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What do prayer, service, sharing mean?

Around 130 Stewardship coordinators and committee members from across the Green Bay Diocese learned more about stewardship and how to put it into action in their parishes at Stewardship Day held March 26 at St. Patrick Church in Menasha.

Dcn. Bill Doran of St. Michael Parish, Suring, said he came to get a better understanding of what it means to be a steward now that prayer, service and sharing have replaced the old concept of time, talent and treasure.

"This has been a learning experience for me," Dcn. Doran said. "I think we need to make sure we keep parishioners coming to church and inviting them to pray and the rest will follow."

Tom Donovan, diocesan consultant for pastoral planning, business and stewardship in the Pastoral Services Department, sponsor of the day, described the day as "a time for people to gather from all over the diocese and learn about good stewardship from other parishes and the theology of stewardship."

The day was funded in part by the Bishop's Appeal.

"I think everyone appreciates what the diocese has done so far in regard to stewardship," said Sue Martin of Sacred Heart Parish, Oshkosh, "but I think it helps to hear about what others are doing so we can learn from their experiences."

We need to be grateful for all gifts because they come from God, said the keynote speaker, Sr. Laura Goedken, OP, director of Stewardship for the Diocese of Monterey, Calif. We also need to share these gifts with others with justice and love and return the gifts in fullness to God, she said.

"God continually gives and gives, so we must give our first and our best back to God," Sr. Goedken said.

Steve Figi, Joyce Naps, Karen Lager, Carl Jankowski, and Gary and Helen Crevier of St. Patrick Parish discussed their experiences in the stewardship effort that has been a part of their parish for nine years.

When the parish first started the stewardship effort, committee members said, St. Patrick's suffered from low Mass attendance, a lack of involvement and a budget deficit. Their goal was to survive as a parish and to build bridges so parishioners would become active.

The parish incorporates prayer, service and sharing throughout the year. They have just completed a capital campaign to renovate their church and social hall. They based that campaign on the stewardship of sharing, not as a one-time building renovation project.

Diann Wimmer, diocesan worship director, and Anissa Melotte, diocesan consultant in worship, presented a session on "Developing a Parish of Prayer."

Prayer is a good place for most parishes to start, Donovan said. From there, they can add on service and sharing. If parishioners believe in Stewardship as a way of life, the rest will follow, Donavan said.

"The prayer part was extremely beneficial to me, with a wealth of materials for our use. One area was how to take your parish beyond Mass by using morning and evening prayer," Martin said. "To teach parishioners how to pray beyond the Mass is very important."

Mary Sherman, a pastoral services consultant, focused her presentation, "The Parish -- A Community of Service," on investing in people, creating interconnections and developing a parish base so Stewardship of Service touches the hearts of the community and makes members want to be a part of something bigger because they have both something to give and a need to receive.

"Creating a parish of care and concern is the foundation on which to build the stewardship of service," Sherman said.

The Stewardship of Sharing takes an entire parish commitment, Sherman said. It's not about raising money for a certain project. It's about committing oneself to be a steward for life.

Parishes need to stop and think where they fit and where they would like to be, said Cindi Brawner, diocesan director of Development. Then they need to accept where the people are and help figure out the next step. But don't pressure them, she said, just ask.