The Office of Stewardship
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As we look at ways to respond to the Covid-19 outbreak and its impact on parishes, parishioners, our communities, our clergy and religious and our lay workers, we will be sending you the Stewardship newsletter each week.
We will do our best to share ideas from parishes in the Archdiocese, the Province and the US. We will also provide links to programs and vendor sites that may be of value.
When the pandemic is under control and things begin to return to some normalcy, we will be remembered for messages of love and hope, for reaching out to our parishioners and neighbors, for spiritual support of the faithful and for staying a part of people’s lives. We will be known by our deeds.
Included in this issue is a request to parishes to share thoughts, ideas and practices that we can then pass along to all parishes in the Archdiocese.
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Guiding Principles for Generosity in a Crisis
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Presented by James Kelly, Director of the Development, Diocese of Charlotte, #3
In light of the current and rapidly evolving circumstances, the development office offers the following guiding principles around our efforts for our pastors, staff and volunteer leaders. People follow leaders and obviously, our primary concern is the holiness, health and safety of our parishioners.
1.
We can’t control events, but we can work toward greater control over creative responses to events. That is your job and mine.
2.
Encourage your parishioners to focus on gratitude because we still have so much to be thankful for. Spend time thanking parishioners.
3.
As you always do as pastors, staff and volunteer leaders, point to Jesus for what’s important. Encourage your people to focus on the Mass (even if it is on line for now), scripture, prayer, faith, hope, love, family, friends, and those in need. Increase opportunities for people to grow in their relationship with Jesus and service to others.
4.
Talk about the impact of your parishioners’ giving.
5.
Keep in touch with those in need in your parish – the elderly, the sick, etc. Let your parishioners know you value them and care about them. Offer resources that might be helpful to them.
6.
Increase communication with parishioners. Keep them fully informed and deeply engaged. Use various communication methods – letters, newsletters, emails, phone calls, web sites, podcasts, virtual briefings, etc. Use multiple methods to communicate. Step up your outreach to your parishioners.
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Catholic Stewardship in UncertainTimes: Best Practices During COVID-19
presented by ICSC and CCS Fundraising
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Stewardship tips for a virtual ministry
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Hello,
With members and guests attending virtually due to the spread of COVID-19, it can be more difficult for them to express their generosity. Let our experts provide the solution.
Join us for our webinar, eGiving During Virtual Ministry. Receive expert knowledge from a team that has supported tens of thousands of churches with their financial stewardship for more than 20 years.
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Join us online – like your members – on
Wednesday April 8 at
10:00 a.m. PT
11:00 a.m. MT
12:00 p.m. CT
1:00 p.m. ET
to see how simple it can be to get started.
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During the webinar, our expert will show you tested strategies for...
- Implementing eGiving at your church.
- Growing the number of donations by allowing members to give with a mobile app, through a text message or online when services have been disrupted.
- How to use your website and social media to boost donations through eGiving.
Not being physically present for services is difficult. But having the right tools in place to encourage generosity is simple. Join us on
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Parishes sharing their thoughts and ideas
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Here are some ways parishes are reponding through social media
Saint Benedict Catholic Church, Johns Creek Ga
- Using their Facebook page to post about online giving to their "Virtual basket."
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Saint Pius X Catholic Church, Conyers, GA -
Informing their parishioners through their webpage on recurring online gifts
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Holy Cross Catholic Church, Atlanta, GA -
Created a web-banner to direct thier parishioners to their online giving page.
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Saint Brigid Catholic Church, Johns Creek, GA -
Linked their giving page to My Parish for easy access to their E-Giving page.
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Share your best practices
Please continue to share you thoughts and ideas. We would appreciate hearing of any of the things you have done to stay connected with your parishioners during these times and to share them with parishes in the Archdiocese.
Thank you for participating and sharing your thoughts and ideas. You can connect below, email
Nancy Stoehr
or call at 404-920-7614
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A look back into History
In a bit of looking back, we have included stories from the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic and the reactions of communities and churches from those times. Many of the same issues and concerns were voices in different faith communities.
From Close to Home
Closed schools and businesses. No religious services. Face masks in public. That has all happened before; it was more than a century ago when Georgia and the world faced the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic:
Familiar Echoes: 1918 Atlanta And The Spanish Flu
Articles from around the US:
Friday, October 18, 1918
WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS
: The
Daily Telegram
shared examples of how Christians were responding to influenza, even as public worship ceased. Women from three local churches were taking care of “epidemic orphans,” giving them not only food and clothing, but “[supplying] them with plenty of healthful recreation and a little systematized instruction, too.” And a Catholic women’s club brought clothing and food to influenza patients, including 28 jars of applesauce, 28 quarts of lamb stew, and 35 squares of johnny cake.
Sunday, October 20, 1918
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN
: The
Journal
found that church closures didn’t leave the city’s “pastors with any surplus of leisure on their hands.” With the faithful encouraged to engage in “
home worship
” and read sermons
published in newspapers
, Protestant and Catholic clergy were instead devoting more of their energy to pastoral care and sick calls.
Sunday, October 6, 1918
CINCINNATI, OHIO
: Defying the health board order prohibiting all public gatherings, Father William Scholl held morning mass as scheduled at St. Joseph German Catholic Church. When a police lieutenant arrived on the scene, the priest “declared he was not interested in the order,” but police kept any further services from proceeding. The
Enquirer
reported “widespread indignation” against Scholl, with “dignitaries of the Catholic Church joining the protest against the disregard of an order that was issued to safeguard the health of the community.”
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Saint John Neumann - Where prayers are answered - Light a Candle Online
We know that Our Lord, Mary, and all the saints hear and respond to our prayers. Light a candle and share your prayer intention so we can pray with you as well.
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