Stewardship Tip March 2008

Parish Communication -- Stewardship of Information

Knowledge is power, they say. And the dissemination of knowledge is communication – and good stewardship! How many ways does your parish communicate? There’s the bulletin, of course – and announcements after Mass and perhaps ministries soliciting sales or participation outside the church or in the gathering space…

Who answers the phone at your parish? Does that person – or that recorded message – offer Mass times, directions, how to contact a priest in an emergency, and information about upcoming holy days? Do you send out a parish newsletter or seasonal mailings about special events during Advent and Lent? And how about the parish website? Is it up-to-date? Is it interactive? (Even if your parish doesn’t have web-savvy volunteers and a specially designed website of its own, you almost certainly have one at www.parishesonline.com, compliments of the church software company, ParishSOFT. Check it out!)

What about signage? Can visitors find their way around your parish property? And are there bulletin boards, an information kiosk, or other places to display posters about coming events? Is there someone in charge of making sure that the information posted is current, that outdated signs are taken down in a timely manner and that new ones are posted in ways that are eye-catching and appealing? Do you have a “Welcome Table” where newcomers can pick up information or register in the parish? Are your parish office and religious education office open on Saturday afternoons and Sundays when people come to Mass?

Hospitality ministers (greeters, ushers – whatever they’re called at your parish) are stewards of information, too. Are they available and welcoming as people come into church? Are they ready with answers about upcoming parish events and knowledgeable about who to ask and where to go to get the answers to those “out-of-left-field” questions that are sometimes the steppingstones to greater involvement?

Our task as Christians is to spread the Good News, and it’s not the responsibility of just the pastor, the religious education program, and the RCIA team. We are good stewards when the parish community shares the faith – and the ministries and activities that make up and flow from our communal life – as widely and in as many ways as possible.

Stewardship Tip March 2008