From Maintenance to Mission:

Stewardship and its Role in the

New Evangelization

Jesus’ call is urgent. He does not tell people to follow him at some time in the future but here and now—at this moment, in these circumstances. There can be no delay. “Go and proclaim the kingdom of God. . . .”

(U.S. Bishops’ Pastoral Letter on Stewardship)

There is a Crisis in the

Church!

Indicators/Symptoms of Spiritual Health:

VolunteerismMass Attendance ParticipationFinancial

Commitment

People always seem to have the time and the money for whatever they value most.

Company

LOGO

Do you think people have the TIME,

but just don’t give it?

Or do they just not have IT to give?

Each month, the typical Adult American spends over 185 hours per monthwatching TV/DVR/Netflix‐like, while also spending 26.97 hours per month on‐line (non‐mobile) and 34.35 hours per month using the Internet via their mobile device.[Source:  Nielsen Media Research, 2014, “How Smartphones are Changing Consumers’ Daily Routines Around the Globe,” February 24, 2014]

Youth ages 8 to 18 spend an average of 53 hours per week on Entertainment media (including the internet, mobile devices and game consoles).

Teenagers (7th grade through 12th) spend an average of 11.5 hours per week texting (averaging 826 texts per week).

[Source: Kaiser Family Foundation Study: “Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8-to18-Year-Olds,” January 2010]

The average American spends1 hour & 38 minutes weekly on

religious and/or volunteer activities (includes travel time).

[Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, “American Time Use Survey,” June 22, 2011]

Company

LOGO

Do you think people have the $ MONEY $,

but just don’t give it?

Or do they just not have IT to give?

U.S. Annual Consumer Spending

$864 billion in credit card fees$97 billion on gift cards,

$8 billion estimated will go unused

$72 billion on carbonated soft drinks$12 billion on coffee

$100 billion on Apple-related products

$43 billion on pets (including $9 billion on veterinary care)

$20 billion on video games$10 billion on Super Bowl activities and

merchandise

Teenagers spent $100 billion at their own discretion and influenced another $50 billion of their parents spending.

Children aged 4 to 12 spent $27 billion at their own discretion,

directly influenced $187 billion of parental purchases

and indirectly influenced another $300 billion.

How did we do with prioritizing the Lord’s work?

$5.864 billion to the U.S. Catholic Sunday offertory collection in 2002 ($74.3 billion to all U.S. houses of worship, national headquarters of faith traditions and missionary societies in 2000).

How did we do with prioritizing the Lord’s work?

A Gallup study shows U.S. Catholics gave 1.0% to all charities combined, less than any of the 10 categories of religious/denominations tracked --even lower than the category "no religious membership."

U.S. Lottery sales totaled $58 billion in 2010. Source: U.S. Census 2010, Bureau of Economic Analysis; Fiscal Year 2010 Annual Reports of State Lottery Commissions

In 2002, the average registered active Catholic household in the United States gave $455 to the Sunday collection for a total of $5.864 billion. Source: USCCB, Catholic Information Project, August 2006.

Evangelization is Engagement --

Making Disciples

Stewardship: How a Disciple Responds

Evangelization: cultivating people to

become Engaged

Engagement leads to Spiritual Commitment

(A Stewards way of Life)

WITH WHOM ARE WE PROMOTING DISCIPLESHIP/EVANGELIZATION?

4 arenas to promote

Discipleship/Evangelization

Inactive Catholics

“not engaged”

Fallen AwayCatholics

“disengaged”

The Un-Churched“disengaged”

• Busy schedule or lack of time• Family responsibilities• Health problems or a disability• I don’t believe that missing Mass is a

sin• Conflict with work

WHY PEOPLE DO NOT ATTEND MASS OR BECOME

INACTIVE

• Inconvenient Mass schedule• I am not a very religious person• Don’t need to come to Mass to be

spiritual• Impact of Secularism and

Materialism

WHY PEOPLE DO NOT ATTEND MASS OR BECOME

INACTIVE

• Marriage to a non-Catholic or to a non-practicing Catholic

• Boredom with worship, particularly preaching

• Moving from one city to another

• Difficulties with changes in the church (both too much and too little!)

• Personal quarrel with someone who represented the church

• Catholic Teachings in conflict with personal life and values

• Impersonal nature of large Catholic parishesNote: when asked, people are generally not going to say it was because of the impact of secularism and materialism if applicable.

WHY PEOPLE LEAVE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

• Almost six out of every ten say they would “definitely,” “probably” or “possibly” return to the church.

• Two-thirds of them have not yet been invited to return to the church.

• Half of those who are approached about resuming the practice of their faith respond positively.

• Almost seven out of ten who are not active in a church say they would even invite others to join their religious denomination.

SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF PEOPLE WHO NO LONGER

PRACTICE THE FAITH

• Likewise, seven out of ten are providing some religious education for their children.

• A large number may be able to become involved in the Catholic Church relatively easily, because their reasons for being uninvolved can be easily resolved.

• They hold many traditional religious beliefs about God, the Bible, life after death and the importance of morality.

SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF PEOPLE WHO NO LONGER

PRACTICE THE FAITH

WHO IS TO EVANGELIZE?

“The primary mission of the laity is evangelization.”

~ St. John Paul II (Christifideles Laici, 33)

Christ

Practicing

Catholics

Intentional

Disciples

Disciple Makers

Spiritual, but Not Religious

We developed a focus:“Altamonte Alex”

27-to-42 year-old married males and females with families

• Often right in our School/PREP programs• Not actively participating

PROMOTING THE GOSPEL

Is Your Parish Inviting?

HOSPITALITY

RESERVED PARKING FOR SPECIAL

POPULATIONS!

CAN YOU TELL THIS IS A CATHOLIC CHURCH?

OR THIS ONE?

Show that the Parish cares about them!

WELCOMING

SIGNS OF WELCOMING

• Greeters – Call people by name, Welcome newcomers

• Worship Aids (in print or on screens): Guidelines for the Mass Especially at Christmas and Easter

• Welcoming Pew Card – Give parish contact information, Registration packet

• Pew Cards at Christmas and Easter

Welcome to St. Mary Magdalen Parish“A Caring Catholic Community”

I am a visitor from ___________________________________________ I would like to be welcomed as a new parishioner. I am a current parishioner of St. Mary Magdalen and wish to be re-welcomed. I am in need of pastoral care. Please have ____________________

contact me at (my phone #) ___________________________. Please send me information on _________________________________ I am temporarily using this envelope to wrap my Sacrificial Giving Gift

to God and to the Church.

SIGNS OF WELCOMING

WELCOMING CENTER/VISITOR CENTER

SIGNS OF WELCOMING

• Welcome Wagon• Paulist New Mover Mailing List• Welcome Parishioners

• On Website/Bulletin• Pictures throughout campus• Welcoming Booth/Visitors’ Table• Welcome Potluck

`

SIGNS OF WELCOMING

• Coffee & Doughnuts – after all weekend Masses• If used as a fundraiser, provide coupons for

newcomers• Celebrate special days of the Church

Parish Feast Day, Pentecost

• Nursery & Child Care – During Mass, RCIA, School parents’ meetings, New Beginnings• Kids’ ministry

• Funeral Receptions / Grief Ministry

SIGNS OF WELCOMING

• Christmas/Ash Wednesday/Easter efforts

• Exceptional Greeters

• Pew Gardeners

• Parking Ambassadors

• Pew Seaters (ushers extraordinaire)

• Welcome video – message of invitation

• Technology at Mass so people know what’s going on

SIGNS OF WELCOMING

• Reaching out to the homebound

• Live Streaming

`

REPRESENTING CHRIST AND THE CHURCH

How does your parishioners & those who step through the

door perceive the parish?

• Smile

• Acknowledge

• Serve

3 Steps To ServiceSAS

Never Underestimate The Power Of A SMILE!

a smile ….• Sets the tone, • Opens the door, • Breaks down barriers, • Puts others at ease, • Has a positive effect on YOUR attitude,• Has a positive effect on OTHERS’ attitude!

What Is A ‘PHONE SMILE’?

A phone smile is…

• A polite tone of voice

• A friendly greeting - “Good Morning”

• Prompt! Answer within three rings.

Mr. Grumpy

Not a Happy Fellow . . .

Director of First Impressions

Postmark Advertisings

“Place God First”

“Grow in Holiness”

“Merry Christmas!”

• Name Badges

• New Employees

• New Members

• Weekly at Mass

OTHER WAYS TO EVANGELIZE

OTHER WAYS TO EVANGELIZE

OTHER WAYS TO EVANGELIZE

Voice Mail• 1 week before Christmas

& Holy Week• Constantly update with

the special schedule

Video Monitors

Advertise events around parish

COMMUNICATION & TECHNOLOGY

Religious Music

• Pipe throughout building• Pipe into telephone system

• People realize this is a holy place

COMMUNICATION & TECHNOLOGY

Busted Halo

Catholics Coming Home: “Evangomercials”

COMMUNICATION & TECHNOLOGY

Message SeriesIntegrated message throughout everything

you do in the parish

Small GroupsService projects

All relates to the weekend message

PROMOTING THE GOSPEL

Parish Database

• Run reports to identify Adults who haven’t received Confirmation

• RCIA: help the ministry invite non-Catholic spouses

• Evangelization Range

COMMUNICATION & TECHNOLOGY

• At least every 5 years, do a Parish Census

• Some parishes send out a “census update” every year on the head of the household’s birthday (1/12 of the parish is touched per month).

• Home Visits

PARISH CENSUS

Remembering Special Days

• New Year’s Resolution: Yearly Spiritual Check-ups

• Birthday Cards

• Anniversary Cards

• Marriage Calendars: 6 mos. After the Wedding Ceremony

COMMUNICATION & TECHNOLOGY

Thank those who visit: Send a thank-you note

Send a Tax Information Statement to everyone. (Chance to thank them again). Include information about the parish.

Send a Parish Annual Report to Everyone: Tell the Good News of God’s mission carried out at the Parish.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Advent/Christmas & Lenten/Easter Schedules

• Website

• Bulletin

• Parish Mailings

• Utilizing Parishioner/Bulletin Advertisers

• Christmas Light Tour

PROMOTING THE GOSPEL

Reconciliation Promotion

• Postcard Invitation

• Website

• Pew Assists

• Homilies

• Bulletin

• Newspaper Advertisement

PROMOTING THE GOSPEL

Welcome Back Theme

We need to say we’re sorry and ask for forgiveness also!

Taking parishioners to their next level of Discipleship

• Keeping Holy the Sabbath Day

• Nurturing the Family as a spiritual practice of stewardship

• Encouraging families to challenge materialism & consumerism as a spiritual practice ofstewardship

PROMOTING THE GOSPEL

Prayer Opportunities!

Bridge-Building Events

• Exposes people to your campus.

• Police Officers/EMT: Feast of St. Michael Prayer Service

• Doctors: Feast of St. Luke Prayer Breakfast

• Parish Festivals

BRING PEOPLE ON YOUR CAMPUS

HotelsSchedule of Masses in each roomConcierge

Neighborhood Fairs“Maitland Art Festival”

BRING PEOPLE ON YOUR CAMPUS/OUTREACH

Ads/BannersIn Local High School Football scheduleElementary NewslettersNeighborhood MagazineLocal NewspaperCable Access

BRING PEOPLE ON YOUR CAMPUS/OUTREACH

BRINGING PEOPLE ONTO YOUR CAMPUS/OUTREACH

• Emails: Special Church events/traditions

• Blessing of the Throats• St. Valentine’s Day• World Day of Prayer

USE OF ELECTRONIC/SOCIAL MEDIA

ChurchRater.com

• Have Pastoral Council Members/Pastoral Leaders rate your church (hopefully it is a positive experience).

• They are knowledgeable about the parish and can share about the parish’s programs and services.

• When someone is looking for a church, they can hear all about yours!

EVALUATIONS

Mystery Worshipper

EVALUATIONS

Jesus’ call is urgent. He does not tell people to follow him at some time in the future but here and now—at this moment, in these circumstances. There can be no delay. “Go and proclaim the kingdom of God. . . .”

(U.S. Bishops’ Pastoral Letter on Stewardship)