STEWARDSHIP RENEWAL: Providing the Parish With Opportunities for Involvement and to Share Gifts

As the St. Peter Parish community continues to grow in stewardship, each parishioner is invited and encouraged to embrace living fully as a disciple of Christ. This fall, we once again have the valuable opportunity to reflect upon how we share our gifts as disciples and to make commitments to further live out the stewardship vision as members of St. Peter’s, as well as the wider community.

When we consider why we should reflect upon our stewardship gifts and how we use them each day, as Becky Huebner points out, we can look directly to Scripture.

“Countless Scripture passages — including ‘So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches’ (Luke 16:11) — remind us that we are all to be good stewards of our time, talent and treasure,” Becky says.

“It is a good time to think about the gifts and talents that God has given us and how we can use them,” adds Debby Rye, who served on the Strategic Planning team along with Becky. “By filling out our commitment card, it helps us to think about it and make a commitment to sticking to it. It also helps us to feel like we are part of the parish and community of St. Peter’s.”

The stewardship pillar of hospitality is also important to consider as we enter into the upcoming renewal, which takes place with the theme “A Place to Belong.”

“I read a book recently, How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization, and learned that early monks in the process of practicing hospitality, actually birthed what we know now as the hospital,” she says. “The root word is the same — my takeaway is that care of the soul and care of the body are equally important. In our efforts to create a culture of hospitality here at St. Peter, hopefully, we can be a ‘hospital’ for the soul. Aside from being what we are called to do and be, it is just plain fun to be together in work and play!”

“The Hospitality Ministry is one way that we are hoping parishioners will feel more welcome and feel a sense of community and family at St. Peter’s,” Debby says. “One of the new ministries is the Mass Refreshment Ministry. We are hoping that by having monthly courtyard Mass Refreshments that people will get to know each other and feel a sense of belonging. Social activities build a sense of community. We want parishioners and guests to feel like they belong.

Importantly, the pillar of hospitality truly upholds a parish community, allowing us to connect in faith, fellowship, and even fun — all of which foster a strong bond of stewardship among our entire faith family.

“Rolling hot dogs in foil for our recent ‘Mass Refreshment’ event was a perfect example,” Becky says. “A group of parishioners gathered to pitch in. Being newer, I did not know many there but had fun meeting others. It turns out, I was not alone. Another chimed in to say how much she was enjoying helping, mixing, and mingling. I assumed that she too might be newer, but she was a founding member of our parish. I can’t say I actually ate a hot dog but I was so filled — and so was she!”

As stewards, we are all blessed with unique gifts, and even if it isn’t immediately apparent how you might share your own gifts, it’s something worth praying about!

“Our hope for this upcoming Stewardship Renewal would be that every parishioner takes the time to fill out their card,” Debby says. “We have been working hard to make sure that our parish ministry leaders are contacting people that show interest in their areas and invite them to participate. There is something for everyone! We all have God-given gifts and we should take the time to look through the booklet and fill out our cards.”

“Our Lord wasn’t kidding when He said it is ‘more blessed to give than to receive,’” Becky says. “When we act as the body of Christ, just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”