientation on May 11. We know pastors are busy, especially this time of year and want to assure you there will be other opportunities to experience the day in the autumn. The orientation not only explores the key themes of stewardship as a spiritual way of life; participants will also walk through the steps most often used to effectively establish stewardship in the Family. There is no cost for the orientation. Registration is necessary by end of day Friday, May 5 to ensure materials and lunch for all. Register here.
Identify a stewardship champion for your Family if you are ready to do so and ask that person to attend the Grateful Disciples orientation. Some pastors have said they do not feel they know enough about stewardship to name one person as their champion. This is totally understandable. Having a champion will help you delegate some of the leadership when you are ready. Like many leadership roles in your Family, the champion might change over time as you become more familiar with your staff and parishioner leaders. Know more about discerning your stewardship champion.
Send a few staff or parishioner leaders to the Grateful Disciples orientation, especially if you’re not yet ready to name a champion or if you already have stewardship core teams in your Family. Register here by end of day Friday, May 5.
