We know from the Bible that everything we have is a gift from God. We are stewards - managers - of the many gifts God has given to us. As Christian stewards, we recognize that all that we are - all that we have - belongs to God, and we are accountable to Him for the use of all things. Parishioners are encouraged to share their time, talent and treasure for building up the church and making our world a better place.

Stewardship, in its simplest terms, asks us to put God’s priorities before our own. Good stewards give the first portion of their gifts of time, talent and treasure to the Lord’s work in gratitude for His many blessings. God does not judge us by how much we give, but by how faithful we are in making the gift.

The following theological points serve as a basis for a Christian way of life expressed through stewardship:

• Stewardship expresses a basic attitude of gratitude to God for God’s many gifts to us and the trust we have in God as the ultimate source of our security.


• As stewards we are called to use these gifts to further God’s creative and redemptive purposes; as stewards we use God’s gifts for God’s purposes.


• God’s creative and redemptive purposes are most fully revealed in the life, death, and resurrection of God’s son, Jesus. The basic pattern of Jesus’ work is found in the Paschal mystery. It is a pattern on giving life for the sake of others, and in the giving, finding life more fully realized for ourselves and for those to whom we give.


• The Church is a gathering of disciples who nurture and encourage one another in discipleship. The practice of discipleship in and through the Church is one of the primary ways we are called to follow Jesus. It is the whole Church, the body of Christ, that is responsible for carrying on the work of Christ in the world today.


• Our sharing in the Paschal mystery of Jesus brings us to the notion of sacrifice as a sign of gratitude, praise, and trust in God. Sacrifice means giving from our substance - so we are changed by our giving.

Responsible Stewardship is essential for the life of our parish community.
Stewardship is giving of our time, talent, and treasure. All of us have been given unique gifts and talents from God. It is part of our calling to recognize and use those gifts. Stewardship is a way of life. It takes time, effort, education, sacrifice, and patience, but will result in a Parish that gratefully gives the gifts that were entrusted by God.

The Stewardship Committee is made up of members of the Parish who have volunteered to help Fr. Phil "cultivate the spirit of Christian stewardship through the enhancement of individual participation, contribution and feeling of ownership within the Church of St. Peter." If you are interested in joining the Stewardship Committee, contact Fr. Phil.

THESE ARE, AFTER ALL, THE GIFTS OF WHICH GOD MADE US STEWARDS.
As God’s stewards we Christians:

• Receive God’s gifts gratefully;


• cultivate those gifts responsibly;


• share our gifts lovingly in justice with others;


• and return them with increase to the Lord