Diocese of Georgetown, Guyana

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- Has to do with finances/ money

- Time, Talent & Treasure

 Responsible planning and management of resources  Can be applied to the environment but also theology  Activity or job of protecting and being responsible  Acts as a surrogate of another or others, especially by managing property, financial affairs, an estate etc

A STEWARD is a person whose job is to manage the affairs or property of another person - the owner.

In the Christian sense… …a STEWARD is the manager of the affairs of GOD on earth.

Genesis 1: 26 & 28 God said, 'Let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves, and let them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild animals and all the creatures that creep along the ground…. God blessed them, saying to them, 'Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven and all the living creatures that move on earth.'

Antilles Bishops Pastoral Letter: Stewardship and the Revitalization of Parish Life in the Caribbean In the Community, each individual is steward (or caretaker) of all his [her] God-given gifts and talents, entrusted to him [her] to be put “at the service of others” - both within the Household of God and in the wider community.

US Bishops Pastoral Letter: A Disciples Response A Christian Steward is one who… Receives God’s gifts gratefully, Cherishes and tends them in a responsible and accountable manner, Shares them in justice and love, and Returns them with increase to the Lord.

A Christian Steward is one who… Receives gratefully, Cherishes and tends (nurtures) in a responsible and accountable manner, Shares in justice and love, and Returns with increase to the Lord.

As Christian stewards what do we receive from God? Life, time, talents, health, relationships (family), the Gospel, property etc?

Do we really acknowledge these as given to us by God? Life, time, talents, health, relationships (family), the Gospel, property etc?

LIFE is the FIRST and GREATEST gift of all and carries great RESPONSIBILITIES with it. We are the Stewards of our lives and God depends on us to accomplish HIS purposes.

Do we… ??? Receive LIFE gratefully, Cherish and tend (nurture) in a responsible and accountable manner, Share in justice and love, and Return with increase to the Lord??? How do we MANAGE the GIFT of LIFE?

TIME When God gives us LIFE, we don’t know how much TIME we have to use it… But whatever time we have is a GIFT FROM GOD, and we must use it WISELY in every activity throughout the day to fulfill God’s plan. Do we plan or budget our time?

TIME Sleep – 8 hrs Work – 8 hrs Travel – 1 hr Mealtime – 2 hrs Bath – ½ - 1 hr Washroom – 10 – 20 mins Recreation, exercise, study, prayer, community building???

Do we… ??? Receive TIME gratefully, Cherish and tend (nurture) in a responsible and accountable manner, Share in justice and love, and Return with increase to the Lord??? How do we MANAGE the GIFT of TIME?

TALENT – a group of aptitudes useful for some activity. APTITUDE – a component of a competency to do something; it is not developed knowledge, understanding, learned or acquired abilities. Knowledge, understanding, skills etc are gained through learning…. But we are born with aptitudes.

1 in 33 million Talent Knowledge Skill

I have chosen you before you were born (Jr. 1:4); I have carved your name in the palm of my hand (Is. 49:2); I have given you all that you can and ought to be (Is. 48:17) YOUR FULL POTENTIAL TO BE ALL YOU CAN AND OUGHT TO BE!

A “BLUEPRINT” THAT IS UNIQUE TO YOU!

Special set of talents - same set of talents – 1 in 275,000 - same set, in the same order…

1 in 33 million

… you have a great deal of stamina and work hard. You take great satisfaction from being busy and productive. Others criticize you for being too driven to achieve and call you ‘workaholic’.

… you generally find it easy to put your thoughts into words. You can explain things and make them clear and have the ability to tell captivating stories. Others criticize you for talking too much.

… you are best described by the serious care you take in making decisions or choices. You exhaust yourself and others as you make decisions cautiously and slowly. Others will judge you as a pessimist but in fact you are doing some very deep thinking.

… you are a creative person, fascinated by new ideas and concepts. You like free thinking experiences such as brainstorming and discussion groups. You may seem to get lost in the world of ideas and other may think you are a little “spacey”.

… you are dependable, and people know they can count on you. You don’t let people down, and you will work very hard to fulfill all your responsibilities and keep your word. You take psychological ownership of what you say you will do. You often feel overwhelmed and under pressure to perform.

1 in 33 million “Imagine someone who, before going abroad, summoned his servants to entrust his property to them. He gave five talents of silver to one servant, two talents to another servant, and one talent to a third, to each according to his ability; and he went away…” Matt. 25: 14-30

Do we… ??? Receive TALENTS gratefully, Cherish and tend (nurture) in a responsible and accountable manner, Share in justice and love, and Return with increase to the Lord??? How do we MANAGE the GIFT of TALENTS?

Why do you give to the Church? - Because my mother gave me change and now I automatically give when the collection baskets come around. - For the support of the church – pay the bills - To give back something in return - Giving is a symbolic act (associated with the offertory)

Why do you give to the Church? Old Testament – Deuteronomy 14: Set aside a tithe – a tenth - You and your families to eat in the presence of the Lord and provide for the - Levites - the foreigners - Orphans and widows

Why do you give to the Church? Old Testament – Deuteronomy 16: : :9-10 – giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings received - 26:1-13 – offering of first fruits in thanksgiving and recall how God has saved his ancestors

Why do you give to the Church? Deut 26:1-13 – 1. offering of first fruits in thanksgiving and 2. recall how God has saved his ancestors

Why do you give to the Church? - Hence the tithe is an act of gratitude – out of an attitude of gratitude! - Given in proportion to the blessing received!

Why do you give to the Church? - first fruits and thanksgiving is associated with reaping a crop… - what if there were no crops? - feeding of five thousand

Do we… ??? Receive Treasure gratefully, Cherish and tend (nurture) in a responsible and accountable manner, Share in justice and love, and Return with increase to the Lord??? How do we MANAGE the GIFT of TREASURE?

- Practical ways of living a Stewardship way of life - Grounded in who God is to us - What we do with a little is reflective of what we will do with a lot - Life takes on a different meaning when it is shared

- Are Catholic Christian parishioners practicing a stewardship way of life in our parishes? - Are Catholic Christians generous in sharing their life/ time, talents and treasure for the building of God’s kingdom?

16% 49% 35% EngagedEngaged Not – engaged Actively disengaged

Engaged Loyal and have a strong psychological and emotional connection. Spiritually developed and give of themselves. Not – engaged Not – engaged Part of the crowd who attend regularly. Socially connected, rather than emotionally or spiritually. Actively disengaged Actively disengaged 1.Attend infrequently 2.CAVE dwellers – Consistently Against Virtually Everything 16% 49% 35% 84%

Propose a process of commitment to the community referred to as ENGAGEMENT

Inside an Engaged Congregation

Engaged communities make people feel not just welcome but wanted! 1. Am I valued? 2. Do I make a meaningful contribution?

Committed and Engaged B E C D A Constantly form new groups of new people who can create shared history and bond with one another Reflect the value placed on membership Clarify the expectations of membership Foster a deep and strong emotional connection with the community Opportunities for contributing

People don’t come to Mass to know more about God; they come because they want to experience God. Hospitality is more than a growth strategy Engagement is emotional at its root – relate to each other We must go beyond just the worship experience

start “being” church stop “doing” church vs. Maintenance Mission “doing” church is focusing exclusively on “institutional preservation” “being” church is returning to the basics, focusing on creating a vibrant spirit of community and service.

… measure engagement in-depth and plan strategies to help parishioners to  Have a sense of belonging  Discover their talents – meaningful contribution  Grow spiritually

We are also obliged to be stewards of the Church—collaborators and cooperators in continuing the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, which is the Church’s essential mission. This mission—proclaiming and teaching, serving and sanctifying—is our task. It is the personal responsibility of each one of us as stewards of the Church.