Stewardship Renewal
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St. Madeleine Sophie Parish Stewardship
Pledge Form (pdf)
Online Giving
What Is Stewardship?
Stewardship, in its simplest terms, is the act of putting God’s priorities before our own.
Stewards do four things…
- Receive God’s gifts gratefully
- Nurture God’s gifts responsibly
- Share God’s gifts justly and charitably
- Return those gifts to God abundantly
Becoming a Steward of Christ
Jesus not only calls people to him, but also forms them and sends them out in his service. Becoming a disciple of Christ leads naturally to the practice of Stewardship. These linked realities, discipleship and stewardship, make up the fabric of a Catholic life in which each day is lived in an intimate, personal relationship with the Lord.
The Three Facets of Stewardship
1. Time
A true understanding of stewardship begins with taking care of and sharing the gift of time. We are only given so much time. 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.
2. Talent
If stewardship means taking care of and sharing God’s gifts, then stewardship of the gift of talent means nurturing, developing and using the God-given abilities and characteristics that help to define who we are as individuals.
Our talents are special blessings that we receive from God. When we volunteer to help others by sharing our talents, we give something more precious than our time or our money.
3. Treasure
True stewardship is taking care of and sharing all that we have and all that we are — our time, our talents and our treasure.
Our treasure — both money and all of the other things we possess — are gifts from God that we are asked to care for and generously share for our own benefit and for the good of others.
The Spirituality of Stewardship
Stewardship is living out a commitment to be Christ-centered rather than self-centered. Stewardship helps us to become aware that God is the ultimate giver of the gifts we have. Our gift to God should be from the top, not from what may be left over. Stewardship is not job-oriented or project-minded. It is a way of life for a lifetime.
Christian stewardship provides a spirituality that all can take home from church, exercise at work, and express through personal involvement in both the community and the church.