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So, you’ve been working on stewardship at your parish for a few years now. You have a stewardship committee, devote several weeks a year to renewal, invite lay witnesses to speak, encourage the signing of pledge cards, hold a ministry fair… But how do you know how you’re doing as a stewardship parish? How do you measure your progress? What are the signs of success?
Obviously, a steadily increasing percentage of the parish filling out pledge cards each year is one of those signs. More and deeper participation in parish ministries – and the development of new ministries to meet new needs – are also measurable outcomes. And very good ones! But what else?
Is there evidence of increased gratitude for personal and parish blessings – a growing and pervasive “attitude of gratitude”? In planning, is the focus on using well the abundance the parish already enjoys in the gifts of its people or in seeking after what seems to be missing? Is there a hunger for spirituality and a flowering of devotion? Are adult education opportunities and family catechetical events eagerly anticipated and well-attended? Do you see a good number of parish families at local civic events or in line to vote on Election Day or helping out at a neighborhood recycling or highway clean-up day? Many parishes also experience an increase in Eucharistic adoration and attendance at daily Masses.
We all are already stewards of all God’s gifts – good stewards or poor ones, conscious or unconscious, accidental or intentional. Our parish stewardship efforts should help move us toward being better stewards, more conscious of the stewardship implications of our choices and actions, and more intentional stewards of our personal blessings and the good things our parish community holds in common. How’s your parish doing?
For several good checklists to measure your parish’s growth in stewardship and a host of proven ideas from long-time stewardship parishes, be looking for a new manual compiled by the International Catholic Stewardship Council and published through a grant from Our Sunday Visitor, due out this fall.)
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