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About the Archdiocese
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Offices
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Leadership
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Contact
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Events
Sacraments
Reconciliation
Baptism
Holy Orders
Marriage
Confirmation
Holy Communion
Anointing of the Sick
Services and Resources
For Those in Need
For Families
For Vocations
For Young People
Stewardship
For Intercultural Communities
Get Involved
Grow Your Faith
Learn Your Faith
Know the Issues
Promise To Protect
Statements
Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Glossary of Terms
Investigatory Process
List Release
Give
Education
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About Stewardship
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Stewardship Overview
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Stewardship Topics and Resources
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Parish Communication
About Stewardship
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
Contact Us
314.792.7215
314.792.7199
20 Archbishop May Dr.
St. Louis, MO 63119-5738
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Parish Communication
Many parishes only talk about Stewardship during their annual Stewardship Renewal initiative (usually in September or October).
Stewardship should be communicated every month to your parish.
Stewardship Renewal is another “season” of the Church (i.e. Lent, Easter, Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Times).
The means of communication you use is often the only window people have into their world of faith.
4 C’s of communication: constant, consistent, concrete, and creative.
Marketing Rule of 7
– People need to hear something 7 times and 7 different ways before they actually take any action.
Website
: your parish must have a great one. This is typically the first contact for new parishioners who are “shopping” for a parish:
Should invite people to be part of the Church
Show joyful, mission-driven articles and pictures
Should be “mobile-friendly”
Google “mobile-friendly test” to see if your parish website is mobile-friendly
Mobile phones are outselling computers. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, it’s almost like not having one.
Develop weekly Stewardship column
Add Stewardship Reflections
Use a drone to shoot video
Make sure your Mass time schedule, address, and parish contact information is easy to identify and access. (These are the main reasons people visit your website).
Annual Stewardship Report
: Your parish should provide this report annually to
all
parishioners. (Contact Dave Baranowski for in-house support or third party contact to assist with your annual stewardship report).
Add personal stories
Use parishioner quotes
Info-graphics make it easy to scan the report
Share accomplishments
Avoid data overload
Include a call to action – attend Mass, volunteer or donate
Monthly Lay Witness Talks
: Lay witness stewardship talks are a “best practice” during your parish stewardship renewal initiative. Consider expanding these talks each month and let different ministry representatives give their witness. (Tie in with your monthly Donut Sunday). Or, find other parishioners who are willing to share their stewardship story with your parish.
Social Media
: Develop a plan on how to use the various social media outlets and incorporate into your overall parish communication plan. Without a plan, your Facebook, Twitter, etc. attempts will be a failure. You should spend the same amount of time every week on your digital presence as you do on your bulletin.
MyParishApp.com
- Call 1.800.997.8805 to develop a parish phone app. Allow’s for direct communication with parishioners.
Advent/Lent postcards
– Invite and inform parishioners of upcoming events, include pictures of priests and key parish staff members.
Develop a Parish Communication Strategy:
Conduct an audit of all the different methods you use to communicate to parishioners.
Develop a parish leader “cross-functional” team to uncover all communication methods. (Some are not so obvious).
The parish website and bulletin are not the only way people receive communication.
Develop procedures for each communication method when sending information.
Refer to “Parish Communications Audit” on page 101.
Parish Logo Assistance
: if your parish needs help redesigning a logo, please contact the Office of Communications and Planning for consultation to determine if your request can be handled in- house or requires third party assistance.
Bulletin
: Still one of the primary communication tools, but not the only one!
Develop weekly stewardship column and spotlight a ministry or parishioner.
Add Stewardship Reflections (
archstl.org/stewardship
).
Many parishes just provide a weekly update on offertory received under the heading of “Stewardship.” This has the effect of reinforcing the common myth that stewardship is only about money.
Use your parish bulletin to provide a broader scope of your parish stewardship efforts. (See page 99 for an example).
Provide weekly updates on Prayer, Participation and Generosity, along with stewardship education information.
Bulletin – Ministry Spotlight Form
A great way to highlight each parish ministry.
Add to weekly bulletin, website or other parish communication.
See page 100 for example
Covenant Radio Network (EWTN)
Located at 4423 Hampton Ave., St. Louis MO, 63109
In St. Louis: 1080 AM or 1460 AM
Media Missionaries: St. Louis parishes are encouraged to have parish representatives as “media missionaries”:
Encourage people to listen to Catholic radio
Access to free faith-related resources for your parish
Contact Tony Holman (Covenant Radio Network):
[email protected]
(OR)
Contact Christine Schicker (EWTN):
[email protected]
Local Business Marquees/Signs:
Check with local businesses (especially banks) to advertise parish events on their marquees or electronic signs. Many are glad to do it and it’s usually free!
Other Ideas
: email blasts, robo-calls, trifold parish ministry brochures in cart rolled out after Mass or parish events, weekly stewardship articles in bulletins and on website.
Bulletin: Parish Ministry Spotlight
Parish Ministry Name:
Purpose
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Ministry Activities
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Meeting Time/Location
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Contact Information
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