The four pillars of parish stewardship — Hospitality, Prayer, Formation and Service — have been heralded as key elements in the process of parish and personal conversion to the facilitation of living stewardship as a way of life. In establishing the order of importance of the “four pillars,” Bishop Eugene J. Gerber, Bishop Emeritus of […]
Dan Loughman: Common Language and Understanding
In the process of developing stewardship as a way of life at the parish or diocesan level, the term “stewardship” is sometimes used rather loosely. Generally, there is a wide range of definitions among parishioners as to what the term “stewardship” really means to them. This holds true even though the 1992 U.S. Bishops’ Pastoral […]
Dan Loughman: What Will Your “Book of Life” Say?
In Revelation 20:12 we hear: “I saw the dead, the great and the lowly, standing before the throne, and scrolls were opened. Then another scroll was opened, the book of life. The dead were judged according to their deeds, by what was written in the scrolls.” We are all destined to stand before the throne. […]
Dan Loughman: Good Stewards are Mindful of the Virtues
Seeking to live a virtuous life — that of practicing and acquiring the virtues — is an important ingredient in the life of a Christian steward. 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 with others, and returns them […]
Dan Loughman: “God Loves a Cheerful Giver”
The practice of stewardship is a Christian way-of-life process, one that requires putting our baptismal call to discipleship into a process of ongoing, life-long, committed action, and thereby facilitating and supporting the Church’s mission of proclaiming and teaching, serving and sanctifying. In the process of conveying this way-of-life process, the U. S. Bishops’ opened their […]
Dan Loughman: STEWARDSHIP – A way of life or THE way of life?
When the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops was drafting its 1992 pastoral letter, Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response, Msgr. Thomas McGread — along with members of the U.S. Bishops’ ad hoc committee on stewardship — was instrumental in bringing forth the concept of stewardship as a way of life. Stewardship was and is a concept […]
Dan Loughman: The Parish Stewardship Council – Best Practices
Editor’s note: This is the final installment in Dan Loughman’s five-part series on the key factors of developing a successful Parish Stewardship Council. “Best Practices” is considered by many as a term — a business buzzword — used to describe the process of developing and following a standard way of doing certain things that have […]
Dan Loughman: The Parish Stewardship Council — Formation and Education
Editor’s note: This is the fourth in Dan Loughman’s five-part series on the key factors of developing a successful Parish Stewardship Council. Ongoing stewardship formation and education is a must for Parish Stewardship Council members. Council members must be committed to this ongoing formation in order to be in a position to design and facilitate […]
Dan Loughman: The Parish Stewardship Council – Organizational Structure
Editor’s note: This is the third in Dan Loughman’s five-part series on the key factors of developing a successful Parish Stewardship Council. Having a Parish Stewardship Council that functions separately — yet collaboratively — with the Parish Finance Council and Parish Pastoral Council requires that it be appropriately structured to carry out its intended purpose. […]
Dan Loughman: The Parish Stewardship Council – Membership Characteristics
Editor’s note: This is the second in Dan Loughman’s five-part series on the key factors of developing a successful Parish Stewardship Council. The selection and formation of parish stewardship council members, under the direction of the pastor, is the single most important element in ensuring the ongoing life-long education, formation, conversion and facilitation of stewardship […]
