33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time |
[Father Paul]
Week Three of Stewardship Focus
Today marks the third week of our focus on stewardship. In the first week, I discussed the mission of our parish, which is to make disciples by loving God, loving others, and following Christ. Being a disciple involves three key aspects: having a profound encounter with Jesus, surrendering to Him, and following His will.
Last week, I expanded on discipleship by asking, regardless of where you are on your Catholic spiritual journey, what is your next step? There are five ways to respond to this call, five entry points to a deeper Catholic life, summarized by the acronym "STEPS":
Service: Volunteering in any of our ministries.
Tithing: Financially supporting the church.
Engagement: Participating in small groups, especially during Lent. We have received the 500 books we ordered.
Prayer: Engaging in private prayer and participating in our devotions.
Spreading the Gospel: Simply bringing a friend.
Next weekend is specifically Stewardship Sunday, when envelopes will be available, and we will introduce our new online giving platform. I would like to focus on the second step, "Tithing." Tithing is a biblical concept usually interpreted at 10 percent. But the deeper question is expressed very succinctly in "Church Money: Rebuilding the Way We Fund Our Mission," the authors ask, "How do we get the money we need to fund our ministries?"
It comes from the weekly collection. I wonder sometimes if people think maybe the church doesn’t need that much money. One well meaning parishioner thought that the salaries of our staff was paid for by the diocese. No, the diocese has lent us money, lots of it, but we have to keep paying it back and then some! And we don’t get any money from the vatican, although it would be nice maybe if they gave us some of that priceless artwork to sell on ebay. Here’s what church money has to say about that:
From studying healthy, growing churches and their successful leaders, we've learned that financial stability and strength are fundamental to a church's health and growth. Consider the largest, fastest-growing churches in the country: Elevation Church in North Carolina, Life Church in Oklahoma, New Spring in South Carolina, North Point in Georgia, and Saddleback in California. They have taught their parishioners how to give, funding the unparalleled growth of their churches. (viii)
So, how do we get the money to fund our ministries?
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The way not to do it is by manipulating people into giving through short-term fundraising strategies like golf tournaments, raffles, dinners, or pleas from the pulpit. These methods may work short-term but do not create disciples, only "increasingly resentful consumers." (32)
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The reality is that the path toward financial health and stability in our parishes is not running away from our mission but toward it. The more we connect money and discipleship, the healthier our church finances will be. If we successfully attract the unchurched, guide them on a clear discipleship path, and equip them with steps to grow, we will see an increase in giving from our Church members. (37)
So this week, I’d like to highlight the “T” in “STEPS.” As mentioned about, tithing is a very biblical notion. The earliest record of it is in Genesis 14:20 when when Abram gave a 10th of “everything” out of gratitude to God. Today there are two ways to give money away: one is taxes, the other is charity. Well, the third is family. Back in the old testament, the church was the government, so charity and taxes were the same thing. Not so much in the new testament. Or today. So charity took on a deeper meaning, and yes, it was totally voluntary. but also absolutely essential. 2nd Corinthians expresses it most beautifully: "Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:6-7)
So how do we give to charity in a way that is meaningful, biblical, generous and free?
Planned
Personal Budget
Estate Planning - when you do your will
Priority
Biblically, a tithe is about giving from "the top of the pile."
Percentage
Here at St. Alexander we are most definitely not asking for an amount. We are asking for an expression of your gratitude to God for the gifts that God has given you, which is a percentage of your income. Maybe just a small percentage to start with, but think about it as a percentage.
Progressive
If you agree to start small, can you think about increasing your giving year by year?
Prayerful
We do this for God, not for ourselves. A study led by Kimmo Eriksson found that generous people have healthier bodies, minds, and relationships, and in the long run, they actually make more money than those who are selfish. It (literally) pays to be generous. // News // Notre Dame Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership // University of Notre Dame
Next weekend, I will discuss the many wonderful things happening in our parish. For your homework, I want you to take a closer look at our website, which is, and always will be in development, but just see the many wonderful things that are happening in our parish and give thanks to God for all these good things.
It is also Stewardship Sunday, when we distribute envelopes and encourage you to give more. After communion, Jamie Lepper will introduce a talk he is giving on Tuesday evening at 7:00 pm about budgeting and financial management. He has been an invaluable resource for us. We considered engaging with Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, but it is too costly for our parish and not available in Canada. Instead, we can utilize Jamie Lepper's expertise for financial guidance.
I conclude with this famous quotation from Oscar Romero:
It helps now and then to step back and take a long view.
The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is beyond our vision. We accomplish in our lifetime only a fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work. Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection,
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the Church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives include everything.
This is what we are about. We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water the seeds already planted knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing this. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders, ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own.
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