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Stewardship
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As
disciples of Jesus, we are invited to be aware of the gifts that
have been given to us and to generously share these gifts with one
another. For us as a
community of faith, stewardship is not a program and not just a
method to raise money; it is a way of life.
It is putting our spirituality into action
in the service of others.
May
I invite you to be a parish steward by becoming involved in one of
our parish
ministries.
What we are about as a faith community is to be available to
one another by sharing from our giftedness.
Brochure
What
is a Ministry?
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Ministry (literally, "a service") is central to the life
and mission of the church, as it was to Jesus himself.
"For the
Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as
a ransom for many"
(Mark 10:45).
But it is exercised outside as well as inside the church.
First, there is the service rendered by every
human being to meet the need of another. It is the sort of ministry that
is required of every human being in a position to help another, simply because they share
a common humanity.
Second, there is the service performed by those who are specially qualified by
reason of education and training, and whose competence is verified by society through
certification or licensing.
Third, there is the service rendered by every Christian to meet another's need. By
baptism every Christian is called to follow the example of Jesus who came to serve and not
to be served.
Fourth, there is the service performed by those Christians who are specially qualified
by reason of education, training and spiritual formation, and whose mandate to provide the
service is conferred by the church, whether a parish or a diocese.
" excerpt from Catholic Courier vol 110
no. 49 1999"
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