Stewardship

Our Lady of Lourdes
Catholic Church
980 Huffman Road
Birmingham,
Alabama 35215
(205) 836-2274

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Yes! It's about giving . . .
but not just what you might think.
Read on.
It's about giving back to God
the many things He's given to us.
Yes, it is "A Way of Life"

Stewardship

Oftentimes we think that the things of this world will bring us peace or joy. As we search for joy, the modern world wants us to think that materialism is the ultimate measure of peace and happiness. God's peace is not measured by the standards of the world. We have heard the word "peace" when someone talks about sacrificial giving and of sharing time and talent with the church. There is a special grace, God's gift of peace, bestowed upon those who give of themselves for the benefit of others. This peace cannot be measured.

"Peace is my farewell
to you,
my peace is my gift
to you;
I do not give it to you
as the world
gives peace."

John 14

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Time, Talent & Treasure

Reaching Out As Stewards - Everything we have is given to us by God

The Three Legs of Stewardship
+ Time - With Our Time
+ Talent - With Our Talent
+ Treasure - With Our Treasure

Everything that we have while we are here comes as a gift from God. Because we love God, we gladly dedicate these gifts to God's service. We seek no "rewards" for our stewardship; we do it with the joy of serving God.

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With Our Time

When God gives us life, we don't know how much time we have to use that life. But, whatever time we have is a gift from God, and we must use it wisely in every activity throughout the day.

With Our Talent

The Bible tells us that if we use our talents wisely, we will be better able to use them and will develop others -- but if we don't we may lose even those talents we do have.

With Our Treasure

Giving money to the Church is a symbolic act - - the offering of ourselves in service and devotion to God. Giving is a practical matter, too, because the offering makes it possible for the Church to pay its bills and carry out its mission in Christ's name.

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The Five Zones of Stewardship
I - Reaching out to God		II - Reaching out to Family
Individual prayer Reading Scripture Studying Faith- related books & Church periodicals	Attend daily Mass Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament	Family Prayer Spend time together Eat meals together Helping a sibling with school work Playing together	Reading to - Listening to Household tasks Family outings Visiting family Visiting cemeteries
III - Reaching out to Church (Faith Community)
Serve Parish and/or Diocese Teaching Religious education classes Working in Youth Ministry		Being involved in Parish Ministries (e.g. Liturgy, Music, Evangelization, etc.) Offering skills for Parish use (e.g. carpentry, plumbing, electrical, etc.)
IV - Reaching out to School		V - Reaching out to Civic Community
Tutoring Chaperoning activities Coaching teams Supervising or helping with extracurricular activities (music, drama, yearbook, etc) Fund raising		Serving on councils/committees Volunteer fire department, rescue squad Leadership to scouts, 4-H, etc Volunteer at hospitals and homes for elderly Neighborhood groups

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STEWARDSHIP PRAYER

O God, I resolve to put You first in my life. I recognize that You have blessed me with all that I have and all that I am.
I commit to giving back to You the first portion of my blessings. Doing so may seem scary at times, but I hear Your reassurance in Scripture: "Do not worry anymore," and know that I can depend on You.
I resolve to sacrifice when necessary but always to do so out of a spirit of sincere love, just as Your Son, Jesus did for me.

I humbly accept the challenge to share from my means rather than from my excess.
I recognize that being a good steward is nothing more than being truly Christian. From my heart, I thank You Lord for blessing me and I trust in Your love.
Dear God, I resolve to be generous with my time, talent and treasure, giving in proportion to the gifts I have received. At times I may fail, but I pledge to keep trying. In so doing, I will confidently live each day with a spirit of true peace and joy.

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Last modified: February 05, 2006

Copyright © 2005 Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church
Birmingham, AL, USA. All rights reserved.