We are pleased to provide you and your Stewardship Team with these 2012 Stewardship Resources. This is the first step in a year-round effort to provide practical and inspiring stewardship resources for the parish. These are mailed to the parishes in hard copy in September.
Our theme for 2012 is Abide in Me from chapter 15 of the Gospel of John. At the Last Supper, as we read in Chapter 15 of the Gospel of John, Jesus instructed His disciples, "I Am the Vine; you are the branches." He was telling us that the purpose of our abiding in Him is that we may bear fruit for God in the world. "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit..." Just as the vine bears fruit only through its branches, so Jesus has chosen to work in the world through us. We are the members of His Body.
We are the branches through which the True Vine must bear fruit. We bear fruit when we serve and support God and His Church.
Resources available here in digital format are:
Quickstart Guide
This quick start guide provides your parish stewardship team with an outline and checklist to plan their efforts for the year ahead. (Adobe PDF or Word DOC)
Stewardship Ministry Practical Steps Booklet
This booklet contains guidelines for preparation of a parish Stewardship Program, updated letters, a sample commitment card and new member card, various campaign formats and ideas for parish stewardship ministry. (Adobe PDF or Word DOC)
Abide in Me Brochure
This tri-fold brochure, provides a reflection on the Abide in Me theme and serves as an insert in your stewardship communications or as a resource to be offered during stewardship visitations. (Adobe PDF or Word DOC)
Abide in Me Poster
This 11 x 17 color poster shares the message of stewardship with your parishioners and visitors. (Adobe PDF)
PowerPoint Presentations
The resources include a PowerPoint Presentation to assist you in presenting the concepts of Stewardship within the theme Abide in Me. Additional timely PowerPoint Presentations are available in the previous years' resource materials. These presentations are provided in a customizable format, so that you may add photos and entire slides to personalize the presentation for your purposes. (PPT format)
Bulletin Inserts
These six bulletin inserts will assist you in promoting a positive stewardship message and educating the faithful.
- Insert 1 and 2: What is Christian Stewardship? / We are Called to Bear Fruit (Word DOC)
- Insert 3 and 4: By this My Father is glorified (John 15:8) / Frequently Asked Questions (Adobe PDF or Word DOC)
- Insert 5 and 6: How Do We Abide in Jesus? / Are You Bearing Fruit? (Adobe PDF or Word DOC)
Sermons
These sermons have been shared by parish priests and deal with the topic of stewardship from various perspectives.
- Orthodox Christian Wealth and Stewardship (Word DOC)
- Two Plates - Not One (Word DOC)
- The Journey to Salvation is Not a Cruise (Word DOC)
- Thanksgiving and Stewardship (Word DOC)
- Stewardship: No Magic Pills (Word DOC)
- Member of the Body (Word DOC)
- I am the Vine; You are the Branches (Word DOC)
- Stewardship or Stewardship (Word DOC)
- "Freely You Have Received. Freely GIve." (Matthew 10:8) (Word DOC)
- An "Adequate Answer" (Word DOC)
Abide in Me Vinyl Outdoor Banners
Attractive banners for promoting the message of stewardship are available through the Department of Stewardship, Outreach & Evangelism. These banners may be customized to fit the needs of your parish. Click for the Abide In Me Vinyl Outdoor Banner sample and order form. (Adobe PDF)
Council of Ministries
This resource provides of a positive approach to stewardship of the entire person through involvement in parish ministries as carried out in the St. Nektarios Church of Charlotte, North Carolina. This resource is in 11x17 format. (Adobe PDF)
All of the 2012 Stewardship Campaign resources listed above are available in hard copy through the Department of Stewardship, Outreach & Evangelism. Please send your requests by email to [email protected] or call 646-519-6160.
Thank you for your dedication to Stewardship Ministries.