From Steve Litz
Stewardship Committee Chair at St. Andrew in Philadelphia

Dear Eric, Don, and staff of CSC,

I want to thank you for a job well done. Your professionalism, your expertise in working with all types of parishes, and above all, your deeply-held Catholic Faith—these have proven to be invaluable resources as you have worked with our parish.

We at St. Andrew have been struggling for the past few years to address spiritual issues in the parish and declining enrollment in our school. Now, with your help, we are well on our way to establishing a tuition-free parochial school, and we have markedly increased parishioners' ownership in the parish.

Looking back, I'm grateful that I discovered your company at the ICSC conference in Toronto. After visiting row after row of fundraising companies, all of whom use the term "stewardship," I finally came across your booth, and you immediately struck me as different—a Christ-centered company that really understands that stewardship begins with conversion of heart, and that it concerns all of parish life, not just the offertory.

Though I remember thinking at first that your services were costly, after six months of successfully working together, I now would advise any parish: Do whatever you can to gather the resources to hire this company. I can truly say that your approach has gone far beyond just increasing our offertory; we have created a spiritual foundation that will make a difference for years to come.

This year, our Stewardship Renewal, was far more successful than anything we'd ever done, even though we've been emphasizing stewardship for years at St. Andrew. Two years ago we were even recognized by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for our past stewardship efforts. This year, however, we far exceeded any previous results—in time, talent, and treasure. People are joining parish ministries in record numbers, especially prayer-related groups and social outreach. As we have transitioned to a tuition-free school, our offertory has risen from around $13,000 a week to around $22,000 a week.

With the help of CSC, even people who are marginally active in parish life have heard the message, especially through our new newsletter. It is a high-quality instrument that gives everyone in-depth insight to ministries and events—even those who don't come to Mass regularly. I see it as one of our primary evangelization tools.

For me, one of the highlights of the past eight months was the Leadership Retreat conducted by Deacon Don. He did an exceptional job showing participants what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, and how that translates directly into stewardship. Our leaders left inspired and energized.

In the end, the most valuable aspect of your services have been your staff people themselves. Each person with whom I have worked is well-trained, competent, accessible, and truly understands our Catholic faith. They all have been a joy to work with.

Again, thank you for your work at St. Andrew. I am happy to recommend CSC to any parish trying to make stewardship a way of life.

In Christ,

Steve Litz
Stewardship Committee Chair