How do you make your Stewardship Renewal as successful as possible?
Does success hinge on beautiful displays at your Ministry Fair, or perfect color photos in your brochures? While these are important details, the most important elements during your Renewal are prayer and people.
As with many endeavors, prayer is essential to your Stewardship Renewal. It is, after all, a time for spiritual renewal — a time for personal growth as people make commitments to God and their parish. It is critical to pray that the Holy Spirit inspires the priests and lay people who will speak at Mass, and that He open the hearts of parishioners who hear the message. Some parishes even have special Eucharistic Adoration immediately preceding their Renewal.
In additional to prayer, having the right people in charge of the Stewardship Renewal is essential. The best plan in the world still needs to be executed by competent people. Is there a creative person planning your Ministry Fair? Are friendly folks handing out Commitment Cards at Mass? Do you have someone responsible and assertive in charge of the all-important ministry follow-up? In one parish in Fort Worth, Texas, choosing a dynamic and well-prepared lay speaker to “walk through” the commitment cards at Mass was the key to a dramatic increase in participation.
Often we tend to focus on the portions of the Stewardship Renewal that we can physically control, for instance, getting a mailing out by a certain deadline, or hanging a banner just right. And of course, it’s good to pay attention to all the details. But in the end, it’s the Holy Spirit moving through the right people that will make your Renewal as successful as possible.
