Develop an Annual Stewardship Plan

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Stewardship Overview
Best Practices Book Summaries Children's Stewardship Stewardship Graphics Stewardship Prayers What is Stewardship? Why Teach Stewardship? Parish Best Practices Presentations Stewardship Topics and Resources
Annual Stewardship Education Calendar Parish Stewardship Renewal Timeline Stewardship Awareness Sunday Highlights Stewardship Marketing Materials Assist Parishioners in Developing a Daily Prayer Process Catholic Prayer Guide Eight Ways to Jump-Start Your Prayer Life – Matthew Leonard Encourage Greater Mass Attendance Parish Prayer Activities Reflections on Prayer – Matthew Kelly Retreats The Parish as a School of Prayer – Fr. Scott Traynor Thoughts on Prayer Barriers to Participation Gift Discernment Parish Participation Activities Reaching Young Adults Compass Catholic Ministries Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University Don’t Confuse Stewardship with Fund-Raising Jesus and Money Legacy Planning Seminar My Catholic Giving Guide Parish Generosity Activities Spirituality of Giving Money Strategic Offertory Review Checklist Talk More Frequently About Giving as a Matter of Faith Thoughts Regarding Faith and Money Tithing Annual Parish Stewardship Renewal Best Practices Book Suggestions Children’s Stewardship Develop an Annual Stewardship Plan Develop a Stewardship Culture Stewardship Best Practices – Dr. Charles Zech Faith Sharing Tips Lay Witness Speaker Training Parish Ministry Leadership Servant Leadership – Faith Perceptions Authentic Renewal Building a Path of Discipleship Discipleship, Stewardship and Evangelization Go and Make Disciples – U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Living As Missionary Disciples – U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Kerygma Making Missionary Disciples – Curtis Martin Parish Communication Parish Marketing Parish Mission Statement Made For Mission – Tim Glemkowski Spiritual Renewal of the American Parish – Earnest Larsen Personal Stewardship Best Practices Focus on the “Why” and Not the “What” Freedom (The Ten Commandments) Stewardship & Random Acts of Kindness The Harvest is Abundant But the Laborers Are Few Recruiting/Forming a Stewardship Committee Stewardship Committee Member Roles Stewardship Hispanic Culture Stewardship Scripture Quotes Welcoming
Bulletin Inserts
Bulletin Articles Prayers of the Faithful Weekly Bible Reflections
Education & Marketing Material
Other Educational Resources Other Marketing Resources Stewardship E-Newsletters 2020 Lay Witness Speaker Training Night Registration
Generosity
Electronic Offertory Recommended Suppliers Financial Management Increased Offertory Recommended Suppliers Planned Giving Tithing Weekly Offertory Giving Chart
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Lay out an annual calendar of current religious and parish events.
List your parish stewardship activities month by month.
When possible, use stewardship activities to enhance current religious events and parish activities.
Do not “force in” stewardship events that do not make sense. If forced, they will be unsuccessful.
Put your plan in writing and update each year. Many parishes do not write their plan down. This leads to poor communication, poor planning, poor execution and an uninspired stewardship effort. (“Proper planning prevents poor performance.”)
Concentrate on doing one or two stewardship activities very well each year. Once you have them down, add one or two new activities the following year.
Stick to the plan! Determine beforehand what success looks like for your parish.
Remember, stewardship takes years to become ingrained in the parish culture, do not get discouraged if you don’t see results after the first year.
Be patient, persistent, and creative with your plan.
On pages 134 - 136, is an example of a parish annual stewardship plan (i.e. 2021 Mary Queen of the Universe Stewardship Calendar).
To develop an annual parish plan, overlay your individual parish ministry calendars on top of the stewardship calendar. (You will easily see which months have too much activity and which months you could add to.)

Stewardship Annual Planning Calendar Example

2022 Mary Queen of the Universe Stewardship Calendar

January

1/8 & 1/9: Insert My Catholic Giving Guide in Bulletin with Pastor Letter comments
1/11: Monthly Stewardship Committee Meeting
1/14: New Parishioner Dinner with Fr. Smith and Fr. Jones
1/22 & 1/23: Monthly Lay Witness Talk – Tom Brown

February

2/5: Parish Volunteer Appreciation Mass & Breakfast
2/8: Monthly Stewardship Committee Meeting
2/14 – 17: Parish Mission
2/26 & 2/27: Monthly Lay Witness Talk - Sally White
Schedule Annual Parish Ministry Leader Meeting in May
Will Increased Offertory Program will be part of annual Fall parish stewardship renewal?

March

3/8: Monthly Stewardship Committee Meeting
3/26 & 3/27: Monthly Lay Witness Talk – Luis Hernandez
Plan End of Life Issue Seminar (Bioethics, Estate Planning, Charitable Gifts, Funeral Planning) in 2022

April

4/12: Monthly Stewardship Committee Meeting
4/23 & 4/24: Monthly Lay Witness Speaker Talk – Annual Catholic Appeal Speaker
Schedule August – December Monthly Lay Witness Speakers

May

5/7: Parish Picnic
5/10: Monthly Stewardship Committee Meeting
5/14: Annual Parish Ministry Leader Meeting

June

6/1 – 7/22: Order Parish Stewardship Marketing Material
6/14: Monthly Stewardship Committee Meeting
Receive Parish Stewardship Planning Manual
Update Stewardship Covenant Card used in the Fall
Recruit new stewardship committee members
Schedule Family Day (start of new school year in August)
Identify Stewardship Sunday Lay Witness Speaker(s)

July

7/12: Monthly Stewardship Committee Meeting
7/22: Parish Stewardship Marketing Materials Order is due
7/20: Parish Stewardship Training Night @ the Cardinal Rigali Center
Contact Parish Ministry Leaders for updated ministry information for annual stewardship report
Schedule Fall Festival Planning Meeting for early August

August

8/9: Monthly Stewardship Committee Meeting
8/10: Lay Witness Speaker Training @ the Cardinal Rigali Center
8/12: Stewardship Marketing Materials delivered
8/27 & 8/28: Monthly Lay Witness Speaker – Sean O’Malloy
Receive Parish Stewardship Posters

September

Incorporate MQU Stewardship Prayer during Mass throughout Stewardship Awareness Month Masses
9/10 & 9/11: Announce Upcoming Stewardship Events at all Masses and in bulletin
9/12: Parish receives Stewardship brochure, cover letter, covenant card and annual stewardship report in mail
9/13: Monthly Stewardship Committee Meeting
9/17 & 9/18: Frs. Smith & Jones review Annual Parish Stewardship Report in homily
9/24 & 9/25: Stewardship Awareness Sunday – Frs. Smith & Jones give Stewardship homily

October

10/1 & 10/2 – Stewardship Lay Witness Speaker – Silvia Martinez
10/8: Annual Stewardship “Mass in the Grass”
10/8: Annual Fall Festival/Ministry Fair (after Mass in the Grass)
10/17: Monthly Stewardship Committee Meeting
10/15 & 10/16: Stewardship Covenant Card Weekend
10/18: Contact Parish Ministry Leaders with new volunteer information
10/22 & 10/23: Monthly Lay Witness Speaker – Bob Anderson
Schedule Parish Ministry Leader Meeting in November (or follow up with e-mail to Parish Ministry Leaders on comments regarding the annual parish stewardship renewal)

November

11/5 & 11/6 – Stewardship Summary communicated to Parish
11/8: Monthly Stewardship Committee Meeting
11/26 & 11/27: Monthly Lay Witness Talk – Gloria Haner
Schedule January – April 2023 Monthly Lay Witness Speakers

December

12/13: Monthly Stewardship Committee Meeting
Review offertory envelope graphics & copy for upcoming year
Set goal for number of families participating in electronic offertory for upcoming year

Notes

Weekly Stewardship Reflections in Bulletin
Weekly Stewardship Prayers of the Faithful said at Mass
Monthly Electronic Offertory Bulletin Reminder and Announcement at all Masses
Review Archdiocesan Stewardship website (archstl.org/stewardship) for stewardship information and parish resources