What is Stewardship?
Stewardship means respecting and sharing the earth's resources since everyone is part of the community of creation. Simply stated, stewardship is an expression of gratitude to God. It reminds us that we are the administrators, and not the owners, of our assets. It fills a need deep within us to worship God and to thank Him for the abundant blessings He has showered upon us.
Christian stewardship can be identified by several meaningful characteristics, the most important is that it strengthens our relationship with God. It is a way of life, not a program that has a beginning and an ending, and it leads us to share a portion of our time, talent, and treasure so that the Good News of Jesus Christ may be shared with those who do not know Him.
Review our diocesan information on stewardship by visiting the Diocese of
Rockford Office of Stewardship Development web site at http://www.stewardshiprockford.org/
Stewardship of Time, Talent & Treasure
Many times in scripture we are reminded to be generous with our time, talent and treasure. We are called, to take care of others, to share what we have, to return a portion of our gifts and harvest to God. We are reminded always to do this with purity of intention and according to our means.
Guided by prayer, each Catholic makes a decision to live out the Christian life as a good steward. This decision is an intentional act intended to thank God for all of His blessings by returning to Him a portion of the time, the talent, and the treasure He has given us.
Once a year, usually during an effort in the parish, each Catholic household in our Diocese should plan how the stewardship of time and talent will be a part of its lifestyle and how the stewardship of treasure will be a part of its budget. This plan is then lived throughout the year in a regular, consistent manner.
The stewardship plan includes a commitment to donate a set percentage of one's time, one's talent, and one's income to the Church and other charities.
All we possess is a gift from God. Everything we have is freely given for our own good. This is basic to our faith and is often repeated throughout Scripture. Just as basic and repeated is another truth: we should return a portion of those gifts (our time, talent and treasure) to God in gratitude for the abundant generosity we have received.
Stewardship of Time
Stewardship of time involves the realization that none of us "owns" time. Each of us is given only so much of it, and planning a careful schedule in order to have the time to work, to rest, to play, and to pray is vital in the stewardship of our physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual lives. In a busy society like ours, time is one of the most precious possessions we have. How we spend our time is perhaps the clearest indication of our progress in a life of Christian discipleship.
Stewardship of Talent
There are many talents that we possess. Stewardship of talent calls us to search out those talents, nurture them, and help them to grow, and then share them with other human beings. Our first and greatest commandment is "To love our God with our whole heart, our whole soul and our whole mind." We do that by using God given talents for the benefit of others, and doing that brings us directly to our second greatest commandment, "To love our neighbor, as we love ourselves."
The Stewardship of Talent shows us the way to a Spiritual life, a oneness with God through reaching out to another human being. So, the Spirituality of Giving through the Stewardship of Talent is a part of the open secret of living a spiritual life.
Stewardship of Treasure
Money and all of the things that we possess (our treasure) are gifts from God that we are asked to care for and generously share for our own benefit and the good of others. It is important for us to share our money and all of our material possessions for two reasons: first, because all the good things that God has made (including money) are meant to be shared, and second, because each of us has a need to give.
We need to give our money to individuals and families in need, to the Church, and to other worthwhile charitable organizations because giving money is good for the soul and because we need to return thanks to a loving God for all of the many blessings each of us has received.
Stewardship of treasure is giving as much as we can, as often as we can, from the heart as a faith response because we are generous stewards who want to share our time, talent, and treasure with others. Frequently, in discussions of stewardship, reference will be made to the "biblical tithe" (giving 10% of income) and other norms that could provide helpful guidelines for generous giving. As disciples of Jesus, each of us has a responsibility to support the Church and to contribute generously to the building up of the Body of Christ.
Suggested Stewardship Formula
We always hear that tithing consists of 10% of our income. Certainly that is the ultimate goal and a wonderful goal. Realistically, most of us are trying to increase our giving little by little to reach a higher level. We are encouraged, however, to give proportionately to our income and our blessings and to move up to and beyond 10%. The most important point is TO SET a goal for ourselves and WORK TOWARDS it.
Suggested stewardship formula for your treasure:
- 5% to your local church.
- 1% to your diocese (for helping further the broader mission of the church and supporting causes the Bishop is called to support.
- 4% to organization or individual charity and justice causes God calls you to support.
Five percent may seem like a large allocation to your local church. As you consider how to distribute your tithe, remember your parish is the nonprofit community that helps you carry out Christ's mission. St. Peter Parish supports over 60 ministries that support the needy and help bring people closer to God. A portion of the money collected at our church is given again, as we are a tithing parish, donating to many charitable causes. Your local church directly ministers to you and your family and the larger community. There is space, accommodation and support for worshiping, receiving sacraments, evangelizing, learning, ministering and gathering in community. This all requires payment of the same kind of expenses that a home or business has - mortgage, insurance, utilities, maintenance, etc. It requires paying for the expertise for those who teach, minister and run the day-to-day operations. Our financial report is sent out to parishioners each year. If you need another copy, please call the parish offices, (630) 232-0124.
Automated Giving For Parish Operations or Capital Campaign
To strengthen stewardship at St. Peter Parish, we request that you consider utilizing a new and easier way to support our parish . . . Automated Giving. It's easy and convenient for you and helps the parish better plan and budget when we can be assured of our income each month. You also can budget and make your offerings more conveniently without writing checks or remembering envelopes. It is an alternate means of support for St. Peter Parish instead of using envelopes. In lieu of weekly collections, the ParishPay program will collect monthly contributions from your checking, savings or credit card account. There is NO cost to you to participate in the program.
What are the benefits to me?
- Allows you to plan your giving, in the same way you budget your other financial commitments.
- You no longer have to be concerned about catching-up missed offertory donations when you miss a Mass because you are out of town, on vacation, ill, etc.
- You can easily adjust the amount of your automated contribution (up or down). Contact the Parish Center (630) 232-0124 or do it yourself via a secure website access.
- You no longer need to write a check every week.
How does it relate to use of the weekly envelopes?
If you choose to participate in the ParishPay Automated Giving Program, this will replace your weekly envelopes. You will not receive any in the mail.
I feel uncomfortable not having something to physically drop into the collection basket. What should I do?Special donation slips are available for those enrolled in the automated giving program to be dropped into the collection basket, should you wish, in lieu of Sunday envelopes. Just call the Parish Center (630) 232-0124 with your request.
How do I enroll?
A one-time free enrollment will allow you to regularly contribute to our parish without having to fuss with checks or envelopes. It's safe, easy and convenient for you and it helps St. Peter Parish! Visit ParishPay to get started today or call the Parish Center (630) 232-0124 for an enrollment card.
ParishPay
ParishPay is the largest religious donation and tuition payment processor in the country. It serves parishes and schools nationally in order to provide the infrastructure, technology, and support to cater to a more technical parishioner and parent. For more information on ParishPay, please visit their website.
Please click on the ParishPay logo below to sign up for automatic donations from your checking, savings or credit accounts or to make a special donation.
Automated Giving to Parish and School Endowments
St. Peter Church has three endowment funds, established to care for future needs of our parish and school. Endowments are structured so that we do not spend the original principal, but can reinvest, retain or spend the earnings from the principal as needed.
The Parish Needs Endowment was established in 2007 through the generous donations of many of our parishioners. The purpose of this endowment is to address future needs of ministries and our physical plant.
The Education Endowment was established in 2007, also through the generous donations of many parishioners. The purpose of this fund is to address the future needs of Catholic Education in our parish.
The St. Peter School Library & Media Center Endowment was established in 1998 through the generosity of Mary L. Wheeler, a deceased parishioner. In her will she provided funds for an endowment to benefit the St. Peter Catholic School Library & Media Center.
Thank you for your consideration in providing for the future needs of our parish. To make a donation to one or more of our endowments, click on this link.
Scriptural References to Giving
We believe that everything belongs to God, who calls us as the church to live as faithful stewards of all that God has entrusted to us. Click on the link to look at some stewardship references in Scriptures.
How to Volunteer
Please take some time for prayerful reflection and thought before volunteering. There are various volunteer opportunities available at our Parish. A list of these opportunities can be viewed here: Volunteer Ministry Opportunities.
Use the form in the Volunteer Ministry Opportunities Newsletter to volunteer your time and talent. Print the form, fill it out and put it in the collection basket during weekend services or send it to the Parish Center. If you are not familiar with our ministries you can read about the ministries listed in the form by reviewing the Ministries and Organization webpages.
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