Stewardship Best Practices
Below is a list of “Best Practices” developed by Dr. Charles Zech in his book, Best Practices in Parish Stewardship:
- Be a Welcoming Parish That Takes Community-Building Seriously
- Try a variety of approaches; most successful used 4 or more welcoming activities
- Examples: Greeters at Mass, parish picnics, potluck dinners
- Appoint a Stewardship Council
- A pastor cannot do it by himself
- Leadership should be living a life of stewardship
- Have a parish stewardship vision, be comfortable talking about money and recognize the importance of accountability
- Include Stewardship as a Vital Component of the Parish Plan
- Stewardship must permeate the parish plan
- Stewardship should be in the parish mission statement
- Emphasize Stewardship in All Parish Formation and Education Programs
- For both youth and adult programs
- Provide the Opportunity for Lay Witness Presentations
- Powerful impact on changing people’s hearts and minds
- Should occur more than once per year
- Stewardship is not just about treasure (money)
- Lay witness speakers need to be credible
- Encourage parishioners to Make a Commitment to the Parish by Pledging
- Encompass all three components: time, talent, and treasure
- Communicate With Parishioners on Stewardship
- Inform of past and future needs
- Use multiple tools: annual report, periodic newsletters, website
- Good Stewardship Starts in the Parish House
- If we want parishioners to be good stewards, leadership must be a model for them
- Accountable and transparent in all financial dealings