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Stewardship
Committee
The Mission
of the Stewardship Committee is to promote Stewardship as a way of life
in the parish by encouraging parishioners giving of time, talent and treasure.
This committee is involved in year-round Stewardship education and organizes
the annual Fall Festival of Ministries.
For more
information, contact Mary Reichenbach, Director of Stewardship, at 314-576-5366
ext. 48 or mreichenbach@incarnate-word.org.
Incarnate
Word parish is known as one of the premier Stewardship parishes in the
St. Louis archdiocese. The tradition our parishioners have for giving
freely and generously of their time, talent and treasure is what makes
Incarnate Word such a dynamic and faith filled community. The Stewardship
Committee members have answered the call to grow deeper in their love
for God and their service to Our Lord Jesus. Thank you to these committed
individuals and to all the
volunteers of Incarnate Word.
-
Mary Reichenbach
Stewardship
Questions & Answers
Q: What
is Stewardship?
In the
simplest terms, Stewardship is a way of life that involves:
- Recognizing
that everything we have is a gift from God.
- Recognizing
that we must be grateful to God for the gifts we have.
- Recognizing
that we show our gratitude to God by giving back a portion of our time,
talent and treasure to do God's work here on earth.
- Recognizing
that God has blessed us uniquely and specifically so that we can help
with His work on earth.
Q: Why Stewardship
at Incarnate Word?
God has
asked us all to live as stewards. Stewardship encourages individuals
to a life-changing conversion that is based on faith. When enough people
are moved to return to God a truly grateful share of the blessings He
bestows upon us, the Church's present needs are met with a surplus for
future expansion.
Far more important are the spiritual blessing bestowed on those who
accept stewardship's message. Giving out of gratitude means giving God
the first portion of the gifts He entrusts to us.
Q: What
are the benefits of Stewardship at Incarnate Word?
- The
faith of our parishioners is deepened as we learn to put God first in
our lives.
- More
parishioners take an active role in the parish and feel a sense of commitment
to the mission of Incarnate Word.
- We as
parishioners have more opportunities to work together, make friends
and develop a deeper sense of parish family.
- The commitment
of parishioners allows Incarnate Word to effectively plan for the future.
- We as
parishioners experience the joys of giving back and living in harmony
with God's call.
Q: How do
I begin to live the life of a steward?
Adoration.
The Eucharist is at the very core of everything that we are as a Church.
When we take time to reflect on the Eucharist we are reminded of the
ultimate gift that Jesus gave for our redemption. We realize that the
gifts, which we are called upon to give, are small compared to the sacrifice
Jesus made for us.
Q: How does
Incarnate Word promote Stewardship in the parish?
Incarnate
Word is involved in a year round stewardship education process. The
stewardship committee oversees the Fall stewardship process and keeps
alive the message of stewardship throughout the year by educating our
parishioners to the blessings received by making stewardship a way of
life.
Q: What is
the Festival of Ministries?
The Festival
of Ministries is an annual tradition at Incarnate Word that is held
in the Kent Center after all Masses on a weekend in the Fall. This is
a time we celebrate what we do in our parish by showcasing in a fun
way the multitude of organizations and ministries we have here at Incarnate
Word. We also use this opportunity to reach out and invite new volunteers
to our organizations.
Q: What
is a Stewardship intention card?
The intention
card gives parishioners an opportunity to make a yearly commitment to
our parish. The card list all the organizations, ministries and activities
of Incarnate Word. It encourages a gift of time or talent and also a
financial pledge of treasure.
Each family
unit will be mailed an intention card in the Fall stewardship mailing
and we hope parishioners will prayerfully reflect on the gifts God has
given them and consider ways to show their gratitude for these gifts.
Parishioners are asked to complete and return the forms to the Parish
Office. You can download the stewardship card here: page
1 & page 2.
Q: What
is a Time and Talent catalog?
The Fall
stewardship mailing will include a time and talent catalog. This booklet
will list the organizations and ministries of our parish. It will give
descriptions of each group and a contact person for all ministries.
Q: Is Stewardship
just a trend?
Some Catholics
think that stewardship is a new fad or a fancy word for fundraising.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Stewardship is based on sacred
scripture. Stewardship is based on biblical view of God as Creator and
us as His servants, accountable to Him for our use of the gifts of time,
talent and treasure that He gives us during our time on earth.
The Old
Testament portrays men and women as caretakers of creation not owners.
The Old Testament also teaches the offering of the first fruits. The
New Testament gives us the greatest example of Stewardship-Jesus. In
His parables, Jesus gives us constant reminders of our obligation to
live as stewards. Over half of Jesus' parables deal with the use of
possessions-time, talent and treasure.
Through
Baptism and Confirmation we are also called to be stewards of God's
gifts. If we are to truly live our faith then we must also live stewardship.
Faith is much more than prayer. It is also action. By living as stewards
we not only listen to God's words but we do His work
Q: Is Stewardship
different than fundraising?
- Yes.
Stewardship seeks to touch our hearts; fundraising only seeks to touch
our pocketbook.
Q: Where
can I read more about Stewardship?
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